Child care licensing standards minimally require that directors have 72 clock hours of training in child development and 30 clock hours in management, and 3 years of experience in licensed child care. Texas does not have a director credential. Elementary school principals must have a master’s degree and pre-K certification is available. However, principal licensure does not require pre-K content or practical experience in the principal preparation requirements. The Texas Rising Star (TRS) QRIS was revised in 2017 to be implemented statewide. It is a hybrid model that adds points to required elements. Minimally, at the highest level of the QRIS, directors must have attended the TRS director’s certificate course and worked as a director for 8 years in a TRS program or a nationally accredited program. School-based pre-K programs require principal licensure. Directors of a community-based state pre-K programs must be nationally accredited or be a TRS program with a minimum of three-star certification.
