Rhode Island

Overview

During the 2021-2022 school year, Rhode Island preschool enrolled 2,364 children, an increase of 516 from the prior year, as the program began to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. State spending totaled $14,321,491, with an additional $2,084,263 in federal recovery funds to support the program, up $811,132 (5%), adjusted for inflation since last year. State spending per child (including federal recovery funds) equaled $6,940 in 2021-2022, down $1,499 from 2020-2021, adjusted for inflation. Rhode Island met 10 of 10 quality standards benchmarks.

What's New

An interagency state UPK team continued to work towards achieving universal Pre-K for 4-year-olds and began to strategize extending preschool to 3-year-olds. RI Pre-K is currently utilizing GEER funding to accelerate preschool expansion for the 2021-2022 and 2022- 2023 school years. The PDG, GEER, and CCDBG funds that supported expansion in 2021-2022 and continued to fund that expansion in 2022-2023 ends at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. A $7 million deficit will occur in the 2023-2024 school year unless additional State funds are allocated. 

The Rhode Island Executive Office of Health & Human Services received a $4 million Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B–5) planning grant in December of 2022 for supports for early educators, including: an early educator supplemental compensation pilot program and higher education articulation support to advance degree attainment; focused strategic planning on early childhood multilingual learner supports and best practices; early childhood mental health; infant/toddler system; early childhood development supports; early educator compensation; and RI’s quality rating and improvement system and family engagement and outreach, including for the RI Pre-K lottery in spring 2023.

Background

The Rhode Island State Pre-Kindergarten Program, launched in 2009, is provided in public schools, Head Start programs, and private childcare. All children who turn four years old by September 1 and are living in participating communities are eligible for the program, even though enrollment is also determined by lottery. 

The Rhode Island Department of Education oversees the pre-K program, funded through an Early Childhood Categorical line, created in 2010, within RIDE’s state-budget. Using a phased-in approach, $10 million was invested over ten years to expand access to high-quality pre-K, commencing with communities containing a high proportion of children eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. 

In 2014, Rhode Island received a $19 million federal Preschool Development Grant (PDG) to expand access to its high-quality pre-K program. This funding was used to expand access in high-need communities and to enhance program monitoring, evaluation, and technical assistance. Enrollment nearly doubled between the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years as a result of the PDG support; the support did, however, level off, as planned, in 2017- 2018 and 2018-2019. 

Teachers in the program must hold a bachelor’s degree in early childhood. The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education provides training and technical assistance through a vendor to all staff on an ongoing basis. The Rhode Island Pre-Kindergarten Program has been assessed for both process quality and program impact/child outcomes, including classroom quality and child outcomes in literacy, arithmetic, and social-emotional development.

Rhode Island State Pre-Kindergarten Program

Access

Some Head Start children may also be counted in state pre-K. Estimates children in special education not also enrolled in state pre-K or Head Start.
Total state pre-K enrollment	2,364
School districts that offer state program	49% (communities)
Income requirement	No income requirement
Minimum hours of operation	6 hours/day; 5 days/week
Operating schedule	School or academic year
Special education enrollment, ages 3 and 4	1,709
Federally funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	1,787
State-funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	130

Resources

Pre-K programs may receive additional funds from federal or local sources that are not included in this figure. K–12 expenditures include capital spending as well as current operating expenditures. Head Start per-child spending includes funding only for 3- and 4-year-olds.