RI · BrightStars
Rhode Island — CDA & ECE Workforce Credentials
Rhode Island places CDA at BrightStars Level 2-3; RI Pre-K requires bachelor's + state teacher cert with EC endorsement (PK-2).
Data current as of April 2026.
CDA acceptance & requirements
- Lead teacher requirements: Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) child care licensing accepts CDA. CDA recognized at Level 2-3 on the BrightStars Teacher Qualification Levels.
- Assistant teacher requirements: Minimum age 18, HS diploma/GED, plus required orientation and ongoing PD.
- Director requirements: Higher BrightStars level + administrative coursework + experience.
- State-funded pre-K (RI Pre-K): Bachelor's + state teacher cert with EC endorsement (PK-2) required. CDA does not satisfy.
- QRIS: BrightStars — Rhode Island's QRIS administered through BrightStars at Center for Early Learning Professionals. Higher star (5) ratings require AA in ECE.
- T.E.A.C.H. & apprenticeship: T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Rhode Island is administered through Center for Early Learning Professionals.
State-specific ECE workforce credentials
- Rhode Island BrightStars Teacher Qualification Levels — Administered by BrightStars. Multi-tier framework recognizing training, CDA, AA, BA, and state teacher cert. CDA = Level 2-3.
- Rhode Island Department of Education — Early Childhood (PK-2) certification for public-school pre-K; BA + state EPP.
Notable state context
Rhode Island's Center for Early Learning Professionals serves as the central PD, registry, and T.E.A.C.H. infrastructure — concentrating workforce development in a single intermediary, similar to Delaware's DIEEC model. State-funded RI Pre-K operates with bachelor's + cert teacher minimums, paralleling the broader licensed-care vs. state-pre-K split.