Early Childhood Education Degree Programs in Rhode Island

Three CAEP accredited education degree programs in Rhode Island give New Englanders the knowledge and disposition to pass the Praxis exam for PreK-2 certification. Awarded the 2011 Early Learning Challenge Grant of $500 million, Rhode Island is one of the leading states for ECE initiatives with a perfect 10 quality rating from the NIEER. Early educators are needed for programs like Rhode Island Head Start, Children’s Friend, East Bay Community Action, and Providence Connections. In fact, Head Start in the “Ocean State” serves 2,295 children under age six annually! Early childhood education graduates also teach in primary grades at Rhode Island’s 36 school districts, including the top-ranked Barrington Public Schools and East Greenwich Public Schools. The BLS reports that Rhode Island employs 1,390 Pre-K, 540 Kindergarten, and 3,480 elementary teachers for average salaries of $33,920 to $66,160. Here are your options for studying early childhood education in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island College

Feinstein School of Education and Human Development

Founded as the State Normal School in 1854, Rhode Island College is a public, co-educational higher learning institute of the Little East Conference that’s endowed for $16.4 million under President Dr. Frank Sánchez to inspire 7,518 undergrad Anchormen to greatness on its 180-acre Providence campus. Recognized for America’s 279th best college location on Niche, RIC is ranked the 218th top public university and 192nd best Northeastern school on Forbes. Featuring a 14:1 student-faculty ratio, the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development has 28 CAEP accredited education degree programs in Rhode Island with a phenomenal average net price of $8,372 yearly.

B.S. in Early Childhood Education

Affiliated with Exceed and T.E.A.C.H. Rhode Island, the B.S. in Early Childhood Education starts every Fall for RIC undergrads to lay the groundwork for creating effective learning environments with a constructivist strategy for the youngest students from infancy to third grade. Applying a strengths-based approach, the 79-credit major spans courses from educational psychology and behavior management to developmental screening and art education. Each undergrad tackles 100 practicum hours before a student-teaching semester at partners like Vartan Gregorian Elementary and Bright Horizons at Rhode Island Hospital. Majors might also earn the Mary E. Murphy Scholarship, volunteer in the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities, become Henry Barnard School mentors, and teach abroad in Panama.

M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education

Coordinated by Dean Lisa Owen, PhD, Rhode Island College’s M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education is recognized by the NAEYC for helping licensed teachers expand their pedagogical repertoire for promoting optimal development in kids from birth to eight years old. Bachelor’s graduates need a 3.0 GPA, passing Praxis scores, and three references for admission each fall. Using Blackboard, the hybrid courses meld online learning with evening sessions after 4pm in Providence for working teachers’ benefit. Educators develop deep understanding of young children with 36 credits like developmental play, nutrition, home-school partnerships, emergent literacy, and special needs services. Non-licensed graduates must select the Second Bachelor’s Program for the B.S. in Early Childhood Education instead.

Accreditation

• Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Contact

Horace Mann Hall 104

600 Mount Pleasant Avenue

Providence, RI 02908

(401) 456-8594

lowen@ric.edu

http://www.ric.edu/feinsteinschooleducationhumandevelopment/Pages/default.aspx

University of Rhode Island

Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies

Noted for prominent academic alums like Daniel G. Aldrich, Elizabeth A. Craig, and Cornelius M. Kerwin, the University of Rhode Island is a public, sea-grant RU/H institute operating on a $70.57 million annual budget to instruct 16,613 Rams with 676 full-time faculty upon its 1,254-acre Atlantic 10 campus in Kingston. Applauded as the 153rd top public university nationally on Forbes, URI is ranked the 284th best value in MONEY magazine for an estimated price of $29,600. Housing 17 accredited education degree programs in Rhode Island, the Alan Shawn Feinstein College is also crowned America’s 421st best teaching school on Niche.

Early Childhood Education (B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies)

Boasting a 100 percent RIDE certification rate, the Early Childhood Education (B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies) is one of the URI School of Education’s shared programs that meets NAEYC standards for certifying teachers to instruct in preschool through second grade. Led by Dean Anne Seitsinger, PhD, the upper-division major accepts sophomore applicants with a minimum 2.75 GPA to finish the 120-credit degree. Expect face-to-face courses in infant development, family financial issues, early language, childhood poverty, children’s literature, and family interaction. Three credits of practicum are followed by a student-teaching internship at agencies like Alphabet Soup Childcare Center, Chariho Regional School District, Eastside Early Learning Center, and MacColl YMCA. There’s also a Post-Baccalaureate ECE Certificate available.

Accreditation

• Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Contact

Chafee Hall 608

10 Chafee Road

Kingston, RI 02881

(401) 277-5468

anneseitsinger@uri.edu

http://web.uri.edu/education/academics/

Getting Rhode Island PreK-2 certification requires finishing a bachelor’s, passing 12 weeks of student teaching, and scoring at least 160 on the Praxis II Education of Young Children test. While paying for four years of college education isn’t cheap, your investment can pay off because demand in ECE will rise by 7 percent through 2024 as America’s seventh best education job on the U.S. News. T.E.A.C.H. Rhode Island’s Ready to Learn Providence program could even cover up to 90 percent of your tuition if you’ll work at DCYF-licensed childcare centers after graduation. Consider these accredited education degree programs in Rhode Island to sharpen your skillfulness and creativity for reaching young minds.