Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Department of Education

RI Pre-Kindergarten

The Rhode Island Department of Education is committed to ensuring that all children begin school ready to learn, and are prepared to succeed in school as life-long learners and productive citizens. 

 

Rhode Island PreK Logo

RI Pre-Kindergarten 2024-2025

Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) are proud to announce the RI Pre-K expansion and the opening of the 2024-2025 lottery for the state-funded RI Pre-K programs. 

In the first expansion, since 2021, we are excited to add new programs, and new cities to the RI Pre-K community and bring the total of children served to over 2,800.

RI Pre-K, entering its 16th year, provides free, high-quality Pre-K education to 4-year-old children in 21 communities across Rhode Island. 

RI Pre-K programs are awarded through a competitive grant application process that evaluates the organization’s demonstrated ability and experience to provide a high-quality early childhood education and a commitment to continued quality improvements. RI Pre-K is committed to a mixed-delivery model comprised of Head Start programs, local schools and community based childcare providers. 

"High quality early learning opportunities are critical because what children learn in their first few years of life – and how they learn it – can have a long-lasting impact on their success and health from childhood through adulthood,” said Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “All Rhode Island families of eligible children are encouraged to enter the RI Pre-K lottery for a chance to set their child up for a lifetime of success.

As a testament to Rhode Island’s commitment to providing high quality early learning opportunities for children, Rhode Island was once again recognized as a national leader in quality Pre-K by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) for 2023.

RI Pre-K consistently meets all 10 of the NIEER quality benchmarks ranking us as one of the nation’s top states for preschool quality standards. For more information visit the Rhode Island NIEER Yearbook 2023. 

"High-quality early learning prepares Rhode Island’s youngest learners for a lifetime of success,” said Governor Dan McKee. “For 15 years, the RI Pre-K program has served as a national model for providing free, full-day, full-school year programs for Rhode Island’s youngest learners. I encourage all families with eligible children to enter the RI Pre-K lottery."

RI Pre-K is accepting applications from families with four-year old children living in the following 21 communities: Bristol-Warren, Central Falls, Coventry, Cranston, East Providence, Johnston, Lincoln, Middletown, Newport, North Kingstown, North Providence, Pawtucket, Portsmouth, Providence, Smithfield, South Kingstown, Warwick, Westerly, West Warwick, and Woonsocket.  

To be eligible to attend, children must be 4 years old by September 1, 2024, be residents of one of the identified RI Pre-K communities, and not be eligible for kindergarten. 

For more information on the 2024-2025 RI Pre-K Programs and the lottery application process please visit the tabs below. 

Families may contact the RIDE Pre-K team at RIPre-K@ride.ri.gov with any questions. 

Complete the 2025-2026 RI Pre-K Lottery Interest Form

If you are interested in signing up to receive email notifications for the release of the RI Pre-K lottery for the 2025-2026 school year, please fill out and submit the following Google Form. We anticipate the lottery opening in Spring 2025.

 

The 2024-2025 RI Pre-K Lottery is Now Closed.

Thank you for your interest in the RI State Pre-K Lottery. The lottery is closed for the 2024-2025 school year. Families that applied for the RI Pre-K lottery will be notified on their lottery status directly from the program that their child is selected or waitlisted at.

Families of age-eligible children that are interested in RI Pre-K but missed the lottery window may complete and drop off a hard copy application to be put on the waitlist of the program of their choice.

2024-2025 RI State Pre-Kindergarten Programs

This year's participating Pre-K programs are:

Bristol-Warren

  1. East Bay Community Action Program – 790 Main Street (401-245-2833)
  2. The Children's Workshop - 410 Child Street (401-247-2503)

Central Falls

  1. Central Falls School Department
    • Capt. Hunt Early Learning Center, 12 Kendall Street (401-727-7720)
      Applications are available on site and at Central Office 949 Dexter Street
  2. Progreso Latino - 626 Broad Street (401-728-5920 ext.315) or (401-603-7098)
  3. Dr. Daycare - 43 Hawes Street (401-722-0620)
  4. The Children’s Workshop - 151 Hunt Street (401-727-4474)

Coventry

  1. CHILD, Inc. - 23 Cady Street (401-823-3228)
  2. Coventry School Department
    • Blackrock Elementary, 12 LaCasa Drive (401-397-1976)

Cranston

  1. Cranston Public Schools
    • Arlington Elementary School - 155 Princess Ave. (401-270-8179)
    • Edgewood Highland School - 160 Pawtuxet Ave. (401-270-8065)
  2. Cadence Academy - 546 Budlong Road (401-228-3317)
  3. CCAP Child Development Center - 848 Atwood Avenue (401-943-5160)
  4. Little Learners Academy
    • 950 Phenix Avenue (401-714-0088)
    • 339 Atwood Avenue (401-718-0088)

East Providence

  1. East Bay Community Action Program - 70 Turner Ave. (401-649-4233 ext. 100)
  2. East Providence School Department (401-435-7500 ext. 30034)
    **Applications available at the East Providence Administration Offices, 1998 Pawtucket Ave
    • Oldham School - 60 Bart Drive
  3. The Children’s Workshop - 411 Narragansett Park Drive (401-434-1118)

Johnston

  1. Graniteville School - 6 Collins Avenue (401-231-8790)
  2. Over The Rainbow - 1269 Plainfield Street (401-383-4664)
  3. Tri-County Community Action Agency - 7 Waveland Street (401-519-1979)

Lincoln

  1. Academy for Little Children - 6 Wake Robin Road (401-333-4222)
  2. Cadence Academy - 25 Blackstone Valley Place (401-542-9154)

Middletown

  1. East Bay Community Action Program
    • 70 Reservoir Road (401) 367-2001
    • 315 Forest Avenue (401) 367-2001
  2. Sandpipers Early Learning Center - 31 John Clarke Road (401-848-4102)

Newport

  • East Bay Community Action Program - 8 John Chafee Blvd. (401-367-2001)

North Kingstown

  1. Sunshine Child Development Center - 11 Iafrate Way (401-294-3510)

North Providence

  1. Dr. Daycare - 2 Volturno Street (401-723-7784)
  2. Tri-County Community Action Agency - 79 Waterman Avenue (401-519-1979)

Pawtucket

  1. Children’s Friend and Service - Dean Center - 13 Legion Drive (401-752-7700)
  2. Dr. Daycare - 25 Thornley Street (401-722-7000)
  3. Heritage Park YMCA - 333 Roosevelt Avenue (401-727-2050)
  4. Pawtucket School Department
    **Applications for these sites are available at the Pawtucket Central Office, 286 Main St.
    • Fallon Memorial School - 62 Lincoln Avenue (401-729-6300 or 729-6254)
    • Henry Winters School - 481 Broadway (401-729-6272 or 729-6300)
    • Francis Varieur School - 489 Pleasant Street (401-729-6266)
    • Nathanael Greene School - 285 Smithfield Ave (401-729-6260)
  5. The Children's Workshop - 178 East Street (401-728-3050)

Portsmouth

  1. Countryside Children's Center - 1676 East Main Road (401-683-0991)

Providence

  1. Beautiful Beginnings
    • 700 Elmwood Avenue (401-785-8485)
    • CCRI Liston Campus - 1 Hilton Street (401-785-8485)
      **Applications for this site can be picked up and dropped off at 700 Elmwood Avenue
  2. Children’s Friend
    • Friendship Center - 350 Point Street (401-752-7600)
    • Berkshire Center - 99 Berkshire Street (401-752-7500)
    • Hartford Center - 550 Hartford Avenue (401-752-7950)
    • Althea Center - 70 Union Avenue (401-495-3600)
  3. Dr. Daycare - 133 Delaine Street (401-228-8554)
  4. Genesis Center - 620 Potters Avenue (401-781-6110 ext. 16)
  5. Imagine Preschool - 520 Hope Street (401-276-6129)
  6. Meeting Street - 1000 Eddy Street (401-533-9100)
  7. Montessori Community School of RI - 73 Stanwood Street (401-654-4540)
  8. Over the Rainbow - 50 Niantic Avenue (401-383-0068)
  9. Providence Public Schools - (401-456-9179)
    • Pleasant View Elementary School - 50 Obediah Brown Road (401-456-9325)
    • Narducci Learning Center – 110 Paul Street (401) 456-9325 ** Site of Harry Kizirian RI Pre-K 2024-2025
    • Young Woods Elementary School - 674 Prairie Avenue (401-278-0515)
  10. Smith Hill Early Childhood Learning Center - 25 Danforth Street (401-455-3890)
  11. The Children’s Workshop - 15 Clarkson Street (401-383-9958)

Smithfield

  1. Cadence Academy - 22 Cedar Swamp Road (401-233-2828)
  2. Little Learners Academy - 440 George Washington Highway (401-373-0002)

South Kingstown

  1. Tri-County Community Action Agency - 1935 Kingstown Road (401-515-2471)

Warwick

  1. CHILD, Inc. -
    • 849 Centerville Road (401-823-3777)
    • 160 Draper Avenue (401-732-5200)
  2. Precious Years - 205 Hallene Road, Building C, #324 (401-738-0550)

West Warwick

  1. Academy for Little Children - 10 James P Murphy Industrial Highway (401-823-5000)
  2. CHILD, Inc. - 28 Payan Street (401-828-2888)

Westerly

  1. Cadence Academy - 42 Franklin Street (401-315-5544)
  2. Tri-County Community Action Agency - 34 Pond Street (401-515-2471)

Woonsocket

  1. Connecting for Children and Families - 46 Hope Street (401-766-3384)
  2. Woonsocket Head Start Child Development Association (401-769-1850)
    • Benoit Brown Center - 2390 Mendon Road
    • Bourdon Boulevard Center - 1 Bourdon Blvd.
    • Cass Park Center - 350 Newland Avenue.
    • Karen Bouchard Center - 204 Warwick Street.
    • Pothier Elementary School - 420 Robinson Street
  3. YWCA Rhode Island - 514 Blackstone Street (401-769-7450)

Pursuant to Article 10, Section 4 of the FY23 Enacted Budget, the RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, RI Department of Human Services, and the Children’s Cabinet have collaborated to develop a comprehensive expansion plan for the state’s prekindergarten program, RI Pre-K. Over the last several years, our agencies have worked together to grow RI Pre-K to over 2,800 seats across 20 Rhode Island communities through a mixed-delivery model that includes community-based childcare centers, Head Start Agencies, and Local Education Agencies. 

Thank you for your interest in becoming a RI Pre-K provider.  Future expansions of RI Pre-K depend on state funding from the RI general assembly.  There is no current RI Pre-K expansion plan for the 25-26 school year.  If you are interested in becoming a provider, please fill out the survey link below to be included in future communications about possible RI Pre-K expansion.

RI Pre-K Program Interest Form

Quality Standards

Curriculum

From the time children walk into a RI Pre-Kindergarten classroom until the time they leave, children are actively engaged in learning. Intentional teaching means that teachers apply what they know from research and best practice in the field of early childhood and intentionally plan their day to ensure that every child gets the most out of every experience. All RI Pre-K classrooms are required to utilize a RIDE-endorsed curriculum with fidelity. 

Classroom Quality

RI Pre-Kindergarten teachers are committed to continually assessing and refining their teaching practice to be the best that they can be. PreK Program classrooms use a number of tools that provide data to teachers about their classroom practices.

Child Assessment

RI Pre-Kindergarten classroom teachers implement a system of ongoing child assessment which includes observations of children, samples of children’s work, interviews with children, and interviews with parents. This information is entered into a web-based child portfolio using Teaching Strategies GOLD and is used by teachers to inform curriculum planning, to differentiate instruction for individual students and groups of students, and to ensure that children make steady progress toward learning outcomes.

Family Engagement

Family Engagement is a core component of high-quality, early education classrooms. Children do better in school when they experience a preschool curriculum that is culturally relevant and integrates elements of their own life experiences. In addition, when parents and caregivers partner with teachers and support children’s learning at home, we create the conditions that maximize outcomes for children.

Technical Paper on Setting Expectations for Rhode Island's Youngest Children: Developing High-Quality Early Learning and Development Standards [PDF, 238KB]

Quality Continuum

The Rhode Island Department of Education’s Early Childhood Programs are a part of the state’s quality continuum. The Quality Continuum for early childhood education programs begins with the foundation of DCYF licensing or Basic Education Program regulations.  As programs make quality improvements, they move up through the 1-5 BrightStars rating process. 

Full Continuum chart
Full Continuum

Federal Pre-K Expansion Grant

In 2014, along with 34 other states, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) submitted what is now recognized as a winning application. RIDE will receive $19 million dollars over four years to expand its high quality State Pre-Kindergarten Program (Pre-K). These federal resources, combined with continued state investment, will significantly increase access to this high-quality program. Rhode Island’s plan is elegantly simple. The RI Department of Education (RIDE) will use federal Preschool Expansion Grant dollars to:

  • Expand access to the high quality Rhode Island State Pre-K Program by both accelerating the existing state expansion plan and leveraging the federal dollars to achieve increased access in seven high-need communities that have more than 50% of children enrolled in Free and Reduced Price Lunch: Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, West Warwick, Newport, Central Falls and East Providence 
  • Improve upon the state processes and supports that ensure the quality implementation of the program, including monitoring, technical assistance and the implementation of a rigorous program evaluation. 

Under RIDE’s plan the state has expanded access to the high quality RI State Pre-K Program from 17 classrooms (306 children) in school year 2014-15 to 127 classrooms (2300 children) in school year 2022-23. 

VISIT THE FEDERAL PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS WEBSITE

This project was made possible by grant number 90TP0058-02-00. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.