PREP-RI: Performance Review for Educator Preparation - Rhode Island

Ensuring educators are classroom and school ready on Day 1.

Every educator who completes an approved Rhode Island preparation program will:

  •   Demonstrate PK-12 student achievement
  •   Be ready to succeed in Rhode Island schools
  •   Serve as leaders and professionals

PREP-RI provides a structure for reviewing programs to determine if a provider or prospective provider is offering a high-quality program that meets the RI Standards for Educator Preparation.

PREP-RI is designed to meet three goals:

  1. Assess performance of individual programs
  2. Assess aggregate quality of educator preparation providers
  3. Provide meaningful feedback to programs and providers

Additional Information

PREP-RI Process Guide [PDF, 1.6 MB] introduces Educator Preparation Providers to the process which their programs will be reviewed, evaluated, and approved in order to recommend candidates for certification in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island Standards for Educator Preparation [PDF, 428KB] set the expectation for high-quality programs. Embedded are the expectations that providers and programs ensure that program completers are ready from day one to be successful educators who positively impact student learning.

PREP-RI Performance Rubric [PDF, 544KB] describes levels of performance for each component of the standards. The rubric gives structure to the performance review and supports program continuous improvement.

The list below includes links to important templates and documents associated with the PREP-RI process.

Request for a Review [DOCX, 21 KB] begins the PREP-RI process. The college president, university president, or organization CEO should submit the letter to RIDE.

Provider Organization Sheet [DOCX, 88KB] is used to communicate the organizational structure and contact information with RIDE.

Demonstration of Need Form [DOCX, 82 KB] provides detail about current and recent enrollment in the program and requires the program to explain how it meets current hiring and preparation needs in RI.

Evidence Organizers structure and organize the evidence, create an opportunity for programs to set a context for the evidence, and detail the required evidence.  Each organizer includes a purpose and directions, space for brief program narratives, and a list of required evidence.

  1. Pre-Visit Evidence Organizer
  2. On-Site Evidence Organizers

Exit Meeting Protocol [PDF, 227 KB] describes the structure of the exit meeting.

All providers seeking to start a new program in Rhode Island should consult the Guide for New Program Approval [PDF, 207 KB]. This document includes timelines, application prerequisites, and approval requirements. The guide is for both providers seeking approval in RI as well as currently approved providers seeking to add programs.

IMPORTANT: At this time, RIDE is only accepting the following:

  • Applications for areas where there currently is no RI Approved Program (e.g. career and technical education, mathematics specialist)
  • Applications for areas where there is currently only one approved program (e.g. school counselor)
  • Applications to open programs in ESL and special education (including concurrent programs)
  • Applications to redesign currently approved programs

RIDE also hosted a webinar on September 11, 2017 to share background about the updated guide and to share tips and lessons learned from recent reviews of new program applications.

Templates referenced in the guide are the following:

Applicants should review and consider referencing current RI-specific employment and certification data. Suggested resources to support applicants in specifying the demand for their program may include the Emergency Certificates Annual Report, the Newly Certified Educators Report, and/or the RI Educator Preparation Indices. Current providers may also consider referring to their completer in-state past performance by referencing data from the EPP Reports tab.

Providers seeking to make a significant change in their approved program must confirm the change with RIDE prior to making the adjustment.