AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND PREKINDERGARTEN EDUCATION ACT (Establishes guidelines, rules and regulations for the implementation and expansion of prekindergarten education programs for children ages 3-4 to increase children’s school readiness statewide.)

S3147

2026 -- S 3147
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LC005718
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND PREKINDERGARTEN EDUCATION
ACT

Introduced By:
Senators Gallo, Ciccone, Tikoian, DiPalma, Bissaillon, DiMario,
Valverde, McKenney, Mack, and Zurier

Date Introduced:
March 27, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Sections 16-87-2 and 16-87-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-87 entitled
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"Rhode Island Prekindergarten Education Act" are hereby amended to read as follows:
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16-87-2. Findings.
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(a) The general assembly hereby finds that attending high quality early childhood education
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programs help children develop important social and cognitive skills and knowledge that prepares
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children to succeed in school. Research has shown long-lasting benefits for children who participate
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in very high quality, educationally focused early childhood programs. The benefits to children can
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also generate substantial government cost savings, including reduced need for special education
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services, reduced need for cash assistance and other public benefits, and reduced rates of
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incarceration.
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(b) The general assembly finds that there are substantial numbers of children in Rhode
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Island entering kindergarten who are not adequately prepared to succeed in school. Early school
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failure may ultimately contribute to such children dropping out of school at an early age, failing to
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achieve their full potential, becoming dependent upon public assistance, or becoming involved in
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criminal activities.
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(c) Furthermore, the general assembly finds that there is an existing infrastructure of early
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childhood programs in Rhode Island serving preschool age children in full-day and half-day
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programs that is supported through state and federal investments in child care, Head Start and

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special education. It is the goal of the general assembly to support a system of publicly-funded,
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high quality prekindergarten education programs that are operated through a diverse delivery
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network, including child care, Head Start and public school districts.
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(d) The general assembly also finds that Head Start programs have provided
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comprehensive services and high-quality early childhood education to children and families for
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decades, improving children’s cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills as well as reducing
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family conflict and improving family educational attainment and self-sufficiency. Rhode Island
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invests state funds to sustain and expand access to Head Start, support more competitive teacher
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salaries, and help programs meet their federally-required twenty percent (20%) state or local
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funding match.
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(d)
(e)
By enacting this law, the general assembly acknowledges the need to adequately
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prepare all children to succeed in school by providing access to publicly-funded high quality
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prekindergarten education programs
for all children ages three (3) and four (4) through both the
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state managed prekindergarten program and the federally-managed Head Start program
.
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16-87-4. Early childhood workforce development.
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(a) The Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education shall work with
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other state departments and private philanthropy to establish

the department of human services to
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sustain and expand the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood program,
a statewide, comprehensive,
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research-based early childhood workforce development scholarship program to expand the number
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of early childhood educators who have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in early childhood
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education and who work with children from birth to age five (5).
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(b)(1) In furtherance of the goals set forth in this chapter, no later than January 1, 2023, the
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governor’s workforce board shall convene a working group comprised of representatives from the
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department of elementary and secondary education, department of human services, office of the
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postsecondary commissioner, the RI early learning council, organized labor, and early childhood
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education industry employers, whose purpose shall be to identify barriers to entry into the early
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childhood education workforce, and to design accessible and accelerated pathways into the
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workforce, including, but not limited to, registered apprenticeships and postsecondary credit for
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prior work experience.
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(2) No later than April 1, 2023, the working group shall provide the general assembly with
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recommendations for addressing the barriers to workforce entry and implementing the solutions
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identified by the working group; the recommendations shall outline any administrative and
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legislative action that would be required by participating agencies to implement the
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recommendations.

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SECTION 2. Chapter 16-87 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Prekindergarten
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Education Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
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16-87-8. Prekindergarten implementation and expansion.
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(a) The state prekindergarten program model, managed by the department of elementary
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and secondary education, shall be sustained and, as funds are available, expanded in a mixed-
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delivery system that includes Head Start programs, local education agencies, licensed center-based
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childcare providers, and licensed family childcare providers or family childcare networks in order
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that no less than seventy percent (70%) of all children ages three (3) and four (4) are enrolled in
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high-quality prekindergarten options.
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(b) The department of elementary and secondary education is hereby authorized to
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promulgate and adopt rules and regulations for the implementation of the state-managed high-
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quality prekindergarten options.
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(c) Research-based quality standards for the state-managed prekindergarten program shall
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be defined in rules and regulations promulgated by the department and shall meet or exceed the
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recommended quality standards for state preschool programs outlined by the National Institute for
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Early Education Research or the federal Head Start Performance Standards. Quality standards shall
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include, but not be limited to:
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(1) Teacher education and certification;
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(2) Class size and staff ratios;
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(3) Learning time;
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(4) Developmentally appropriate, evidence-based learning standards;
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(5) Curriculum prioritizing developmentally appropriate, play-based learning;
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(6) Access, inclusion and support for students with special needs, including a system to
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ensure delivery of high-quality, inclusive early education services required by the Individuals with
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Disabilities Education Act to children with developmental delays and disabilities who are enrolled
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in community-based programs which may or may not be located in the same municipality where
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the child lives;
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(7) Support for English language learners;
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(8) Professional development;
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(9) Child assessments; and
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(10) Observations and coaching to improve practice.
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(d) To whatever extent deemed appropriate and efficient by the department, quality
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standards may be differentiated by prekindergarten education setting and include federal support
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and oversight for the Head Start Performance Standards, such that every provider in a mixed

LC005718 - Page 3 of 5
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delivery model is able and expected to meet research-based quality standards.
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(e) Funds to sustain and expand the state prekindergarten program managed by the
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department of elementary and secondary education and funds to sustain and expand access to Head
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Start programs in Rhode Island, managed by the department of human services, shall be allocated
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and regularly adjusted to ensure teacher wages and benefits are competitive with similarly qualified
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kindergarten teacher wages and benefits.
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SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND PREKINDERGARTEN EDUCATION
ACT
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This act would establish guidelines, rules and regulations for the implementation and
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expansion of high-quality public prekindergarten education programs for children ages three (3)
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and four (4) to increase children’s school readiness and to ensure high quality prekindergarten
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services are available statewide and coordinated together by the department of elementary and
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secondary education and the department of human services.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC005718 - Page 5 of 5