Center for Early Learning Professionals

Center for Early Learning Professionals

Get Your PD Approved

Rhode Island’s dedicated early childhood workforce deserves the very best in professional development opportunities.

To ensure that PD for the early learning community meets high-quality standards, the Center administers the state’s PD Approval Process. The process certifies that PD offered by individuals and organizations across the state:

Professional Development

For Trainers and Organizations

If you are seeking approval for an in-person or online training you are offering, complete and submit the electronic PD Approval Application. We recommend that you submit the application thirty (30) days before the session date to allow adequate time for review.

Please note that the electronic application can now be saved and completed at a later time. We recommend that you download and review the PD Approval Application Guidance document, Rhode Island’s Workforce Knowledge and Competencies Frameworks (WKCs), and the Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards (RIELDS) prior to beginning the online submission.

Initial PD approval is for a period of two (2) years. Trainers may apply for subsequent approval by completing the PD Renewal Application. Please review the Renewal Application Guidance Document form for more information. Please note that the electronic renewal application can now be saved and completed at a later time.

For Participants

If you are seeking approval for your individual participation in an out-of-state conference or workshop or non-credit-bearing online training, complete and submit the electronic Training Verification Form after the event has taken place.

Please note that the electronic application can now be saved and completed at a later time. We recommend that you download and and review the Training Verification Guidance Document prior to beginning the online submission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Any in-person training session conducted by either a staff member or a consultant must be approved in order for participants to apply the PD hours toward the state’s licensing requirement for approved PD hours.

PD offerings eligible for approval must align with the state’s WKCs and RIELDS.

Credit-bearing courses—both in-person and online—at an accredited college or university are exempt from this approval process.

RIELDS trainings provided by the RI Department of Education and trainings resulting in certification, such as CPR or CLASS Reliability.

PD from the organizations on this list is approved and does not need to go through the approval process: Click here to view the list.

If your PD Approval Application is approved, you will receive an email from the Center with the application score, reviewer feedback, effective and expiration dates, and an approval code.

If the application is for a training that is under development and does not meet the criteria for high-quality professional development, you will receive an email with reviewer feedback. We encourage you to use the feedback to revise and resubmit the application before the training event occurs.

If the application is for a training that is already published online or currently operating with registrants, it must meet criteria upon first review. 

For Training Verification Forms, individuals will receive an email from the Center that either confirms the hours have been approved or requests additional information. We suggest individuals keep a copy of the approval email with the certificate of completion issued by the training entity as documentation of participation.

The approval code lets participants know that the PD they completed counts toward the state’s licensing requirements. Trainers must provide each participant with a certificate of completion that includes the approval code and the number of PD hours earned. This certificate serves as documentation for participants.