This week we’ll continue our discussion of how a program should reapply with Rising Stars for ME. See last week’s Tip of the Week for the first part of this topic. 

We understand that the E-Portfolio can take time to put together. At the same time, considering that one goal of Rising Stars for ME is to promote the use of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Plans, regular updates should be made to the documents to reflect changes in the program. For this reason, most documents in the E-Portfolio will expire after two years. 

With that in mind, there are a few documents that may not change in a two-year period and will not automatically expire. Keep in mind that documents should be updated in your E-Portfolio each time you apply if they have been updated, regardless of whether they have automatically expired. 

Those documents that will not automatically expire are: 

• Sample Curriculum Plans 

• Written Curriculum Framework 

• Family and/or Staff Survey Tool 

• Sample Job Descriptions 

• Sample Professional Development Plan 

• Child/Youth Observation Tool(s) 

• Documentation of Leadership Training (Facilities only) 

Remember, if your program’s documents change, you should add those new documents to the E-Portfolio the next time you apply. For example, if your program changes the type of Child Observation Tool used, that should be updated during your next application. 

As always, reach out to risingstarsforme@maine.edu with questions.