In Standard 2: Program Evaluation, at Stars 3, 4, and 5 a program is required to complete all or parts of the Rising Stars for ME Inclusive Practices Checklist as part of the program’s overall Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Plan.

At first glance, this document can seem overwhelming – it’s new, it covers a wide range of topics, and it’s thirty-five pages! Before you dive in (or run away from) the Checklist, remember to access the following resources:

• The Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS) created a short overview video of the Checklist to help you get started.
• MRTQ PDN and CCIDS are collaborating to offer a Professional Learning Community (PLC) covering all aspects of the Checklist. Look in this edition of SHORTcuts for more information, or sign up here.
• The newly revised MRTQ PDN training Inclusive Child Care uses the Checklist as part of the training content to give you a head start on completing it for your program. There are still openings available for the training starting on November 1.

The most important thing to remember is that your answers on the Checklist and the content of your goals DO NOT count toward your rating with Rising Stars for ME. The Rising Stars for ME Standards ask only that your program uses the tool yearly (the Prerequisites and two categories at Star 3 and the full Checklist at Stars 4 and 5) and includes a summary of the results in your CQI Plan. How you approach setting and working toward your goals is up to you!