USER GUIDE QUALITYstarsNY Portal Abbreviated Re-rating 2015 Last updated: 2/11/15 FOR FAMILY/HOME-BASED PROVIDERS

LOG-IN & PASSWORD RECOVERY Log-in to the Portal using the e-mail address and password used for the previous Self-study and/or original application. If you forgot your password, follow the instructions on the page and a temporary password will be sent to the email used to create the account. TIP: Copy and paste the temporary password to avoid potential mistakes in re-typing If your email was not used to create the original account, you must contact a QUALITYstarsNY administrator to reset your password at info@qualitystarsny.org Once logged in, you can change the temporary password by clicking on “My Organization” and then on “My Account Information”

QUESTIONS? If at any point you have questions about your Self-study, please do not hesitate to reach out for assistance! If you require technical assistance, please notify a QUALITYstarsNY administrator: Info@qualitystarsny.org or 718-254-7727 For questions about staff qualifications and experience please contact Aspire: info@nyworksforchildren.org or 718-254-7716

BEGINNING THE SELF-STUDY Once you have logged in, select the Self-Study tab. The site(s) associated with your e-mail address will appear. Select Start a Self-study.

WELCOME Navigating the Self-study Use the Wizard toolbar on the left side of the page to easily navigate through the pages of the Self-Study. You can also use the Next or Back buttons to move between the pages.

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION SITE INFORMATION Review and Update Please enter site and contact information in the blank fields All fields with *are required Some fields are “Read-only” meaning that the information is drawn directly from Aspire. If any of the Read-only Fields on this page appear incorrect, contact Aspire. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION STANDARDS SELF-STUDY

SITE PROFILE License Type/Category Verify. If incorrect, contact Aspire. Site support: Select all that apply. If you indicate that your site provides HS/EHS, you must provide the Grantee’s name and date of last review. If you indicate that your site provides UPK services, you must enter the School district’s name before proceeding. If you do not know this information or wish to complete the application without supplying this information, you must uncheck the associated site support. For NYC sites, enter: NYC Department of Education Note: Head Start information provided on this page does not adjust the Self-study checklist. To receive automatic points for being in full compliance with federal Head Start standards, you must submit an Abbreviated Standards Self-study request form, along with a Dated Office of Head Start Monitoring Report indicating full compliance to get access.

SITE PROFILE Site Conditions: Select all that apply. Review and select the population(s) that your site currently serves. Note: If you select “Serving Children whose home language is not English,” an additional prompt will appear. Please note: Site condition information will adjust the Self-study checklist, allowing your site to earn additional points. It will also remove standards from the checklists that do not apply to your site. Program Attributes: Select all that apply. This information will not adjust the Self-study. It is useful for our data collection purposes.

STAFF ROSTER Review & Verify Verify your site’s staff information. 11111 John Doe 11111 John Doe Review & Verify Verify your site’s staff information. If information is incorrect or missing, you must log in to your Aspire account to make any changes or updates. If you are mailing any documents to Aspire, please use the Priority Documentation Coversheet

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE 2004 The number of points earned for the Qualifications & Experience standard category is calculated by adding the average points earned for administrative and teaching staff and the number of points earned for retention. If any staff information is missing or incorrect, please log-in to Aspire to make changes or updates.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE Click on the Provider (s), Assistant(s), or Retention buttons to view the site’s verified staff, the standards that they meet, and the points earned for retention 2004 John Doe 11111 Mention that when DL Q&E report it displays all trainings taken by each staff (why it’s so long) and not just those that count toward the QSNY rating. Not every administrator or teacher meeting each standard. Across all admin, for example, meeting these 3 standards.

ALIGNMENT Review our records. If they are incorrect, follow the instructions on the screen. Note: If your site is both NAFCC accredited and in full compliance with federal Head Start performance standards, QUALITYstarsNY will default to the Head Start-aligned checklist as it assigns a greater number of points.

CHECKLIST INSTRUCTIONS The checklist is where you are able to upload and link documentation for standards that your site meets. You will notice that some standards in grey, or “Read-only”, and you cannot make changes. For an explanation of the Read-only status, look for the following codes indicated in the Evidence column on the right side of the checklist and refer to the legend. Note that each standard category contains multiple subcategories. Click the down arrow to see each subcategory. You must click into each subcategory (or hit Next repeatedly) to view and upload files for the standards.

STANDARD CHECKLISTS Steps to Upload Evidence Locate the previously unmet standard for which you would like to submit evidence. Previously unmet standards will not appear in grey and the option to Add/View File will be available. 2. Click on the dropdown menu and select the documentation you intend to upload The number of documents you have selected will be displayed. Once all required documents are selected, the radio button under the Answer column will change from No to Yes. If you did not intend to select the documentation you checked, click Uncheck all and the radio button will return to No. If you have attached documentation and then uncheck the checkbox, the documentation will need to re-uploaded. 3. Click on the Add/View File hyperlink in the evidence column Notice a window will appear below the standard, prompting you to name, describe, browse for and Upload your source of documentation. Will need new screenshot w/o Met-Not MET

STANDARD CHECKLISTS 4. Name the file - Required Provide a concise label for your file. It should include the Standard/Indicator Code, File title, and page numbers, if applicable. Example: C2 Parent Handbook, p.14 5. Describe the file – Optional Provide any description or clarifications needed to help us understand the content you are uploading 6. Browse for the file on your computer - Required Locate the file you wish to upload from your computer or thumb drive. You can name this file whatever you choose. 7. Click the Upload hyperlink to attach the file to the standard You will know that the file has been successfully uploaded if the file name appears in grey in the File Name column. Add additional files to the standard by following the same process. You can upload as many files as necessary.

STANDARD CHECKLISTS EDIT FILES DELETE FILES If you need to edit the file you have uploaded, click Edit. Click into any of the fields to make your text edits or to browse for a different file. Click Save. Click Cancel if you do not want to Edit the file to return to the checklist. Your original file and text entries will be preserved. DELETE FILES To delete the file you uploaded, click Delete. A prompt will appear asking you to confirm that you want to delete the file. Select Yes to permanently remove this file.

SELF-STUDY SUMMARY Emphasize estimated provisional vs. Active This page provides a summary of the estimated number of points your site may earn towards the Provisional Rating. If information regarding your site conditions appear to be incorrect, go back to the site profile page and make sure you have selected the correct information .

SELF-STUDY SUMMARY Please be aware that your actual Provisional Rating may differ from the points displayed below. Once the Self-study is reviewed by the QUALITYstarsNY rating team, we will notify you of your site's official Provisional Rating. Emphasize estimated provisional vs. Active

REVIEW Download and save a copy of the Self-study, Qualifications & Experience, and Staff Training Report by clicking on the hyperlinks and saving as you would any document.

SUBMIT You are now able to Submit the Self-Study!

CONGRATULATIONS After submitting, you will reach this screen. You will also receive an email confirming that your Self-study has been submitted You will be contacted when your official Provisional Rating has been issued. Please allow approximately 8-10 weeks to receive your results