RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FILLING OUT THE SELF ASSESSMENT Timing While the self-assessment forms may seem long at first, most sections have fewer than ten items. To make the process easier, the forms address specific practices; thus, multiple practice examples often appear under a given practice. Begin by filling out the first form and evaluating the time it took to complete it before moving on to the next one. While the time it takes will vary from program to program and from form to form, on average, each can be completed in approximately 30 minutes. Team We recommend when filling out the self assessment you try to get different perspectives including: • Administrative staff/program director • Early care and education teachers • Family support staff (if applicable) • Parents whose children participate in the program Process We recommend printing out a PDF copy of the self assessment and having each team member fill it out independently. Then schedule meetings to discuss the sections and develop consensus ratings. You should identify one individual in your program to enter your responses into the on-line self-assessment form. This will avoid confusion among multiple data enterers. Data does not have to filled in during a single sitting—once you have filled out the registration form you can login and out as needed. Action Planning The on-line self-assessment includes an action planning component. When you request the action plan report the self-assessment database will automatically present you with a series of items where you rated your program poor. You will have an opportunity to choose an item that you wish to work on. The self assessment will then immediately insert this item into an action planning form. When filling out the action plan make sure to specify: Make sure to specify: • The resource and staff hour costs • The amount of time needed • Who should be responsible