CQIP Tool User Guide
- Trevor Darnell
The Continuous Quality Improvement Plan (CQIP) tool is designed to support Texas Rising Star (TRS) mentors in working with childcare programs to improve the quality of their practice continuously. Mentors can use this tool to assign goals to TRS directors and staff, write action plans, and document progress. The tool then generates a report for the mentors, staff, and directors to use to complete the CQI Plan and track progress over time. The following steps explain how to access and use the Continuous Quality Improvement Plan (CQIP) tool under Quality Improvement and Innovation in CLI Engage.
If you need assistance with one piece, review the table of contents to jump to the most helpful section:
Be sure to check the info boxes for helpful tips along the way!
Before You Begin
On the CLI Engage Dashboard, you will see many types of CQIP Tools.
Make sure you choose the tool that matches the Program’s facility type.
CQI Plan Overview
To understand the full process from start to end, you are going to:
Open a CQI Plan
Set Goals for staff and directors.
Create action plans for the school and/or staff.
Document Goals and Reflect
Document Goals Met
Document reflective conversations
Close the CQI Plan
Close the CQI Plan
Document and finalize the reflection
Start the cycle again
How to Open a CQI Plan
Step 1. Open the CQIP Tool
Step 1.1 After choosing the correct CQIP tool, you should see a list of Centers that are assigned to you. You can search using the text boxes at the top of the page or go to the Center’s information and choose “Select.”
Step 1.2 When you are ready to create a CQI Plan, you will see the School Dashboard. This page allows you to see all previous CQI Plans, current reports, and other features mentioned in this guide.
Step 1.3 Click “Create CQI Plan” to begin.
Step 2. Set and Assign Goals
Step 2.1 Before you begin selecting goals, choose a target end date for the CQI Plan.
Following guidance from your Local Workforce Development Board, this can be anything between one month and one year.
Step 2.2 There will be 8 goal-setting areas in the tool. Click an area of goal setting to see the goal statements included in that area.
Goal statements are color-coded by priority level (Level 1, 2, 3). Level 1 should be prioritized first, then build to progressively higher levels of quality.
Step 2.3 To set a goal, click on the goal item. You will see all staff members who can be assigned to this goal.
Notice at the top of the pop-up window that there are two options to view staff that have met or not met this goal. Click on the buttons to toggle between the two views.
Step 2.4 Click the check box under “Set Goal” next to the staff members you would like to assign to that goal. If this goal applies to all staff, check the box next to “Select All” at the top of the pop-up window.
Note: Next to each staff member, you will also have the option to change the support status, document an independent practice update, and make a comment. Please view the CQIP Manage Status Features User Guide for instructions on how to use these fields.
Step 2.5 Click the “Submit” button at the bottom.
You will now see the names of the staff members you assigned to each goal listed under the “Assigned To” column. Today’s date will appear in the “Set Date” column as the date you set and assigned the goal.
Repeat these steps for all goals that you want to set on this CQI Plan.
Step 2.6 When you are ready to move forward, click “Create CQI Plan.”
IMPORTANT: You cannot edit goals after leaving this page. This means that all goals and selected staff cannot be changed after you create the CQI Plan.
Step 3. Create Action Plans
Step 3.1 At the top of the page, you can see the goals you selected along with the assigned staff. Scroll down to see the Action Plan fields.
Use the action plan fields to document your action plan. When you create an action plan, you can create a School-Level Action Plan, which is generalized to the entire Center. You can also create Custom Staff Action Plans, focusing on one staff member or a group that requires the same action steps.
You can create a School-Level Action Plan and Custom Staff Action Plans for each staff member, groups of staff, or only one staff member. Any combination is possible, so choose what best suits this Center and this CQI Plan.
Step 3.2 Similar to selecting goals, choose the staff member(s) for this action plan and click “Create Plan.”
In the Action Steps box, enter details about the mentoring activities that will be executed during this plan.
In the Resources Needed box, document any resources the program will need to execute the planned mentoring activities.
In the Timeline box, enter any expectations around the timeline for the mentoring activities.
In the Additional Comments box, enter anything else you want to communicate.
Please see the Continuous Quality Improvement for Texas Rising Star: Implementation and Mentoring Guide for sample action plans and further guidance on utilizing these fields to see improved practices.
Step 3.3 Click “Save Action Plan.” Repeat this step for each action plan that you want to create within this CQI Plan.
Step 3.4 Before you leave the Action Plan page, document the visit date and length at the top.
Step 3.5 To continue, click the “Save or Generate CQIP Report” button at the bottom of the page.
Step 3.6 You will be asked if you want an email notification to be sent to the Program Director.
· Click “Yes” to immediately send the CQI Plan in its current state to the Director
· Click “No” to generate the CQI Plan without sending any notification to the Director
Choosing not to notify the Director is useful if you are making edits to action plans or working on a draft. If the CQIP is ready to be viewed, please choose to send an email notification.
Saving an Action Plan Draft
Many times, we begin writing, and we have to step away from other tasks. When you are creating action plans, the text will autosave every 30 seconds into a draft. You can leave the page, log out of Engage, or shut down your computer and return anytime. You can also choose to click “Save Draft” at any time to save and exit immediately.
Please note: draft text will not be visible to directors, teachers, or on reports or the event log.
Step 4. Sign the CQIP
How to Edit and Update the CQI Plan
How to Document Goals Met
Step 1
To Document Goals as they are being met, click the “Document Goals Met” button on the School Dashboard Page.
Please note: not all goals have to be documented at the same time. This can be a one-at-a-time process where each goal can be met simultaneously in the CQIP Tool and in practice.
Step 2
Next to each active goal is a green circle with the number of staff who have not yet met the goal. To document progress on a goal, click on the hyperlinked goal item.
NOTICE: At the top right corner of the pop-up window, there are three options for viewing your staff: staff who have the goal set, staff who have met the goal, and staff who have not set or met the goal. Click on the circle buttons to toggle between the three views.
Step 3
Next to each staff member, you will also have the option to change the support status, document an independent practice update, and make a comment. Go to this section for more instructions on how to use these fields.
Step 4
You will see a pop-up window with all targets assigned to that goal. Click in the “Met Date” field next to each target to insert the date that they met their goal. If a target has not yet met the goal, leave the field blank. Click “Submit” to save. The “Met Date” field will now be populated with that goal statement's most recent met date.
Step 5
After completing documenting progress, click the “Document Goals Met and Update CQIP” button to save your changes.
How to Edit CQI Plans
Please note: Once goals have been set in a CQI Plan, they cannot be altered. To change any goals in a CQI Plan, you must close the current CQI Plan and Duplicate the CQI Plan to start again. This will allow you to carry goals and action plans into the new CQI Plan.
Step 1
To edit an action plan, start at the School Dashboard Page.
Step 2
Click the “Edit CQIP” button
Step 3
Make any changes to the action plan you need. Some options you have:
Edit a School Action Plan
Create a new Custom Staff Action Plan
Edit, Duplicate, or Delete an existing Custom Staff Action Plan
All of these are accessed below the summary of goals listed in the active CQI Plan.
Please note: draft text will not be visible to directors, teachers, or on reports or the event log.
Step 4
IMPORTANT: The changes will not appear in the report until you submit them.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Update CQI Plan” when you are ready.
How to Edit Staff in Action Plans
Sometimes you might need to change who will receive a particular action plan in a CQIP. This can be done similarly to editing action plans.
Step 1
On from the main CQIP Tool dashboard, click “Edit Plan”
Step 2
Find the action plan which recipients need to be changed and choose the “Edit Plan” button.
Step 3
The staff list will appear with all staff who are included in the CQI Plan. Choose those who should receive this action plan and click “Submit”
Step 4
You can change any of the action plans at this point. Click “Update Plan” at the bottom whether you made changes or not.
Step 5
IMPORTANT: The changes will not appear in the report until you submit them.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Save Action Plan” then “Update CQI Plan” when you are ready.
How to Update Support Status, Independent Practice Update, and Comments Fields
These three functions can be accessed while creating a new CQI Plan or while Documenting Goals Met.
Step 1
Navigate to the school folder page.
Here, you will find your school information and CQI plan components. Click either the green “Create New CQI Plan” button if you are starting a new plan OR the green “Document Goals Met” button.
Step 2
In this new window, there will be eight goal-setting areas in the tool. Click an area of goal setting to see the goal statements included in that area.
Notice that there are columns titled “Support Status,” “Independent Practice Updates,” and “Comments” in this view. After you update these fields, your updates will display here.
Step 3
Click on the hyperlinked goal item that you would like to update. A pop-up window will pop up on your screen.
On the assign goals pop-up window, there is a section for “Manage Status,” where next to each staff member there are fields to update the Support Status, Independent Practice Updates, or Comments.
Note: Notice in the upper right corner there are options to toggle between different views of staff members. You can update the Support Status Flag, Independent Practice Updates, and Comments for staff on each of these views.
Step 4
Independent Practice Update
The Independent Practice Update field allows mentors to track quality characteristics or demonstrations of skill that result from activities outside of the CQIP goal-setting process. For example, mentors might use this feature when it’s helpful to track quality as captured by site assessments (“Met” indicators or high scores). Or, it might be used to when there is evidence provided to mentors for goal statements that are not currently set as goals.
The field is set up as a date picker and dates are recorded at the target-level.
Use of this field is optional for mentors.
To document independent practice updates, click into that field next to a staff member and select the date that the staff member demonstrated that skill or quality item.
Note: If you are in the Document Goals Met view, you will not be able to update the Independent Practice Update field for any staff who have a goal actively set.
Step 5
Updating Support Status
The Support Status Flag is an optional feature that can be used as a quick visual reminder about the status of each goal statement. Mentors may find the support status flag helpful when:
Analysis of assessment data yields many areas for improvement, too many to set as goals within a single CQIP
“Support needed” flag can indicate goals that need future support but are not prioritized for current goal-setting
“Not Needed” can also be used when assessment results indicate no need for support.
Support status is specified at the target level
You can update the Support Status for any user at any time to indicate that that target “Needs Support” or Support is “Not Needed.”
Note that the field will change automatically upon using certain functions:
· Support Status is by default blank for all staff
· When you set a goal for staff, the Support Status will automatically default to “Needs Support.”
· When you meet a goal for staff or document an Independent Practice Update, the Support Status will automatically default to “Not Needed.”
· You may manually adjust these default status functions at any time.
Step 6
Comments
The comments field allows mentors to record text comments for individual goal statements at the target level. Use of this field is optional for mentors. Comments can be recorded to help mentors track the reasons/evidence for specific decisions, such as:
· Why a goal has been set (low scores, staff interest, etc.)
· Why a goal is being recorded as met (notes about evidence observed or reviewed)
· Why a goal is not met/being carried forward
To add a comment, click into that field next to any target and start typing a comment. Then click “Submit”.
Step 7
When you have completed logging data for a goal statement, click the “Submit” button at the bottom.
Step 8
You are now returned to the main window with the eight categories of goals.
Any update that you made in the pop-up window will now appear in one of the three columns next to that goal: “Support Status,” “Independent Practice Updates,” and “Comments.”
Note: If any one user has a Support Status of “Needs Support,” then that is what will appear in the main view (even in cases where other targets have “Not Needed” as the support status).
Step 9
Click on the “See Comments” link next to the goal item.
Step 10
A pop-up window will appear. You can view any comments made for any staff for this goal.
Click Close to exit the pop-up window.
How to Close a CQI Plan
Step 1
From the School Dashboard Page inside the CQIP Tool, click on the “Document Goals Met” button.
Step 2
Document any met goals that have not yet been documented. For more details, go to the Document Goals Met section.
Step 3
Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Document Goals Met, Update CQIP and Close Plan.”
Step 4
Confirm that you want to close the CQI Plan.
Step 5
Choose whether or not you want to duplicate the CQI Plan.
Step 6
You will be taken to the reflection page. You can choose to add reflection content or leave it blank, but your CQI Plan is now closed.
How to Document Reflection
Any time is a good time to have a reflective conversation! Whether online or in person, any time you have a conversation with practitioners is a chance to facilitate reflection.
Step 1
Choose the appropriate CQIP Tool on the Engage Dashboard
Step 2
Search and select the Program
Step 3
Click the “Reflection” button
From here, you can choose any fields that are best to capture reflective conversations.
Saving a Reflection Draft
Many times, we begin writing, and we have to step away from other tasks. When you are creating action plans, the text will autosave every 30 seconds into a draft. You can leave the page, log out of Engage, or shut down your computer and return anytime. You can also choose to click “Save Draft” at any time to save and exit immediately.
Please note: draft text will not be visible to directors, teachers, or on reports or the event log.
How to Duplicate a CQI Plan
Duplicating a CQI Plan is possible at two points in the CQIP Tool.
Duplicate from the School Dashboard Page
Step 1
If you currently have an open CQI Plan, skip to the next section.
Step 2
Go to the School Dashboard Page in the CQIP Tool and click the “Duplicate CQI Plan” button.
Step 3
Choose the reason for duplicating the previous CQI Plan. This does not affect any features. Once you’ve chosen, click “Submit.”
Step 4
All goals and action plans have been carried forward to the new CQI Plan. You can now make changes as needed. This can include:
· Adding or removing staff from select goals
· Adding or removing goals from the CQI Plan
· Adding, editing, or removing staff from action plans
Creating or deleting action plans
Duplicate when closing a CQI Plan
Step 1
From the School Dashboard Page inside the CQIP Tool, click the “Document Goals Met” button.
Step 2
Scroll to the bottom and click “Document Goals Met, Update CQIP, and Close Plan.”
Step 3
Verify the Date of Visit and Length of Visit, then click “Submit Plan.”
Step 3
A popup will ask if you want to duplicate the CQI Plan. Click “Close and Duplicate Plan,” then click “Submit.”
Step 4
Choose the reason for duplicating the previous CQI Plan. This does not affect any features. Once you’ve chosen, click “Submit.”
Step 5
You have now created a new CQI Plan. All goals and action plans have been carried forward. You can now make changes as needed. This can include:
· Adding or removing staff from select goals
· Adding or removing goals from the CQI Plan
· Adding, editing, or removing staff from action plans
· Creating or deleting action plans
How to Access CQI Plan Reports
You can now access the CQIP School Summary, Individual Staff Reports, and the School Goals Snapshot.
· Click the “School CQIP Summary” to see the action plan and resources for the entire school.
· Click the “Individual Staff Reports” button to see the individualized reports for the staff with their specific goals and resources.
· Click the “School Goals Snapshot” button to see a chart with the set/met status for all goals in your school.
How to Use Additional Features in the CQIP Tool
How to Add Links to Your Action Plans
Note: Use the “Link” tool to add the hyperlink to an online resource to the Action Plan. This quick step ensures the CQIP report includes active hyperlinks to share with directors and teachers.
Step 1: In the action plan, find the chain link icon and click.
Step 2: Type or paste your link into the URL field and click “OK”.
Troubleshooting
I can’t open the School Page using the CQIP Tool.
Can you select the Early Learning Program using the correct tool? Check the School Management Page to ensure that the facility type is correct before continuing!
I can’t edit staff goals in a CQI Plan.
This is by design! A CQI Plan should be a cyclical process. If goals need to be changed, close the current CQI Plan and open a new one. You can start from a blank CQI Plan or duplicate the current one and make the necessary changes.
Review the How to Duplicate a CQI Plan section for more details.