Quality Rating 2: Staff Meetings
Instructions
To meet the requirements for Administrative Policies and Practices: Staff Meetings: ADM 8.2, you will upload the following:
- a Yearly Staff Meeting Schedule showing that meetings are held at least four times per year
- at least one meeting agenda
- at least one sign-in sheet
Yearly Staff Schedule
Create a schedule that lists or describes when staff meetings are held throughout the year. Consistent schedules serve multiple purposes:
- Staff members can plan ahead and arrange their schedules to attend the meetings.
- Established routines help staff members anticipate and prepare for upcoming meetings. Some staff members may want to contribute discussion topics or ask questions.
- They communicate the importance of setting aside time to share information.
Meeting Agenda
Agendas allow you to create a record of the topics discussed for future reference and provide staff with a list of discussion topics for the meeting. It may be helpful to include how long the group has to discuss each agenda item to keep the meeting moving in an efficient manner.
When planning the agenda, provide opportunities for staff to provide their own topics for discussion. Designate time for staff to work together and share ideas. Sharing program information is important but allowing time for staff to learn from one another and share ideas shows you value their growth and professional knowledge.
A few agenda topics you may want to consider for the beginning of a new school year include:
- Performance review schedules and why they are conducted.
- Specific child needs and how to help children adjust to the program.
- New updates to your program handbook/policy book and signatures from staff.
- Your Program Improvement Plan for the year, and the role of staff.
- Lesson planning process, curriculum and questions staff may have.
Sign-in Sheet
Create a sign-in sheet for all staff meetings. Having a sign-in sheet helps program leaders record who received information and when.
What does the documentation look like?
- Your schedule of staff meetings may be presented in a variety of formats:
- Information in a staff handbook describing how often meetings are held
- A list of dates for upcoming staff meetings
- Statement describing when staff meetings are held. (example: “Formal staff meetings are held in January, March, June, and September.”)
- A written or typed agenda from at least one meeting that clearly shows:
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- Meeting date
- Topics discussed
- Sign-in sheet dated within the past 12 months with staff signatures
Where can you learn more?
- Planning Staff Meetings (Margie Carter) This article published by Child Care Information Exchange provides practical ideas and strategies for planning meetings to support your staff and encourage open sharing and communication.
