About STEP

Beginning with the 2001-02 school year, the State Education Department is requiring electronic reporting using an enhanced version of the Cohort Software, previously available to schools for voluntary use in producing cohort reports. The software has been expanded to replace certain paper-and-pencil reports and has been renamed the System for Tracking Education Performance (STEP) to reflect its expanded use. STEP builds on our experience with the Local Education Agency Program (LEAP) Reporting System, used in the elementary and middle grades.

The benefits of STEP include more accurate, efficient, and uniform reporting across districts and greater ability to use data at the State and local levels to improve school programs. In addition, STEP will replace the paper-and-pencil reports listed below:

• Secondary Examination Report
• Regents Examination Report - Alternative Language Editions
• Alternative Language Competency Test Report
• Special Regents Examination Reports (Cohort Report)
• Regents Component Retest Report
• Graduation and Dropout Report
• Summer Graduation Report

STEP is being developed using Microsoft Access 97 Service Release 2. STEP is available to districts without charge. Because many schools have upgraded to Access 2000, the Department is testing the system on that software. If Access is not available in your school, a run-time version of Access is available without charge when you download STEP.