STEPTool
Generating flexible visualizations of STEP Literacy Assessment data for teachers, literacy coordinators, and administrators

STEPTool takes the data generated from the STEP Literacy Assessment and visualizes the data through multiple lenses showing the developmental status and growth of students. With this tool, teachers, staff developers, and principals can better identify and monitor patterns of student progress and implement appropriate interventions. When integrated with PDS2, STEPTool further strengthens the ability of teachers to modify and enhance instruction.

Visualizing student STEP assessment data through multiple lenses, STEPTool:

• Provides current literacy assessment data at the school, grade, class, and student level
• Shows student progress over time, including on specific reading components
• Customizes and guides use of STEP data through selection criteria and preset questions

Problems of Practice
Administrators, staff developers, and teachers are confounded with an overwhelming quantity of data from various assessment sources. While most data management systems organize this data and give users tools for manipulating this data, more often than not, this newly generated data tends to be static, one-dimensional, and highly quantitative. All this numerical data can impede a teacher's ability to analyze student progress and use evidence in placing students in developmentally appropriate learning groups.

Value Added
STEPTool supports school personnel in the analysis of student reading progress. School administrators can better gauge school wide progress and work with literacy coordinators and teachers in targeting remediation services for student groups. Literacy coordinators and teachers can use these data visualizations to reflect on their own practices and gain a better understanding of the instructional needs of each student.