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Information, Reporting, and Technology Services

System for Tracking Education Performance (STEP)

1.043 Optional Release

Go to the 2003-04 STEP home page

November 14, 2002

The deadlines for submitting STEP files to the Department are:

November 15, 2002 - A district should submit its certified file by this date to guarantee that they will receive SED verification reports in time to resubmit by the final deadline, if necessary. Districts may continue to submit files until c.o.b. on December 6.
December 6, 2002 - The most recent district STEP file in the Department's database on this date will be used for the report cards.

Each RIC will notify its component districts of required deadlines for receiving files to allow time for processing and submission by Department deadlines.

STEP 1.04 is the earliest release that may be used to generate your official certified STEP data file and superintendent certification form for submission to the State Education Department (SED). A district that has successfully used STEP 1.04 to create verification reports may use the STEP 1.04 verification reports as the basis of the superintendent's certification of data and submit a STEP data file exported from STEP 1.04. The Department will use the latest version of STEP to generate the NYSED 2002 Verification Reports. When you receive the NYSED reports, please check to make sure they accurately reflect your data.

We also want to bring the following points to your attention:

Do not change the name of, open or tamper with the "spd" file once you have done the export. Any changes to this file will most likely result in the file being unusable. If you need to make corrections to the data, please make the changes in the STEP database and re-export the data.
The BEDSOfResponsibility code in each record should always be your district BEDS code. The BEDSOfService code in each program service record should never be your district BEDS code.
Districts may submit files with Level 2 errors. These warnings are intended to inform districts of unusual data patterns in student records that may indicate an error. Districts need only change these records if an error is found. If the record is accurate, no change is needed. In particular, the following warnings may be generated even when data are accurate: fuzzy match on date, RCT examination for student not eligible for safety net, and out-of-district BEDS code.

For our MS Access 2000 Users:

Some MS Access 2000 users have been getting unexpected results in the verification reports that work consistently in MS Access 97. This has been a frustration for all of us as we have been unable to replicate those problems at SED. Recently we went to a RIC to see the problems first hand and have made modifications to verification reports 1 and 2 that seem to address the problems that were identified. If you experience unexpected and unexplained results in the verification reports, try one or both of the following:

1. Compact and repair both the front and back ends of your database. Directions for compacting and repairing databases can be accessed by clicking on the link available below. You may need to do this process more than once.

2. Download the MS Access 2000 version of STEP. A version of STEP is now available in a form that has already been converted to MS Access 2000. You can download the converted files from the MS Access 2000 link. Users of other versions of Access should download the version of STEP in the software section below.

Database Maintenance:

We suggest that all users compact both the front-end and back-end mdb files regularly.

How to Compact a Database (this procedure requires a full-featured installation)

Compact your Database with a Right-Click (this will work with Runtime installations)

Please download the newest version of the STEP software and the documentation. A STEP Manual Addendum with the latest information on STEP is also available. Please review this manual before producing your final export file. Several enhancements have been made to the STEP software. A history of these enhancements is available in the STEP Release Notes.

If you are upgrading from STEP version 0.98 or later, you will need to download only the 1.043 front end of the software. If you have not yet downloaded the software or you are upgrading from an earlier version of STEP, please refer to the "Instructions for updating from a version prior to 0.98".

Documentation

STEP Manual Addendum (last updated 10/28/02)

Updating to version 1.043 (last updated 11/14/02)

STEP Release Notes (last updated 11/14/02)

STEP User Manual (MS Word) (HTML) (last updated 7/17/02)

Technical Documentation (MS Word) (HTML) (last updated 5/30/02)

What is STEP? (HTML) (PowerPoint Presentation) from the 2002 NCES Data Conference (7/31/02)

STEP Data Integrity (HTML) (PowerPoint Presentation) from the 9/10/02 STEP meeting with the RIC and Big 5 City School Districts

STEP Overview (HTML) (PowerPoint Presentation) from the 2003 NYSSBA Winter Conference

New York's System of Accountability for Student Success (SASS) Modified to Comply with NCLB: Data Requirements (HTML) (PowerPoint Presentation) from the 1/28/03 STEP meeting with the RIC and Big 5 City School Districts

Software (choose one):
If you are upgrading from STEP version 0.98 or later, you will need to download only the 1.043 front end of the software. If you have not yet downloaded the software or you are upgrading from an earlier version of STEP, please refer to the "Instructions for updating from a version prior to 0.98". You will need both the user interface and the data storage components.
(software last updated 11/14/02)

Front End only

1.As a self-extracting executable STEP_1043F.exe

2.As a zip file: STEP_1043F.zip

3.As mdb(s): User Interface

Notes:

This file is posted as a "bin" file. Don't forget to change the filename extension from "bin" back to "exe" before saving the file.

If you have an unzip program installed

MS Access 97© Runtime Installation Program
(This file is posted as a "bin" file. Don't forget to change the filename extension back to "exe" before using the file.)

Technical FAQ's (frequently asked questions)

STEP Contact Designation Form MS Word (MS Word) (HTML)

Access97™ Database Utilities for Enrollment Transactions - Attention RICs (last updated 5/13/02)
- Introduction and Overview (HTML) (Word97)
- Database containing Utilities (MSAccess97)

To contact us regarding the STEP system, please send e-mail to STEP@mail.nysed.gov

This page was last updated on 03/23/2007

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	Front End only
1.As a self-extracting executable	STEP_1043F.exe
2.As a zip file:	STEP_1043F.zip
3.As mdb(s):	User Interface

Information, Reporting, and Technology Services

System for Tracking Education Performance (STEP)

1.043 Optional Release

For our MS Access 2000 Users:

URL: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/STEP_Development/home.html