What is Alaska STEPP ?
Alaska STEPP, which stands for Steps
Toward Educational Progress and
Partnership, is an online, school
improvement planning tool based upon
Indistar, a software template. Twentyfour states, including Alaska, currently
use the software program to serve
school, and district-level, improvement
planning.
Alaska STEPP is Research Based
The indicators of effective practice are
drawn from both national education
research and the priorities of the
Alaska Department of Education
& Early Development.
More About Alaska STEPP
Since its development and customization for
Alaska five years ago, several Alaska
districts have adopted STEPP as a way to
incorporate continuous, comprehensive, and
team-oriented school improvement planning.
With the approval of Alaska’s ESEA
Flexibility Waiver and the adoption of the
new school accountability system in 2013,
Alaska STEPP has become the required
method of school improvement planning for
1-, 2-, and 3-star schools, as well as for
Priority and Focus schools.
Alaska STEPP’s Framework
The tool is built around the six domains of
effective schools: Curriculum, Assessment,
Instruction, Supportive Learning
Environment, Professional Development,
and Leadership. Within these six domains
are 32 indicators against which school
improvement teams can assess their school
and focus improvement efforts. This tool is
more than a software system that produces a
plan for submission; it is designed to
encourage a school improvement process
that is ongoing and task driven, resulting in
continuous engagement and improvement.
Alaska STEPP’s Six Domains ...
•Curriculum
•Assessment
•Instruction
•Supportive Learning Environment
•Professional Development
•Leadership
Within those domains are 32
assessment INDICATORS.
STEPP Indicators & Rubrics Schools
Where to Find the Rubric
• On the Dashboard click on the highlighted
Alaska STEPP – School Indicators link
• Click on the Assess square in the middle of
the page.
OR, For a paper copy
• Go to the EED homepage, click on the orange Support Tab
• Click on the orange Alaska STEPP Tab
• Click on Alaska STEPP Domains and Indicators Rubric for Schools
http://education.alaska.gov/aksupport/akstepp/Alaska-STEPP-DomainsIndicators-Rubric.pdf
 Learn to navigate the tool.
 Assess the INDICATORS and
Create a Plan with a TEAM.
 Enter the information in the
online STEPP tool.
 Assess, Plan, Continued
Implementation & Monitoring.
Logging into STEPP
 Creator of STEPP
Looking at the Dashboard
 Access to Main Menu Page and Navigation Toolbar
Looking at the Dashboard
Complete Forms
 Upload Folder
 Forms to Complete
Review: Logging in &
Looking at the Dashboard
LOGGING IN
Go to the EED Homepage
OR GO TO
 Click on the orange Support Tab
http://www.Indistar.org
 Click on Alaska STEPP
 Login to Alaska STEPP
 Click on Alaska STEPP
 Enter Login and Password
What is on the DASHBOARD ??
• Site name is noted in the left hand corner.
• Four Tabs are across the top: Home, Complete Forms,
Submit Forms/Reports, and Docs & Links.
• Click on Alaska STEPP – School Indicators to enter into
online tools and Navigation Toolbar.
Finding the Main Menu Page and
Navigation Toolbar
 Get to the Main Menu Page & Navigation Toolbar
Click on the highlighted
Alaska STEPP – School Indicators bar
Finding the Navigation Toolbar
Navigation Toolbar
MAIN MENU Page
Navigation Toolbar icons
STEPP Search
Login to STEPP using Login – ak & Password
– ak. With a partner, complete each item.
1. Find the Demographics of a school.
2. Add a person to the School Team.
3. Delete a person from the School Team.
4. Find the domains of effective practice.
5. Assess an indicator.
6. Create a plan for an assessed indicator.
7. Monitor an indicator that has tasks.
8. Create a Task Report.
9. Create a ‘Where are we Now’? Report.
10. Create a new Meeting Agenda.
USING STEPP WITH A TEAM
1. Document a data analysis using the ‘School
Needs Assessment Form’.
2. As a team, use the results from the Needs
Assessment to Assess the applicable
indicators with the Planning Worksheet
and the Indicators Rubric for Schools.
3. Create a plan by writing objectives and
adding tasks.
4. Monitor and adjust continuously
throughout the year.
Filling out the Needs Assessment
Needs Assessment
• Needs Assessment form is located on the
dashboard.
• Analyze state assessment data and
MAP/AIMSWeb/Diebels/Attendance/Graduat
ion Rate/Behavior/Perception data.
• School wide goals for areas of need in
reading, writing, and math are provided.
• Analyze subgroup data.
• Write specific goals if necessary.
• Write a narrative summary of site’s strengths
and weaknesses.
Where to find the
School Needs Assessment Form
•
•
•
•
•
Go to the Dashboard of your site’s STEPP
account.
 Here
Find the Complete Forms
The Needs Assessment Form link will be visible.
Fill the Report out, Save, Upload into the
Document Upload Folder, and submit under the
Submit Forms/Reports Tab.
The intention of the
Department of EED is that
schools will fill out the School
Needs Assessment form after a
data analysis session so they
can get an accurate look at the
areas of need in their schools.
This drives the continuous
school improvement process.
How to Assess Indicators
•
•
•
In your site’s STEPP account, use the
Navigation Toolbar to find the worksheet
icon; print several copies of the Assess
(blank) worksheet.
With your STEPP Team, using the Rubric &
Worksheet, document what practices are
currently being implemented at your site.
Each school might assess different indicators
depending on their designation or on the
results of the ‘Needs Assessment’
Or, enter assessment information right into
Alaska STEPP, the online tool
Use the Navigation Toolbar

Assess
Assessing
Indicators Worksheet
Assessing
Indicators Online
Click Here
Choose an
Indicator
How to Create a Plan: Write
Objectives and Add Tasks
In your site’s STEPP account, use the Navigation
Toolbar to find the worksheet icon; print several
copies of the Plan (blank) worksheet.
• With your STEPP Team, using the Rubric &
Worksheet, write objectives and add tasks.
• Enter the data from the Assess & Plan
Worksheets into STEPP and begin
Monitoring your site’s progress.
Create a Plan by Writing Objectives
and Adding Tasks using the
Planning Worksheet
Creating a Plan: Writing Objectives
and Adding Tasks
Online
Click Here
Write and Objective
Add a task
Monitor Tasks Online
Click Here
Choose a Task
Make comments and track progress.
Comprehensive Plan Report
Alaska STEPP is an online,
continuous improvement planning tool
that puts the emphasis on the process
and takes it off of the paperwork.
Alaska STEPP is based on the
Continuous Improvement Model
Assess
Implement
Revise
(plan)
Plan
Implement
Monitor
(assess)
Alaska STEPP is a Framework
It provides school and district teams
with an organizational tool for
planning & documenting their work.
Alaska STEPP is a Process
Teams monitor the
implementation of their plan
over the course of the year.
The plan is never finished and
teams continuously assess,
plan, and monitor.
Alaska STEPP is Adaptable
It is designed to be flexible in order to
meet the individual needs of Alaska’s
diverse schools and districts.
Alaska STEPP is a team driven process
for school improvement.
Alaska STEPP is:
•Continuous
•Comprehensive
•Team-oriented




Can you find your site’s Dashboard &
Navigation Tool in STEPP?
Do you know the difference between the
‘Needs Assessment’ & Assessing
Indicators?
Do you know how to Assess Indicators and
Create a Plan using printable worksheets,
or using the online tool?
Can you describe how the continuous cycle
of Assess, Create/Plan & Monitor is
different than the previous paper school
improvement process?
First Steps
• School STEPP teams are formed and have
regular meetings scheduled.
• Complete a Data Analysis & Needs Assessment.
• Make sure the chosen indicators meet the
requirements of school designation and star
rating and are based on areas of greatest need.
• Make sure the objectives and tasks created get
your school from where you are, to where you
want to go. Are the tasks realistic? Is the
timeline for completion realistic?
• Schedule at least one meetings per month for
the entire school year.
Yearly Flow of
Work for Schools
Form Team
Monitor
Assess
Implement
Create Plan
For additional
information about
Alaska STEPP
Contact:
Patricia Farren
patricia.farren@alaska.gov Ph# 907-465-2892
Sheila Box
sheila.box@alaska.gov
Ph# 907-465-8743
Brad Billings
brad.billings@alaska.gov Ph# 907-465-8720