There are five STEPs available. Students make take any or all of them.

• STEP Mathematics Computation measures a wide variety of computational skills, from operations (with whole numbers, fractions and percent) to evaluation of formulas and manipulations with exponents.

• STEP Mathematics Basic Concepts measures knowledge of concepts involving numbers and operations; measurement and geometry; relations, functions and graphs; proofs; probability and statistics; mathematical sentences; sets and mathematical systems; and application.

• STEP Reading measures the ability to read and understand a variety of written materials including stories, poems, and selections from the sciences, social studies, and humanities.

• STEP English Expression measures the ability to evaluate the correctness and effectiveness of sentences by asking the student to detect errors in grammar and usage or to choose among rephrasings of sentences.

• STEP Mechanics of Writing measures mastery of fundamental composition skills by asking the student to identify misspelled words and to detect errors in capitalization and punctuation.

The STEP (like the SCAT) can provide information about a student’s ability and achievement levels relative to same-age or older peers. Either in-grade-level or above-grade-level testing can be chosen:

• In-level testing provides information about the student’s abilities and skills relative to other students in the same grade. The test content is appropriate for an average student in that grade. If a student’s academic performance is fair or good, but not exceptional, in-level testing is appropriate.

• Above-level testing provides information about the students’ abilities and skills relative to older students. In cases where there is evidence of exceptional ability, above-level assessment is recommended. Students who are highly able often score at the very highest levels (e.g., 97th, 98th, or 99th percentiles) on tests designed for students in their grade. In these cases, there is no way of knowing whether a student could correctly answer a substantial number of higher-level questions unless a more difficult test is administered.