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| Pinnacle in the NEWS |
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Jun 30, 2008
Excelsior Software Announces Extensive Expansion to the Pinnacle Suite
Cutting-edge Suite of Products Seamlessly Links Curriculum, Formative and Summative Assessments, and Supplementary Resources to Directly Impact Student Achievement
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GREELEY, Colo. (June 30, 2008) -- Committed to positively impacting student outcomes, Excelsior Software announces an extensive expansion to its Pinnacle Suite of products. The Pinnacle Suite now allows administrators and educators to access and manage curriculum, formative and summative assessments, and supplementary resources through one flexible, easy-to-use system. "Today's school districts face challenges in finding solutions to help map and deliver standards-aligned curriculum, offer quality professional development, aid educators in closing the achievement gap, allow administrators to measure progress across all levels and engage parents in their child's education," said William Zaggle, President of Excelsior Software. "The Pinnacle Suite now offers educators and administrators one single interface to access the tools and data they need to accomplish these goals and to make decisions that directly affect the student learning experience." The Pinnacle Suite integrates four main modules seamlessly: - Standards & Curriculum Content (curriculum mapping and standards)
- Instruction Activities and Resources (lessons, assessments, supplemental resources, and access to a global learning community)
- Assessments - Formative, Summative (gradebook)
- Feedback & Remediation (data analytics)
The company's electronic gradebook remains the core of the Pinnacle Suite. A combination of tools built and implemented by Excelsior Software for more than 20 years, others developed by GlobalScholar, and newly designed features, the Pinnacle Suite allows educators to access curriculum, assessments and supplemental resources through the industry's premier standards-based gradebook. Now the central data collection point, educators can augment classroom resources with online supplemental resources that are tagged to objectives, and conduct more frequent formative assessments to determine student progress. In addition, the Pinnacle Suite allows site and district administrators to implement a consistent grading policy, offering the most comprehensive, standards-based assessment and grading solution available. Allowing school and district decisions to be made in real-time, powerful analytics technology provides administrators a higher order of data functionality for critical reporting -- turning data into actionable insights. "The Pinnacle-GlobalScholar solution will be a tremendous resource for our staff," said Jeff White, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services at Fort Osage School District in Independence, Mo. "The software promotes a greater understanding of curriculum development, formative assessment and quality instruction, offering our staff increased opportunities for collaboration. The Pinnacle Suite also facilitates an efficient means of developing assessments and recording student performance data, enabling staff to spend more time analyzing the attainment of identified learning objectives. This analysis is essential for differentiating instruction to meet the diverse needs of all of our students." The system also encourages parent participation by offering a user-friendly parent portal where educators can share student feedback and remediation goals, building an extended, supportive learning community. "Equally important, if not more, students have the opportunity to view their progress towards self-set learning goals," continued White. "The GlobalScholar software, in combination with the Pinnacle Gradebook and the Suite's other modules, enhances two- and three-way communication among students, parents, and teachers. With this complete set of tools, we see our district's vision for student empowerment, personalized learning and family involvement is now a reality." The expanded Pinnacle Suite is available for the 2008-2009 school year with pricing based on student enrollment. For more information about the Pinnacle Suite, visit http://www.excelsiorsoftware.com/K12Solutions/index.aspx |
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May 30, 2008
Excelsior Software Launches Comprehensive Grants and Funding Program to Support Educators' Efforts in Boosting Student Achievement
Initiative Helps Educators Build and Maintain Relationships with Key Funding Sources to Ensure Sustainable Programming
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GREELEY, Colo. (May 30, 2008) -- To help educational institutions obtain financial support for sustainable standards-based learning programs, Excelsior Software is launching a comprehensive grants and funding program. The goal of this initiative is to support educators and district administrators as they leverage technology to strengthen student success and improve teacher effectiveness.
Excelsior Software understands that teaching has proven to be more effective when educators have access to a complete picture of student and class performance. Believing that technology's role in providing this type of feedback is key to the learning process, Excelsior Software is dedicated to providing educators the data they need to make informed decisions about their instruction. To help educators and students benefit from their investment in a systemic approach to standards-based learning, Excelsior Software will work with schools and districts nationwide to access the funding required to build these programs and to provide the professional development training needed during and after the technology has been implemented.
"This initiative is more than a grants program," said Ferdi Serim, Grants Manager for Excelsior Software. "We will work with school and district coordinators to develop strong proposals for state, federal and foundation-based resources. By leveraging their investment in standards-based learning and by finding the intersection between the mission of the sources providing the funds and the school or district's goals, we will help them to develop and strengthen the relationships that are required for sustainable endeavors."
The company's Pinnacle Suite, which includes the leading standards-based gradebook and rich tools for analyzing student progress information, ensures educators and administrators have access to the relevant data, information and resources they need to inform decisions about each student's learning environment.
Excelsior Software appointed Serim as Grants Manager to help seek and secure funding for schools and districts dedicated to benefiting from a standards-based learning environment. Serim's experience as a board member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, as the Ed Tech Director for the New Mexico Public Education Department, and as a classroom teacher, make him uniquely qualified to provide educators and administrators with access to the sources and tools they need.
For more information about the grants program offered by Excelsior Software, visit http://www.excelsiorsoftware.com/profServices/grantsFunding.aspx. |
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Feb 07, 2008
Working Together to Help Educators Improve Student Achievement, GlobalScholar.com Acquires Excelsior Software
Acquisition Results in Expanded Product Suite for Schools to Manage and Facilitate Classroom Learning
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GREELEY, Colo. and BELLEVUE, Wash. (Feb. 7, 2008) -- GlobalScholar.com, a member of the Knowledge Universe family of companies, has acquired Excelsior Software, a leading provider of assessment management solutions for the K-12 education market. This acquisition will provide educators and administrators the rich Pinnacle Education Solutions suite of products offered by Excelsior Software paired with a curriculum and instructional management solution and a set of intuitive collaboration tools developed by GlobalScholar.com.
"For more than 20 years, we have been dedicated to education innovation, helping students, parents, educators, and administrators collect, analyze and act on the information they need to improve student outcomes," said William Zaggle, president and CEO of Excelsior Software. "Now, as part of the GlobalScholar team, we have access to the resources that allow us to provide educators with an expanded set of tools and the real-time data they need to have a meaningful impact on student performance. The combination of our two products truly supports our unified vision for the future of student learning and success."
The GlobalScholar platform enables educators to more efficiently and effectively create, manage and align content, assessments, curriculum, standards, and supplemental learning resources. The acquisition will provide educators access to both GlobalScholar's management solution and Excelsior Software's gradebook, reporting and analytics technology. This combination creates one application that meets the needs of educators, administrators, parents, and students as they drive student achievement.
"We believe that technology-based administrative and instructional solutions should be a seamless and thoughtful integration within the school environment," said Kal Raman, CEO of GlobalScholar.com. "The wealth of experience the Excelsior Software team brings and the integration of our products will allow us to provide the tools educators and administrators need to confidently improve student outcomes."
"The combination of these two products provides schools and districts the tools they need to successfully manage the learning environment," said Tom Boyson, former San Diego County Superintendent of Schools and Kentucky Commissioner of Education. "At last, there is a solution that brings all the pieces together -- informed choices based on meaningful data not just for administrators, but for the individual classroom teacher as well." Boyson joined GlobalScholar.com in January 2008 and will be instrumental in the development of new products and services created by Excelsior Software and GlobalScholar.com.
Launched in 2007, GlobalScholar.com offers two additional education-related services. The first is an online tutoring website, where parents and students can safely connect with trusted educators who provide one-on-one tutoring, instant homework help and self-paced learning. And the second is a set of search websites, CollegeFinder (http://collegefinder.globalscholar.com) and SchoolFinder (http://schoolfinder.globalscholar.com), which help students and parents learn about, compare and make informed decisions about schools to attend.
Excelsior Software, which has built many deep relationships during its 21-year tenure in the education industry, serves nearly 1,000 school districts, including some of the largest in the U.S., such as Miami-Dade County Public Schools (Fla.), Broward County Public Schools (Fla.) and Montgomery County Public Schools (Md.). Excelsior's Pinnacle Education Solutions suite coupled with the resources and talent provided by the GlobalScholar.com team, will ensure educators and administrators have access to the relevant data, information and resources that will inform decisions from curriculum mapping to lesson planning.
There are no plans for internal staff changes and both companies remain committed to raising student achievement by providing immediate access to performance information, increasing teacher productivity and improving communication. GlobalScholar.com will remain headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., and Excelsior Software will remain headquartered in Greeley, Colo. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
About GlobalScholar.com
Headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., GlobalScholar.com is committed to providing students of all ages the confidence and control they need to make informed decisions about their education. The company develops products that effectively integrate and align the resources of education -- people, technology and content -- to improve efficiency and performance. These products include CollegeFinder, SchoolFinder, and GlobalScholar.com where students can select and interact with highly qualified online tutors or take self-paced courses. GlobalScholar is backed by Ignition Partners and Knowledge Universe Education. For more information, please visit http://www.globalscholar.com or phone 877-824-4040. |
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Jun 25, 2007
Excelsior Introduces Revolutionary New Tool to Aid Differentiated Instruction and Assessment in the Classroom
Pinnacle Web Provides Districts with Cutting-Edge Way to Track and Manage Classroom Data to Improve Student Learning
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GREELEY, COLO. (June 25, 2007) Offering educators and administrators a revolutionary way to track, manage and interpret classroom data, Excelsior Software introduces Pinnacle Web, the newest addition to the company's best of breed Pinnacle Education Solutions suite. The new solution embodies the latest in fully browser-based technologies, building on the feature-rich functionality offered in the company's Pinnacle System, but delivered on-demand, via browser, with a true zero footprint.
Through a single portal, Pinnacle Web gives every teacher in a district access to an array of applications: a newly redesigned and enhanced standards-based gradebook; cutting edge data analysis tools for advanced decision support in the classroom; and just-in-time, embedded videos for staff development. With expanded home-to-school communication, parents can easily participate in their child's education, and students become more engaged in their own academic progress. And as an assessment management tool, Pinnacle Web demonstrates the real value of reliable formative assessments in the classroom by providing immediate and accurate feedback on student progress to teachers, allowing them to adjust instructional strategies and curriculum to meet the immediate needs of their students.
Pinnacle Web does not require any software installation, local client, special downloads, or plug-ins, saving districts time and money in initial purchase costs and maintenance. Built using the same AJAX technologies employed by Google Maps, the gradebook provides users smooth scrolling, instant response rollover information, smart menus with drop-down options, and immediate, real-time information.
The technology underpinning the tool also offers an intuitive interface, designed to provide a streamlined, simplified experience, which saves time when educators and administrators enter and retrieve data from the system. Pinnacle Web fully integrates with any student information system (SIS), providing districts a cost-effective way to manage data, including grades & assessments, attendance, discipline and many other categories of student data.
"We build tools to provide teachers and administrators immediate access to their student data, but we also strive to build tools that will transform the art of classroom assessment into a true vehicle for change. Using this kind of state-of-the-art technology, educators can make better-informed decisions about future instruction and the overall learning environment," said William Zaggle, CEO of Excelsior Software. "To take this one step further, we are providing a solution that initiates conversations among all stakeholders to collaborate and discover strategies to ensure that all students are given the best opportunities to succeed."
For those schools and districts moving to a standards-based environment, Pinnacle Web provides instant indicators of learning for teachers to monitor student progress toward standards mastery. Recommended and endorsed by such experts in the field as Dr. Robert Marzano and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Pinnacle Web aids instruction on a day-to-day basis in the classroom environment by delivering real-time information to teachers and effective feedback to students.
Requiring minimal training for both seasoned gradebook users and those new to the Pinnacle product line, Pinnacle Web offers:
+ A new ergonomically designed interface, which reduces training requirements
+ A home screen that includes new and dropped students, birthdays, and messages from building principal and/or district administrators
+ A teacher tool to aid instructional decisions day-to-day in the classroom
+ A true standards-based gradebook that goes beyond providing averaging and grade comment capabilities, to deliver instant calculations of standards mastery
+ Traditional and standards-based report cards generated automatically without dual entry
+ Intelligent, prescriptive diagnostics for teachers to monitor student progress
+ Just-in-time, embedded videos to aid initial training and ongoing staff development
+ Expanded mobility for educators, requiring access to only the Web and a SQL server
+ Compatibility with Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox |
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Jan 24, 2007
Excelsior News At-A-Glance
Winter 2007
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Robert Marzano Identifies Assessment & Grading Practices That Work In New Book
Dr. Robert Marzano draws on more than 35 years of research to formulate expert advice on best practices for creating truly reliable assessments and implementing accurate grading methods. Classroom Assessment and Grading that Work, published by ASCD (December 2006), provides guidelines and steps for designing a comprehensive assessment program that ensures assessments and grades lead to timely, accurate feedback on standards-based learning goals. He discusses how improving and enhancing classroom formative assessments can greatly increase student achievement. In addition, Marzano highlights Excelsior's Pinnacle Plus system as his recommended grading and assessment software solution largely due to the system's alignment to the following characteristics:
- The software should allow teachers to establish multiple measurement topics of their own design and easy entry of scores for those topics
- The software should provide the most accurate representation of a student's score on each measurement topic at the end of the grading period, and
- The software should provide graphs and tables of student's scores. (Marzano 2006)
To order a copy, visit http://shop.ascd.org/productdisplay.cfm?productid=106006.
The Next Generation of Pinnacle Plus Coming in Summer 2007
As Excelsior celebrates its 20th birthday, the company is looking ahead to the next generation of its Pinnacle Plus system--Pinnacle Web--due for release this summer. Incorporating innovative, state-of-the-art technologies (AJAX, used to create Google Maps, etc.) the new solution will be entirely web-based. This transformation to an online, zero-footprint model allows teachers and administrators the scalability and mobility that previous iterations and competitor options cannot provide, and eases the work of technical staff by providing fully centralized, SQL server functionality. In addition, hosting Pinnacle Web online gives districts a lower-cost alternative--the investment in multiple servers and hardware is reduced, which translates into less maintenance. Pinnacle Web's state-of-the-art technology offers an intuitive, "smart" user interface, calling for minimal training. Look for more information to come this Spring.
Excelsior Software Products Named Finalists in the SIIA Codie Awards
Following two consecutive years of earning dual honors in the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) Codie Awards, Excelsior Software has again been named a finalist in two categories. Pinnacle Plus has been recognized as a finalist in the "Best Course/Classroom Management Solution" category, and Pinnacle Education Solutions is named a finalist in the "Best K-12 Enterprise Solution" category. The newly introduced Pinnacle Education Solutions suite of applications offers educators practical tools designed to save teachers and IT staff time, keep parents and administrators informed, and raise student achievement. Both products were selected from more than 1,000 high-caliber nominees as one of the best in the software and information industry. Established in 1986, the Codie Awards remain the standard-bearer for celebrating outstanding achievement and vision in the software, digital content and education technology industries.
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Nov 07, 2006
Excelsior Software Offers Districts A Cost-Effective Analysis and Reporting Solution with Pinnacle Analytics
Pinnacle Education Solutions Product Line Provides Cohesive and Practical Set of Management Tools
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GREELEY, COLO. (Nov. 7, 2006) As NCLB continues to push data-driven decision-making, effective tools for reporting become increasingly vital to the efficiency of schools and districts nationwide. In order to provide educators with a versatile, intuitive tool for data analysis and reporting, Excelsior Software has developed Pinnacle Analytics.
Pinnacle Analytics makes analysis quick and easy by streamlining and organizing myriad data sources. Designed to help educators identify student performance history and trends, Pinnacle Analytics works to meet the challenges of limited flexibility, hefty financial investments and the cumbersome manual analysis that often accompanies traditional reporting and warehousing solutions. Implemented with lower initial and ongoing costs, Pinnacle Analytics is easy for educators to generate and comprehend their data without having a technology or statistical background.
Through a state-of-the-art technology called Data Cloud(TM), Pinnacle Analytics allows multiple users to simultaneously connect to numerous data sources that may reside in different locations and programs. The tool allows any user to point and click through the data from either a desktop or browser environment. Educators are able to parse immediately through data without limits, with a margin for computation error near zero.
Building upon its predecessor District Data Analyzer, Pinnacle Analytics enables users to work with millions of records and still respond quickly to queries in real time through its patented technology, Associated Query Logic(TM) (AQL). Because of AQL(TM), the school or district never has to worry about exceeding broadband or storage capabilities, as the product is a RAM-resident application.
Prior to implementing Pinnacle Analytics, we would spend so much time compiling reports and manually assessing data, said Chris Lindberg, Data, Research & Testing Manager for Bellevue School District in Washington. With Pinnacle Analytics, we can look at our data through multiple lenses: we can zoom in to analyze a particular student or zoom out for a broader view of the class, school or district. Ultimately, Excelsior has provided us with the best tool to bring us closer to a truly data-driven instructional environment.
In addition, Excelsior Software has made a strategic move to umbrella several company products under Pinnacle Education Solutions. The branded suite includes the new Pinnacle Analytics plus the companys flagship product, Pinnacle Plus. In addition, the suite offers practical tools that save teachers and instructional technology staff members time; keep parents and administrators informed; and raise student achievement with virtually unlimited scalability.
View Pinnacle Analytics on-line |
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Aug 29, 2006
Sorry, students, your grades are a mouse click away
Parents in four school districts can check child's progress online
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HOUSTON, Texas -- Some jokingly refer to the trendy computer software as Big Mother, but that doesn't bother Tonya Tacy, a mother of two boys at La Porte High School.
Tacy said it's her parental responsibility to take advantage of the La Porte Independent School District's electronic grade book system, which allows her to view her sons' grades and attendance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
She simply logs onto the Internet, enters a password and, voil, she can see how her sons fared on every assignment and test.
"It's helped me great," Tacy said of the district's online system. "A lot of times they do their homework but forget to turn it in. So this way I can stay on top of it."
A growing number of area school districts are purchasing online grade book systems that allow parents to keep tabs on their children's every grade, tardiness and absence without having to wait for progress reports to come home every few weeks.
Instant notification
In some cases, parents can request an e-mail be sent automatically if their child's grades drop below a certain average or if their absences increase.
School district officials say the computerized grade books help parents stay more informed and save teachers' time by mechanically calculating course averages. Parents and students also can catch any input errors immediately.
The Alief, Clear Creek, Humble and La Porte school districts use online grade books, and Galveston and Cypress-Fairbanks plan to launch programs later this fall. Houston ISD, the largest district in Texas, has not jumped on the bandwagon.
"In general, the idea of parent communication via the Internet is gradually becoming not only more popular, but because more districts are doing it, the expectations on districts that are not is becoming higher," said Brad Baird, a vice president at Excelsior Software Inc., one of several companies in the electronic grade book business.
"It's a technology that's finding its way into mainstream public schools, and I don't see that it's going to dissipate anytime soon with No Child Left Behind and all the accountability requirements," Baird continued. "Getting parents involved is a key component in making sure your children are keeping pace."
Founded by two Texas A&M graduates, Excelsior launched its grade book product in [1986]. Now some 900 districts across the country use the system.
"It's very popular with parents, very popular with the teachers, not so popular with the students," said Jamie Hicks, the instructional technologist at Humble High School, which has used the software for three years.
Kimberly Ray-Denton, a mother of three sons at Ball High School in Galveston ISD, said she is anxiously awaiting access to the Web site. She plans to check it "two or three times a day."
"I say, yes, finally, I can keep (track of) progress day by day," she said. "Last year, for instance, my son had so many tardies, but I was clueless about it until I got a letter that I had to pay a fine."
This mother already has warned her sons she'll be watching. "They know they just can't get by with as much as they used to," she said.
By ERICKA MELLON
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
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Aug 04, 2006
E-mail system to help parents keep up
EDUCATION DIGEST
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HASLET/JUSTIN/ROANOKE/TROPHY CLUB/WESTLAKE, Texas
Parents can go online to access information about their children using Pinnacle Internet Viewer.
A parent can subscribe to a notification system that sends e-mail to update the child's attendance record or academic progress. Automatic grade, discipline end unexcused absence notifications can also be sent by e-mail.
To create a PIV account, a parent must provide proof of verification of guardianship (birth certificate); a driver's license, passport or government-issued identification; complete a PIV Acceptable Use Agreement and provide a password.
Parents may contact the child's campus for registration information.
All parents were offered access to the system last school year.
©2006 Ft. Worth Star-Telegram Affiliates, McClatchy Newspapers
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Jul 14, 2006
Pinnacle offers innovative viewing of student grades
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HASLET/JUSTIN/ROANOKE/TROPHY CLUB/WESTLAKE, Texas
Northwest ISD will continue enrollment in its innovative Pinnacle Internet Viewer system this fall, allowing parents to go online to access information about their children.
All parents were offered the Pinnacle Internet Viewer system during the last school year.
Pinnacle Internet Viewer allows a parent to subscribe to a notification system that will automatically send them an email to update your child's attendance record or academic progress.
Parents may request an email that will include attendance and gradebook reports. Parents can also have automatic grade, discipline and unexcused absence notifications via email.
To create a Pinnacle Internet Viewer account, a parent must provide proof of verification of guardianship (birth certificate); a driver's license, passport or government issued ID; complete a PIV Acceptable Use Agreement and provide a password.
Parents may contact their child's campus for registration information.
Pinnacle is a finalist in the Student Information System Category of the 21st Annual Codie Awards.
The [SIIA] Codie Award is the premier honor for outstanding achievement and vision in the software, digital content and education technology industries.
Pinnacle also received an award of distinction from Technology & Learning Magazine in its recent recognition program.
©2006 Ft. Worth Star-Telegram Affiliates, McClatchy Newspapers
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May 17, 2006
21st Annual SIIA Codie Competition Yields Honors for Excelsior Software
Pinnacle Plus takes top honors in the Best Student Information System or Gradebook category
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GREELEY, COLO. (May 17, 2006) Partnering with school districts across the nation, Excelsior Software is providing the technology tools to help educators make the theories of data-driven decision making and informed instruction a reality. In recognition of these advancements in meaningful data usage and increased educator productivity, Excelsior Software has earned top honors in the prestigious Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) 21st Annual Codie Awards.
Excelsior's Pinnacle Plus solution was named the winner in the Best Student Information System or Gradebook category. Additionally, the company's District Data Analyzer (DDA) was a finalist in the Best Solution for Education Enterprise category.
Pinnacle Plus, the standards-based assessment management system that has been adopted by some of the largest school districts in the nation, has been instrumental in raising student achievement by providing parents and educators instant access to student progress information, increasing classroom productivity, and improving home-to-school communication. DDA, meanwhile, uses cutting-edge analytics technology to bring together disparate data sources--providing a fully integrated, customized tool for analyzing and reporting student, classroom and district-wide data at the school, district and state levels. Using DDA, educators can quickly and easily examine and distribute student information to see a clear, broad picture of a class, school or district.
These honors mark the second consecutive year that Excelsior Software has been recognized for its achievements by SIIA. In 2005, Pinnacle Plus earned the rare distinction of being named a finalist in two categories of the 20th Annual Codie Awards: Best Classroom Instructional Management Solution and Best Gradebook or Student Information System for K-12 or Postsecondary.
"Our customer districts fully understand the power of data-driven decision making and its ability to impact student achievement," said Douglas Lidiak, co-founder of Excelsior Software. "We designed the Pinnacle Plus system first of all to help teachers manage their time, and secondly to allow schools to use student performance information to immediately address problems and increase student achievement. Our customers repeatedly tell us that Excelsior is making a difference daily in their classrooms, and these honors are a rewarding affirmation of that fact."
Established in 1986, the Codie Awards remain the standard-bearer for celebrating outstanding achievement and vision in the software, digital content and education technology industries. Through a unique combination of journalist and peer review, the Codie Awards recognize 71 categories of outstanding products and services, as well as corporate excellence and philanthropy.
The 348 finalists in the 2006 Codie Awards competition represent a wide and impressive array of technology and business excellence, passion and success. Winners were chosen from more than 1,026 nominations submitted by more than 500 companies breaking the nominations record set in the 2005 awards.
The 2006 Codie Awards were presented at a gala event on May 16 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, Calif.
For more information about the award-winning Pinnacle Plus system or District Data Analyzer, visit www.excelsiorsoftware.com.
About SIIA
The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection to more than 800 leading software and information companies. For further information, visit www.siia.net.
About Excelsior Software
Excelsior Software is committed to raising student achievement by providing immediate access to performance information, increasing teacher productivity, and improving communication. As the pioneer of the electronic gradebook concept in 1986, Excelsior's experience in assessment management supports educators by delivering the technical innovations that meet the needs of todays evolving data-driven educational system. The company's Pinnacle Plus software solution automatically tracks and reports student progress and attendance data to educators and parents at the individual, group, class, school, and district levels. Currently, Excelsior works with educators in nearly 1,000 districts nationwide, and its Pinnacle Plus solution is the sole student assessment software product recommended by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). Excelsior remains privately owned by its original founders, with company headquarters in Greeley, Colo. |
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Mar 27, 2006
SPRING 2006 NEWS AT-A-GLANCE
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Excelsior Software and its partner districts are committed to raising student achievement by providing parents and educators with instant access to student progress information, increasing teacher productivity, and improving home-to-school communication. Here are the latest steps Excelsior and its partners have taken toward attaining these goals:
DDA MAKES DATA ANALYSIS EASY, AFFORDABLE
Excelsiors District Data Analyzer (DDA) has expanded its functionality to help educators make more informed, data-driven decisions. DDA is a cutting-edge analytics tool that provides individual schools and districts with the full functionality of traditional data warehousing systems for a fraction of the cost. Using DDA, educators can customize and distribute student information to see a clear, broad picture of a class, school or district. DDA now offers educators the freedom to be more creative in their analyses. The Wyoming Department of Education and the Bellevue (Wash.) School District are already using DDA to quickly inform the school debate with data and facts.
TEACHER OF THE YEAR TOUTS PINNACLES EFFECTIVENESS, EFFICIENCY
Both Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Broward County Public Schools have cited increased teacher productivity as a key need fulfilled by Excelsiors Pinnacle assessment management system. Developed from a research study conducted in M-DCPS on the Pinnacle gradebook, a new research tool The Teacher Work Matrix helps examine teachers work routines and measure the impact of technology on teacher effectiveness and efficiency. Florida Teacher of the Year (2000) Stephanie King will share preliminary research results with other Florida educators during a presentation at FETC entitled New Administrative Technology Rules and Tools for Classroom Efficiency. The presentation will suggest a method by which teachers and administrators are able to make sound judgments about the impact that adopting technological solutions has on the effectiveness, efficiency and organization of teacher work.
EXCELSIOR HELPS MIAMI-DADE WITH PARENT-TEACHER COMMUNICATION
As a sponsor for the Miami-Dade County Public School (M-DCPS) Parent Academy, Excelsior Software will help parents utilize technology to get more involved in their childrens daily schoolwork. M-DCPS created the Parent Academy as a source to help answer parents' questions on topics that impact their children's lives. Through the Parent Academy, Excelsior Software will provide a parent training course that instructs parents on using the Pinnacle Internet Viewer, a component of the Pinnacle assessment management system used by M-DCPS. Understanding that it is often difficult for parents to be physically present at school on a regular basis, the training course stresses the importance of parent-teacher communications, highlighting the use of technology to achieve regular communication. The course is free to parents and will be offered in April, both as a traditional class or online.
PINNACLE PLUS, DDA NAMED FINALISTS FOR CODIE AWARDS
For a second consecutive year, Excelsior Software has earned dual honors in the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) 21st Annual Codie Awards. Established in 1986, the Codie Awards remain the standard-bearer for celebrating outstanding achievement and vision in the software, digital content and education technology industries. Pinnacle Plus has again been recognized as a finalist in the Best Student Information System or Gradebook category, while District Data Analyzer joins the finalists in the Best Solution for Education Enterprise category. Each product was selected from over 1,000 high-caliber nominees as one of the best in the software and information industry.
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