Excelsior Software & Dr. Robert Marzano: Enhancing Student Achievement

Pinnacle Plus is currently the only system of its kind that allows teachers to analyze student grade data authoritatively and accurately. It provides the greatest flexibility. With Pinnacle, teachers can utilize what I believe to be the most sophisticated approach to standards-based record keeping in the industry.

-- Robert J. Marzano, educational researcher and
pioneer in standards-based methodologies
www.marzanoandassociates.com

With the inception of No Child Left Behind and the movement toward standards-based instruction and assessment, virtually every state in the country is engaged in the process of setting academic standards for students in grades K-12. Leading assessment expert and internationally respected educational researcher, trainer and author Robert J. Marzano, has been a pioneer in developing and advocating alternative methods of grading that more precisely pinpoint individual student strengths and weaknesses.

From his years of assessment research, Dr. Marzano advocates for precise and efficient grading that is amenable to specific feedback. He argues that providing a framework for improving student performance – instead of simply “labeling” learning at periodic intervals – has the greatest capacity to impact student achievement. Marzano further maintains that schools employ technology, such as Pinnacle Plus, to not only enhance and streamline the grading process, but also to help students and parents remain informed about progress and stay involved in the education process.

Since 2001, the Excelsior team has worked closely with Dr. Marzano to incorporate many of his philosophies and methodologies into the standard functionality of the Pinnacle Plus gradebook. Pinnacle Plus is renowned for its unique ability to utilize multiple rubric-based assessment methods, including Dr. Marzano’s Power Law or Learning Trend Formula. It allows teachers to link specific learning standards and benchmarks to assessments; track student attendance, demographics and performance; automatically generate customized, real-time reports for district administrators and parents, as well as standards-based report cards and required district and state agency reports; and tailor data collection according to individual needs. With Pinnacle Plus, schools have the ability to put Marzano’s grading theories into practice.

Through his collaboration with Excelsior, Marzano hopes to provide districts with the tools to effectively track student proficiency towards standards. With Dr. Marzano’s guidance and input, Excelsior will continue to expand the capabilities of the Pinnacle Plus system. By incorporating Marzano’s ground-breaking research and ideas, Excelsior can provide practical classroom and administrative tools designed to help educators and their students succeed.

Request a free version of the
PINNACLE GRADEBOOK -
POWER LAW EDITION...

About Robert Marzano

Robert J. Marzano, Ph.D. is the author of more than 20 books, 150 articles and chapters in books, and more than 100 curriculum guides and related materials for teachers and students in grades K-12. His works include Transforming Classroom Grading, Classroom Management that Works, What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action, and multiple other publications. Over his 35 years in education, Dr. Marzano has worked in every U.S. state and a host of countries in Europe and Asia. The central theme of his work has been translating research and theory into practical programs and tools for K-12 teachers and administrators. A highly respected educational consultant and researcher, he is a senior scholar at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) in Aurora, Colo; an associate professor at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wis.; and President of Marzano & Associates, Inc. For more information, visit www.marzanoandassociates.com.

LEARN MORE ABOUT
PINNACLE PLUS...