Pinnacle…..
an Electronic Grade Book
At the beginning of the 2002 – 2003 school year the County took on an ambitious task in the Middle and High Schools. The teachers were introduced to Excelsior Software’s premier version of their electronic grade book called “Pinnacle”. This software not only provides instant individual updates with each gradebook entry, but also provides teachers with a wide variety of class performance data that would otherwise take hours to calculate.
We can now provide concerned students and family members with an “Instant Report Card”, any time day or night, via one of Pinnacle’s features called the Parent Viewer. The information below outlines the steps necessary to access the information. You may also have noticed that this website also offers a direct link to the Pinnacle website for your convenience.
We continue to evolve in our collective understanding and use of the many advantages of this powerful new grading tool. Using the internet, families with compatible computer equipment will be able to get a progress update as often as they deem necessary.
Students and parents have already received a brochure outlining the grading package and instructions for accessing the Pinnacle website. That information is repeated below for your convenience before you visit the website for the first time.
Understanding Weighted Grading
As students progress through their formal education, the activities that are graded (tests, quizzes, homework, etc.) assume adjusted levels of importance in evaluating performance. Between the Elementary years and the University years, tests take on an increasingly important role in determining a student’s final grade. In many post- secondary schools tests can be the sole measure of performance. Recognizing that fact, we employ a logical and progressive “weighted grading” system in the Martin County School District.
The Process
Each grade level carefully selects grading categories appropriate to the student’s cognitive development and the curriculum. Each category is then assigned a weight in harmony with the relative importance of each activity. Most teachers use categories such as “tests” and “quizzes” which may carry a combined weight ranging from 35% to 85% depending on the grade level and the subject. Obviously the recall skills are increasingly more important as the student grows. The other graded activities are not ignored in a weighted grading system, but activities like homework are put into perspective in evaluating what the student is actually learning and can recall for practical use in the future.
The
Grade Calculations
First, all of the graded events
in each category are averaged. Then each average
is multiplied by the category weight. This result
is the number of points contributed by each category
to the student’s overall grade.
Note: All of the grade calculations are performed by a computer using the Excelsior GradeBook software.
Accessing the Pinnacle Website
- Use Martin County School District’s Website page at www.sbmc.org.
- In the left hand column, click on Pinnacle/Online Grades.
- Then, choose the Parent Internet Viewer option from the drop-down menu.
Here’s an outline of what you can expect to see:
The first screen is a welcome page providing a brief explanation of the data available and the security features. Visitors will be directed to point and click to continue.
The next screen asks for "sign in" information. This includes two entries, the student’s I.D. number and password. The student ID is the student’s school identification number, often a number that begins with 4300. Be sure to type in all the numbers and letters in the box provided. The password is your student’s social security number. In the event the student’s social security number is not available, re-enter your student’s I.D. number again.
The sign on page also asks that you select the school your child attends. Immediately below the boxes for the student I.D. and the password you will see a rectangular box allowing access to the schools using Pinnacle this year. Use the down arrow to see the entire list of schools. Please make sure you have made this selection before you continue.
When the website opens you will see three important selection options. You can combine these options to broaden the scope of information available to you.
- Class Selection.....a list of the student's current classes
- Report Selection....the drop down menu will show you the several reports available to you
- Marking Period...you can toggle between quarters
In reviewing the various reports you may see grades of "X" and/or "Z".
An "X" in the grade column means the student was "exempt" for the assignment. The computer treats that assignment as a non-event and the student's grade is not affected. A "Z" indicates that the student made no apparent attempt to complete the assignment. A "Z" is calculated in the student's grade as a zero.
The computer will instantaneously update a student’s grade each time the teacher enters an assignment grade in the grade book. Please keep in mind, however, that many of our teachers have 150 or more students and many hours are needed to correct all of the work. Most teachers will be able to address graded assignments promptly, but please allow the teachers up to 10 days to correct all of the work and enter the grades.
Finally, if you would like to discuss any aspect of a student's record, please call the Guidance Office at the school site. Please be prepared to state the areas you would like to address and arrangements for a mutually convenient conference will be made. Initially, please do not call the administrative offices or support staff on matters involving grades. The teachers are better prepared to discuss individual performance, event by event, than anyone on campus. If you would like an administrator present at the scheduled conference, please let the Guidance Office know when the appointment is arranged.
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