14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Team effort keeps Marrs Elementary progressing

Team effort keeps Marrs Elementary progressing

By Laura Forbes - bio | email | Twitter
Posted by Rich Miller - email

MT. VERNON, IN (WFIE) - It's a small school in Posey County but Marrs Elementary is doing big things.  They've had a four-star rating in 18 of the last 20 years.

The halls are lined with awards. Banners hang in the cafeteria.

Those impressive ratings are in large part thanks to high test scores.

Principal Greg DeWeese credits the staff.

"They're constantly looking for new ways to teach.  They're constantly involving new technology in their classrooms."

An example, he says, is the use of interactive screens.

"Kids today are such screen-oriented learners  and the teachers knew that.  They just developed all kinds of ways. Thousands of lessons are available."

But it isn't just teachers and technology. DeWeese says one of the keys is getting parents involved-- going so far as to make house visits.

"We need their help," said DeWeese.  "We can teach here, but there is a lot of work that goes home."

While many schools in the area face declining enrollment, the number of students at Marrs has gone up slightly.

Some parents have chosen the move.

"They get on the IDOE website, they look at the scores."

He insists those scores aren't a result of "teaching to the test".

"We start building writers in kindergarten. They learn more in first, second, third, and fourth grade, so that by the time they take the ISTEP test they are well up to speed on how to compose a good story."

When Hedges closes down, Marrs will have 26 new students-- a bigger bump than they're used to.

DeWeese says they're already getting prepared to welcome them to their new school.

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