The Montessori Model in the Standards and Accountability Era

• In Event: The Impacts of Standards and Curriculum on Education Policy Outcomes

Abstract

In this study, we examine the expansion and implementation of the Montessori model in South Carolina’s public schools. While South Carolina historically has been a laggard in terms of education innovation and equality, it is a leader in public Montessori education. According to the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector, South Carolina had 52 Montessori public schools as of the 2017-18 school year, more than any other state in the nation.

Public Montessori programs sit at an interesting position between two different education reforms. The first approach, often presented in support of charter schools and other schools of choice, argues that public schooling needs increased innovation and should aim to meet the demands of parents more successfully. Given the prominence of Montessori education in the private sector, public Montessori programs seem like a reasonable avenue toward increased innovation and parental satisfaction within the public domain. However, the standards and accountability reform movement may create problems for these public Montessori schools. The Montessori model privileges student-guided work at the expense of the rigid standards emphasized by the standards and accountability movement. Further, evaluation by standardized tests is largely antithetical to the Montessori method, which emphasizes intrinsic rewards and learning at the student’s own pace.

Given the regulations that govern public schools, can Montessori be implemented with fidelity in the public sector? Implementation fidelity is an important component in evaluating the success of public policies. An examination of fidelity to the Montessori model in the public sector is more than just a “truth in advertising” exercise. Rather, it can have important implications for student outcomes. High fidelity of implementation is a key component for effective programs (e.g., O’Donnell 2008). Further questions need to be asked about public Montessori programs. Can “true” Montessori education flourish in the public sector? What are the barriers to implementing the Montessori model in public schools?

We examine these questions through a multi-method analysis of South Carolina’s public Montessori schools during the 2012-13 to 2014-15 school years. This study is part of a larger evaluation of the effect of Montessori education on student outcomes by the Riley Institute (Culclasure et al. 2018). In this paper, we first investigate Montessori fidelity using classroom observation data. Then, we use principal survey data to identify the major barriers to authentic implementation of the Montessori model.

For the fidelity analysis, the research team randomly selected Montessori classrooms to be assessed each year, during the classroom’s uninterrupted work time. Over four years, 126 classrooms across the state were selected for an unannounced observation by trained Montessori experts. Each classroom observation instrument had its own unique set of indicators widely accepted as critical to Montessori classrooms of high quality. As detailed in the paper, we find that Montessori programs generally exhibited high levels of fidelity. Further, we examine how student demographics, grade level, and school-wide test scores are associated with Montessori fidelity. This will provide insight into if true Montessori can be implemented in public schools and who has access to high fidelity public Montessori.

Three years of principal survey data concerning barriers to authentic Montessori implementation will also be examined in this paper. The average response rate was approximately 90%. Principals were asked to identify the biggest challenges to implementing the Montessori model, as well as how state-mandated assessments affect Montessori fidelity. We examine what factors are associated with principals’ answers to these questions.

There are considerable tensions between the philosophy of Montessori and the tenants of the standards and accountability movement. This paper will identify those tensions and examine how they affect the implementation of the Montessori model in the public sector. Further, we will identify what barriers exist for successful implementation, which has important implications for researchers, school officials, and policymakers.

Culclasure, Brooke, David J. Fleming, Ginny Riga, and Alexis Sprogis. 2018. “An Evaluation of Montessori Education in South Carolina’s Public Schools.” Greenville, SC: The Riley Institute at Furman University. https://riley.furman.edu/sites/default/files/docs/MontessoriFullReportforprint.pdf.

O’Donnell, Carol L. 2008. “Defining, Conceptualizing, and Measuring Fidelity of Implementation and Its Relationship to Outcomes in K–12 Curriculum Intervention Research.” Review of Educational Research 78 (1): 33–84.

Author

• David J. Fleming, Furman University