Public Montessori as a Reform Model: Questions and Considerations for School Districts

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: Montessori Education SIG Structured Poster Session: Advances in Research, Practice, and Equity (San Diego)

Abstract

Studies of school district leaders’ decision-making center around the influences they navigate, including measures of student achievement as well as their own professional networks and beliefs. Studies illustrate how decisions are made for learning curricula but often show that education reform may maintain the status quo of school choice. In this study, the researchers seek to understand how school district leaders view Montessori curriculum and what they would need if they decided to implement it in their local schools. In the context of Montessori, we seek to better understand how a non-traditional curriculum would be considered for school-wide implementation and the considerations at the district level when evaluating Montessori as a reform model to improve student achievement.

Authors

• Ian Parker, University of Georgia - Athens

• Katie Brown, National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector

• Annie Frazer, Montessori Partnerships for Georgia