Early Childhood Models

FALL 2015 9

AMS Standards: A Model We Share AMS has developed nine standards that indicate the quality of a school and is sharing these standards with the Chinese Society of Education.

As discussed on page 6, AMS was invited by the CSE to assist in developing standards for Montessori schools in China. Many Montessori schools have re- cently been founded in China, reflecting Chinese parents’ interest in alternatives to the traditional ed- ucation system. While some of these are authentic Montessori programs, others are not; this is where the idea of sharing AMS standards comes in.

This year, experts from both AMS and CSE are par- ticipating in a series of video conference calls, in which individuals will review the nine standards below. (For the Chinese participants, each of these standards, described in detail, has been translated into Mandarin.)

STANDARD 1: MISSION AND VISION The quality Montessori school establishes and com- municates a shared purpose and direction for enhanc- ing the development of students and the effectiveness of the school. The school’s vision is consistent with the Montessori philosophy of facilitating the student’s development of full potential.

STANDARD 2: GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP, AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT—STRATEGIC PLAN The quality Montessori school promotes student learning and school effectiveness through strong gov- ernance and leadership and establishes, implements, monitors, and refines a strategic planning process to demonstrate continuous improvement.

STANDARD 3: TEACHING AND LEARNING—EDUCATIONAL NATURE The quality Montessori school operates comprehensively within Montessori philosophy and provides a Montessori curriculum and Montessori instructional methods and materials that facilitate learning for all students.

STANDARD 4: DOCUMENTING AND USING RESULTS— LEARNER OUTCOMES The quality Montessori school enacts a comprehen- sive assessment system that monitors and documents outcomes and uses these results to improve learner outcomes and school effectiveness.

STANDARD 5: PERSONNEL The quality Montessori school provides for ethical, fair, and nondiscriminatory practices for all teaching and non-teaching staff.

STANDARD 6: FACILITY RESOURCES The quality Montessori school provides facilities, sites, and equipment that are functional, safe, and that fully support the school’s mission and beliefs.

STANDARD 7: FINANCES The quality Montessori school maintains strong and prudent financial management practices and adequate fiscal resources to support its mission and vision.

STANDARD 8: RECORDS, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS The quality Montessori school maintains records and has the resources and services necessary to support its mission and vision.

STANDARD 9: STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS The quality Montessori school fosters effective com- munications and relationships with and among its stakeholders.

The goal of the AMS and CSE collaboration is to use the American standards as guidelines to develop qual- ity standards for Chinese Montessori schools. AMS is honored to participate in this consultation and to be able to engage in cordial and respectful exchanges that will benefit Montessorians in both countries.

M any Mon t e s sor i schools have r ecen t l y been founded in China. While some of these are authentic Montessori programs, others are not.

JOYCE PICKERING, MA, SLP/CCC, HumD, is president of the AMS Board of Di- rectors. She is execu- tive director emerita at Shelton School & Evaluation Center, in Dallas, TX. She is AMS-credentialed (Early Childhood). Contact her at [email protected].

L E T T E R F R O M The President

Copyright of Montessori Life is the property of American Montessori Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.