Language: English

Published: New York, New York: Teachers College Press, 2005

Edition: 2nd

Abstract/Notes: Proceeding of a national conference on the evaluation of Montessori and open classrooms.

Language: English

Published: New York, New York: American Montessori Society, 1977

Language: English

Published: New York, New York: American Montessori Society, 2002

Abstract/Notes: The Master Gardener Classroom Garden Project provides many inner-city children in the San Antonio Independent School District with an experiential way of learning about horticulture, gardening, themselves, and their relationships with their peers. To evaluate the benefits of participation in the Classroom Garden Project, data was collected on 52 second and third grade students. Qualitative interviews indicate that participation in the gardening project has had many positive effects on the school children. The children have gained pleasure from watching the products of their labor flourish, and have had the chance to increase interactions with their parents and other adults. In addition, the children have learned the anger and frustration that occur when things of value are harmed out of neglect or violence.

Language: English

ISSN: 2051-0780

Abstract/Notes: Montessori Partners Serving All Children (MPSAC) is a collaborative between the Montessori Center of Minnesota (MCM) and metro-area organizations. The goal of MPSAC is to demonstrate how the Montessori approach, starting with early education, can be viable, effective, culturally responsive, and accessible for all Minnesota children, including low income children from culturally distinct families and communities. Toward that end, MCM commissioned a three-year evaluation of its MPSAC initiative, currently a partnership with four participating community-led schools. This report presents comparative data and findings from that evaluation process, including data and analysis for this third and final year. The MPSAC initiative engaged partners in community-led Montessori schools in a three-year evaluation to assess the progress of children, staff, and schools in the following areas: School structures and quality (classroom environments, professional development, ongoing mentoring, and administrative technical assistance for newly formed schools); Children’s academic, cognitive, social, and physical health; and Successful inclusion and support of parents and community.

Language: English

Published: [Minnesota], 2015

Abstract/Notes: This report documents the progress made by the Faxon Montessori Magnet School in Kansas City, Missouri, during the three years of its implementation of the Montessori philosophy. During the 1990-91 school year, the school served children from three years of age through third grade. School enrollment information was analyzed and data were obtained from classroom observation; from parent, teacher, and student questionnaires; and from achievement tests. Analysis of enrollment information revealed that: (1) enrollment was at 93 percent of capacity; (2) enrollments varied by grade level; and (3) minority students comprised 61 percent of the student population. Classroom observation indicated that students were engaged in independent learning activities and activities that enhanced motor skills. Teacher-initiated management was minimal. Results from the questionnaires indicated that program participants were satisfied with most aspects of the program. However, teachers were dissatisfied with the amount of administrative support they received. Achievement scores of kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade students on the reading, math, and language subtests of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills were above district and national norms. Third graders scored above district, and below national, norms on the Missouri Mastery and Achievement Tests. Thirteen data tables and seven figures are included, and an appendix presents a description of the goals and activities of the Faxon Montessori extended day program. (BC)

Language: English

Published: Kansas City, Missouri: Kansas City School District, Aug 1991

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between academic achievement and physical fitness in City Montessori Schools. Data from the academic year 2004-2005 Fitnessgram were compared to reading, mathematics and science scores on the Health Standards Test (CST) of 253 elementary schools in the Orange County School District. Physical education teachers from the 10 lowest scoring and 10 highest scoring schools were interviewed regarding content of the physical education classes in their school. Simple correlation coefficients revealed a positive linear relationship between academic scores and physical fitness scores. The interview with the teachers revealed that most of the 10 lowest scoring schools did not have a designated physical education teacher. All of the 10 highest scoring schools had designated physical education teachers and followed the physical education guidelines recommended by the Lucknow Education Board.

Language: English

Published: Rochester, New York, Mar 27, 2013

Abstract/Notes: Performance monitoring (PM) is central to learning and decision making. It allows individuals to swiftly detect deviations between actions and intentions, such as response errors, and adapt behavior accordingly. Previous research showed that in adult participants, error monitoring is associated with two distinct and robust behavioral effects. First, a systematic slowing down of reaction time speed is typically observed following error commission, which is known as post-error slowing (PES). Second, response errors have been reported to be automatically evaluated as negative events in adults. However, it remains unclear whether (1) children process response errors as adults do (PES), (2) they also evaluate them as negative events, and (3) their responses vary according to the pedagogy experienced. To address these questions, we adapted a simple decision-making task previously validated in adults to measure PES as well as the affective processing of response errors. We recruited 8- to 12-year-old children enrolled in traditional (N = 56) or Montessori (N = 45) schools, and compared them to adults (N = 46) on the exact same task. Results showed that children processed correct actions as positive events, and that adults processed errors as negative events. By contrast, PES was similarly observed in all groups. Moreover, the former effect was observed in traditional schoolchildren, but not in Montessori schoolchildren. These findings suggest that unlike PES, which likely reflects an age-invariant attention orienting toward response errors, their affective processing depends on both age and pedagogy.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1111/desc.13045

ISSN: 1467-7687

Abstract/Notes: In vorliegender Arbeit wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob "guter" (Mathematik-) Unterricht mit den Methoden Maria MONTESSORIs verwirklicht werden kann. Es wird untersucht, ob zwischen den Mathematikleistungen von RegelschülerInnen und MontessorischülerInnen vierter Klassen an Volksschulen Unterschiede bestehen. Zur Überprüfung der Hypothese "Es besteht kein Unterschied in den Mathematikleistungen von Schülerinnen und Schülern vierter Klassen in Montessorieinrichtungen und Regelvolksschulklassen" wurden an die 300 ProbandInnen aus Montessorieinrichtungen und Regelschulen mit dem "Mathematik-Schulleistungstest für SchülerInnen vierter Klassen der Grundschule" (HANISCH 2004) getestet. Die empirische Untersuchung und Auswertung der erhobenen Daten zeigt Unterschiede im Bereich der Mathematikleistungen, die zu Gunsten der MontessorischülerInnen ausfallen. Es wird jedoch darauf hingewiesen, dass die Stichprobe relativ klein war, da sich nur wenige Klassen zu einer Testung bereit erklärten. Auch die intellektuelle Ausgangslage der Kinder sowie der soziokulturelle Hintergrund der Getesteten konnten nicht berücksichtigt werden. Das vorliegende Resultat muss daher als "Zwischenergebnis" betrachtet werden. / This paper addresses the issue of whether "good" (mathematics) learning and teaching can be realised with the MONTESSORI method. The performance in mathematics of pupils attending standard, mainstream schools and those attending MONTESSORI schools is examined and compared. Both groups of subjects were in their fourth year of primary education. In order to corroborate the following hypothesis: "There is no difference in achievement between the two groups of pupils" about 300 pupils attending standard schools and those attending MONTESSORI schools were tested applying the "School achievement test in mathematics for pupils in their fourth year of primary education" (HANISCH 2004). The empirical examination and analysis of collected data shows differences in the performance of pupils in mathematics with favourable results for pupils working with the MONTESSORI method. However, it must be pointed out that the sample was relatively small as only few classes were willing to be tested. In addition to this, neither the intellectual abilities of the children nor their socio-cultural background were taken into consideration. Therefore the present result must be seen as provisional.

Language: German

Published: Wien, Austria, 2007

Abstract/Notes: This report contains descriptions and progress of five projects in the District of Columbia partially or wholly funded by ESEA Title III: (1) The Columbia Road Preschool Pilot Project, a second-year experimental effort designed to serve as a model school providing an experimental setting for early childhood educational programs; (2) The Montessori Preschool Project, designed to adapt the Montessori method and to develop a model for a public school setting; (3) Continuing Education and Services for School Age Mothers, for which an interim report has not been included in this evaluation report; (4) Development of a Complete School Program for Rubella Children Beginning During the Pre-School Period, a project of the Special Education Department of the D.C. Public Schools, designed primarily to provide educational opportunities for young hearing impaired children who might also have other handicaps concomitant with maternal Rubella; and, (5) The Parent-Partners Traineeship Proposal for a Parent Education Program, designed to foster parent-pupil partnership in order to reinforce and extend the educational experiences of children. [Several pages of this document are not clearly legible, but it has been reproduced from the best available copy.] (RJ)

Language: English

Published: Washington, D.C., May 1972