Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Draft AMS position paper

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Includes sidebar: Informal Assessment: Best for Montessori.

Language: English

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Educational researchers are increasingly focused on evidence-based and holistic classroom assessment practices that encompass the teacher’s understanding of clear purposes and targets for assessment, as well as appropriate methodologies to yield accurate results and improve outcomes for all children. Montessori educators’ child-centered approach to observing and documenting children’s learning are aligned with formative-assessment practices like portfolios, which are assessments that take place throughout the learning process and which researchers are showing yield strong benefits for student learning. In addition, Montessori learning materials contain elements of embedded assessment designed to give evaluative feedback directly to the student as a natural part of the learning process. This chapter provides an overview of Montessori classroom assessment, discusses observation as the integral assessment strategy in Montessori education, assessment embedded in Montessori materials, and outlines current directions in Montessori assessment.

Language: English

Published: New York, New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-350-27561-4 978-1-350-27560-7 978-1-350-27562-1

Series: Bloomsbury Handbooks

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 mandated that states implement standards and test-based accountability systems. In theory, local educators are free to select the means for teaching the standards so long as students achieve a predetermined proficiency level on the exams. What is unclear, however, is how this theory plays out in schools committed to educational approaches that are seemingly incompatible with state-determined standards and testing. This dissertation examines how such schools strategically respond to the opposing demands of their program design and these government mandates. This qualitative study focuses on five schools affiliated with the Big Picture Learning (BPL) network. BPL offers an example of an educational program whose emphasis on individualized interest-driven learning and authentic real-world assessment is not easily aligned with standards-driven content and tests. This study considers empirical research on school-level response to externally imposed accountability mandates (Carnoy, Elmore & Siskin, 2003). In addition, it draws on sociology's organization-environment relations literature including institutional isomorphism (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983), agency (DiMaggio, 1988; Oliver, 1991) and the theoretical models of bridging, buffering and decoupling (Scott & Davis, 2007) to create a conceptual framework of how these BPL schools negotiate competing expectations. Findings show that these schools filter state demands for accountability through the lenses of both individual teachers and Big Picture design. While taking action both to meet the demands and protect the core program, schools internalize the value of a standards-based curriculum and increase internal accountability to incorporate content-standards while simultaneously rejecting the validity of testing and gaming the system. Currently, failure to meet state mandates comes with such severe consequences that these schools may be forced to choose between radically morphing to survive or maintaining integrity and possibly closing. However, if the regulatory climate becomes less standardized and more qualitative, these schools could be forerunners in meeting revised mandates. The study suggests policy implications surrounding the intersection of belief systems, consequences and strategic responses. It offers a cautionary tale about the power of the state, the precarious nature of falling outside state norms and what prioritizing bureaucratic efficiency may mean for innovation in education.

Language: English

Published: Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2012

Language: English

Published: Syracuse, New York, 1978

Abstract/Notes: The intent of my project was to examine the way I assess my students’ math in my 9-12 Montessori classroom given the new Common Core standards. The study involved six students, varying ages 9-11, in a public school setting. Data collection methods included pre- and post- assessments, observations, written responses to Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK), and a brief questionnaire about the attitudes toward the various types of assessment (See Appendix A). The results of the data analysis showed an average increase of 84% in grade level achievement after practicing with the DOK, as well as an improved student enjoyment and enthusiasm for learning when compared to traditional lessons. The results of this action research investigation indicate that students perform better on Common Core math assessments after practicing with the DOK, as the DOK provides an outline to enable students to think critically.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2014