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Article
The OEkos Schools Program [13 participating schools]
Publication: OEkosphere [Œkosphere], vol. 1, no. 5
Date: Nov/Dec 1995
Pages: 6
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Language: English
Article
The OEkos Schools Program [13 participating schools]
Publication: OEkosphere [Œkosphere], vol. 1, no. 4
Date: Jul/Aug 1995
Pages: 6
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Language: English
Article
Heads of Schools Section: How Early Learning Can "Reform" Schools
Available from: University of Connecticut Libraries - American Montessori Society Records
Publication: The Constructive Triangle (1974-1989), vol. 16, no. 2
Date: Spring 1989
Pages: 6, 8
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Language: English
ISSN: 0010-700X
Article
Gardening with Children: Wildflowers in My Garden
Publication: Tomorrow's Child, vol. 3, no. 5
Date: 1995
Pages: 25
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Language: English
ISSN: 1071-6246
Article
Wildflower - Five Years of Growth
Available from: MontessoriPublic
Publication: Montessori Public, vol. 4, no. 1
Date: Fall 2019
Pages: 8-9
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Language: English
Article
Wildflower and Charter Schools
Publication: Montessori Public, vol. 7, no. 1
Date: Fall 2022
Pages: 20-21
Charter schools, Montessori method of education - Criticism, interpretation, etc., Wildflower Schools
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Language: English
Doctoral Dissertation
A Comparative Assessment of Some Aspects of Number and Arithmetical Skills in Montessori and Traditional Preschools
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Language: English
Published: Syracuse, New York, 1978
Doctoral Dissertation (Ed.D.)
Negotiating Dual Accountability Systems: Strategic Responses of Big Picture Schools to State-Mandated Standards and Assessment
Available from: ProQuest - Dissertations and Theses
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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
Doctoral Dissertation
The New Independent Schools: A Study of Their Characteristics and Patrons' Expectations
Available from: University of Southern California - Digital Library
Americas, Independent schools, Montessori schools, North America, United States of America
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Abstract/Notes: This study was concerned with the emergence of a new form of private school in the United States and particularly within the state of California, the new independent school, and with the parents of children attending these schools. The problem of the study was to highlight and define the existence of new independent schools; to identify their characteristics; to determine their scope and influence; to establish their potential contributions to the public school system; and to describe the backgrounds, motivations, and educational expectations of the parents supporting such schools.
Language: English
Published: Los Angeles, California, 1975
Doctoral Dissertation
Measuring Parent Perception and Understanding of Montessori Education in Three Massachusetts Montessori Schools
Available from: University of Pepperdine
Americas, Montessori schools, North America, Parent participation, Parents - Perceptions, United States of America
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Abstract/Notes: The Montessori method is a comprehensive, child-centered, developmentalist philosophy of education developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in Rome, Italy, in the early 1900s. The Montessori method differs from traditional approaches to education, and has had limited exposure in the U.S. until the last 20 years. Despite this growth, little research data exists on the effectiveness of the method or of parent understanding of the method. This research project attempted to determine parent understanding of the Montessori method of education at three Montessori schools in Massachusetts that educate children from toddlers to grade 8. The objective of the research was to design, implement, and analyze a survey that measured parent understanding of the Montessori principles and classroom practices. The survey was developed using the Montessori principles as the foundation. The goal was to determine both the extent of parent understanding of the Montessori principles and parent perception of how these principles are carried out in the Montessori classroom. Parents and guardians were asked a total of 10 questions, 7 of which were five-point Likert scales. The quantitative questions specifically addressed the six Montessori principles and were designed to test parents’ overall understanding of each principle. Responses ranged from a principle being not at all important to very important. The qualitative portion of the survey instrument utilized three open-ended, self-completed questions designed to reveal a range of parent perceptions about Montessori education and classroom practices. The surveys revealed that parent values and thinking do line up with some aspects of the Montessori method and philosophy. The surveys also revealed that parents seem to value classroom practices contrary to the founding principles. What parents value and what parents think about regarding concepts such as goal setting, achievement, competition with peers, and teachers preparing and presenting lessons is in direct contrast with some of the Montessori founding principles and intentions. If Montessori schools wish to remain viable, they will need to reconcile the Montessori principles with conflicting parent values and, further, determine how to better align their principles with parent views and desires for their children.
Language: English
Published: Malibu, California, 2015