Characteristics of Modern Montessori

The Montessori method of education has been practiced and discussed for over a century. However, it has not been accepted into the mainstream of American education. One challenge to the adoption of Montessori philosophy and techniques is a lack of empirical research and method of measuring programs for fidelity and outcomes. The purpose of this project was to create a rubric for Montessori primary classrooms to assess program fidelity from the perspective of one of the largest Montessori accrediting organizations in the United States. The rubric includes structural, instructional, and physical materials observable in Montessori classrooms. The rubric was created based on the American Montessori Society (AMS) perspective of the Montessori method and Maria Montessori’s own works. Five (N=5) individuals, currently involved in Montessori education with varied perspectives, evaluated and provided input on the rubric. Their comments were considered in the creation of the final rubric as authentication and grounding of the document as valid for the modern Montessori classroom. This final version of the rubric serves as a potential method of evaluating modern Montessori classrooms, following the AMS interpretation of Dr. Montessori’s philosophy.