Progressive education is a pedagogical movement that began in the late nineteenth century and has persisted in various forms to the present. The term progressive was engaged to distinguish this education from the traditional curricula of the 19th century, which was rooted in classical preparation for the university and strongly differentiated by social class. By contrast, progressive education finds its roots in modern experience. Most progressive education programs have these qualities in common:
The Montessori method of education was developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori. Emphasizing independence, it views children as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a sufficiently supportive and well-prepared learning environment. It discourages some conventional measures of achievement, such as grades and tests. Montessori developed her theories in the early 1900s through scientific experimentation with her students; the method has since been used in many parts of the world, in public and private schools alike.
Alternative education encompasses many pedagogical approaches differing from mainstream pedagogy. Such alternative learning environments may be found within state, charter, and independent schools as well as home-based learning environments. Many educational alternatives emphasize small class sizes, close relationships between students and teachers and a sense of community.
Barrie School is a progressive independent school for students age 12 months through Grade 12 located in an unincorporated area of Montgomery County, Maryland, outside of Washington, D.C. The school is within the Glenmont census designated place, has a Silver Spring postal address, and is in close proximity to Layhill. Barrie School is a nonprofit school with 501(c)(3) status.
The Village School an independent coeducational day school, serving students ages 18 months to 14 years, located in the Borough of Waldwick, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The Village School is a Montessori school for children ranging from toddler to Middle School. Its programs are based in the fundamental philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori. It is the one of the only Montessori schools in New Jersey to serve students ranging up to fifteen years of age.
Operation Brotherhood Montessori Center Incorporated is an Italian-based school in the Philippines named after Maria Montessori. It was founded by former UNESCO-Philippines Secretary-General Amb. Preciosa Soliven in 1966. The mother organization Operation Brotherhood International was founded by Oscar G. Arellano. OBI provided medical help and community upliftment assistance to the war refugees in Vietnam and Laos. When OBI started operations in the Philippines in 1963, village projects became its first priority including schools for the poor. Ambassador Preciosa S. Soliven who had been teaching young children in Vietnam and later worked with a Swiss Montessori preschool teacher in Makati was asked by OBI to manage these schools. OB Montessori offers toddler, pre-school, elementary school, high school and college levels and is the first school in the Philippines to use the Montessori method. Oscar G. Arellano, founder of OBI Phils also opened another Montessori school in 1975. Smaller in scale compared to its neighbor and counterpart, OB Montessori Center. This little school is nestled in Barangay Addition Hills, San Juan City.
Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori was an Italian physician and educator best known for the philosophy of education that bears her name, and her writing on scientific pedagogy. At an early age, Montessori enrolled in classes at an all-boys technical school, with hopes of becoming an engineer. She soon had a change of heart and began medical school at the Sapienza University of Rome, where she graduated with honors in 1896. Her educational method is in use today in many public and private schools globally.
The Montessori method was practiced in the United States early after its invention. While the name is not trademarked and there is no central authority for the method, the American Montessori Society (AMI) was established in 1960.
Wilmington Montessori School is a Montessori school located in Wilmington, Delaware, United States, serving ages 12 months through eighth grade. It is the state's oldest and largest independent Montessori school. Its facility has more than 30 classrooms, a library/learning commons, gymnasium, indoor and outdoor performance stages, music and arts rooms, three age-appropriate makerspaces, outdoor playing fields, and wooded walking paths.
Whitby School is an independent, co-educational private school in Greenwich, Connecticut, that was founded in 1958 and is accredited by the American Montessori Society, the International Baccalaureate Organization and the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools. The Head of School is Dr. John "Jack" Creeden, who joined Whitby in July 2019.
The Association Montessori International/USA (AMI/USA) is a national non-profit organization that strives to propagate and further the teachings and work of Dr. Maria Montessori in the United States. As an affiliate of the Association Montessori Internationale, the Association Montessori International/USA oversees recognition of eligible Montessori schools, supports AMI Montessori teacher training centers, and organizes professional development opportunities in the United States. The organization also maintains a member database of about 17,000 teachers, school administrators, parents, and interested individuals.
The Caedmon School is an independent coeducational elementary school located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. The school, which employs an "inspired" Montessori curriculum, was the first Montessori school established in New York City and the second in the United States.
Montessori education in India has grown in popularity since Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori method, was forced to stay in India during World War II, from 1939–1946.
Qingdao Amerasia International School(QAIS) is a private, non-profit international school located in Qingdao, China, offering Montessori education from ages 1.5-5 and an inquiry-based curriculum up to age 18. QAIS has over 200 enrolled students representing 25 countries. Qingdao Amerasia International School is an International Baccalaureate World School, offering the full IB Continuum: the IB Primary Years Programme, IB Middle Years Programme, and IB Diploma Programme. Their Montessori Toddler and Montessori Early Childhood Programs are the only programs in Asia to be accredited by the American Montessori Society.
Springmont is a private Montessori school located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, in Metro Atlanta, at 5750 Long Island Drive. The school serves around 260 students rangingfrom 18 months to 14 years old. It is the oldest Montessori school in the Southeast.
The John M. Tobin Montessori School is a public Montessori school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In February 2015 it was named the first district-level, fully accredited, public Montessori school in the United States. This is significant because the administration, faculty and staff spent years rewriting much of the curriculum to comply with the rigorous Massachusetts state requirements while creating the distinct, hands-on, multi-sensorial learning environment required by the American Montessori Society. The mascot is the tiger and the school colors are royal blue and white.
Alcuin School is an independent, non-sectarian, co-educational day school in Dallas, Texas. With Montessori and International Baccalaureate programs, it serves students from 18-months-old through the 12th grade. Alcuin is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest, recognized by the Association Montessori Internationale, and is an IB World School.
Matilda Cuomo is an American advocate for women and children, former First Lady of New York from 1983 to 1994, and matriarch of the Cuomo family. She is the widow of Governor of New York Mario Cuomo and mother of current Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo and CNN presenter Chris Cuomo. The founder of the child advocacy group Mentoring USA, Cuomo was inducted to the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2017.
Association Montessori Internationale known as AMI is an Amsterdam-based global non-governmental organization dedicated to Montessori education.
Nancy McCormick Rambusch was an American educator who founded the American Montessori Society in 1960. The founder of the Whitby School, Rambusch served as a leading proponent of Montessori education in the United States, writing and lecturing widely.
