Education reform is the name given to the goal of changing public education. The meaning and education methods have changed through debates over what content or experiences result in an educated individual or an educated society. Historically, the motivations for reform have not reflected the current needs of society. A consistent theme of reform includes the idea that large systematic changes to educational standards will produce social returns in citizens' health, wealth, and well-being.
Progressive education, or educational progressivism, is a pedagogical movement that began in the late 19th century and has persisted in various forms to the present. In Europe, progressive education took the form of the New Education Movement. 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 early-industrial university and strongly differentiated by social class. By contrast, progressive education finds its roots in modern, post-industrial experience. Most progressive education programs have these qualities in common:
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population of the community was 50,773 at the 2020 census. It is located between the Potomac River and Vienna within the Washington metropolitan area.
Unschooling is a practice of self-driven informal learning characterized by a lesson-free and curriculum-free implementation of homeschooling. Unschooling encourages exploration of activities initiated by the children themselves, under the belief that the more personal learning is, the more meaningful, well-understood, and therefore useful it is to the child.
The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes independence and it views children as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a sufficiently supportive and well-prepared learning environment. It also discourages some conventional methods of achievement, such as grades and tests.
The Washington–Baltimore combined metropolitan statistical area is a statistical area, including the overlapping metropolitan areas of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. The region includes Central Maryland, Northern Virginia, three counties in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, and one county in south-central Pennsylvania. It is the most educated, highest-income, and third-most populous combined statistical area in the United States behind New York City–Newark, NJ and Los Angeles–Long Beach.
Alternative education encompasses educational philosophy differing from mainstream pedagogy and evidence-based education. 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 George Washington Memorial Parkway, colloquially the G.W. Parkway, is a 25-mile-long (40 km) limited-access parkway that runs along the south bank of the Potomac River from Mount Vernon, Virginia, northwest to McLean, Virginia, and is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS). It is located almost entirely in Northern Virginia, except for a short portion of the parkway northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge that passes over Columbia Island in Washington, D.C.
Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori was an Italian physician and educator best known for her philosophy of education 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, becoming one of the first women to attend medical school in Italy; she graduated with honors in 1896. Her educational method is in use today in many public and private schools globally.
Oakcrest School is an independent liberal arts school for girls grades 6–12 located in Vienna, Virginia. It is guided by the teachings of the Catholic Church and the spirituality of Opus Dei. In 2023, Niche ranked Oakcrest School 794 out of 4,990 private schools in the United States, making it the 32nd best in Virginia.
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 (AMS) was established in 1960.
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.
BASIS Curriculum Schools, Inc. is a global network of both public and private schools that use the BASIS Curriculum. BASIS Curriculum Schools are made up of BASIS Charter Schools, BASIS Independent Schools, and BASIS International Schools.
The Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools is an American nonprofit education organization representing 120 independent schools in the US state of Maryland and the District of Columbia. Based in Glen Burnie, Maryland, it was founded in 1967 as the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS) and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation (ICAISA).
The Woods Academy is an independent, Catholic, preschool, elementary school, and middle school for girls and boys ages three through fourteen, with an enrollment, as of the 2019–20 school year, of 261 students. The school is located on six acres in the Washington D.C. suburb of Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
The Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW) is an association of 75 independent schools located in the District of Columbia and metropolitan Washington, D.C. areas in Virginia and Maryland. More than 30,000 students attend these member schools in grades pre-K through high school.
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.
Waldron Faulkner was an American architect in practice in New York City and Washington, D.C. from 1927 to until his retirement 1968. Faulkner was a sole practitioner until 1939, when he formed a partnership with Slocum Kingsbury, his long-time collaborator. Later partners of the firm included Faulkner's son, Avery C. Faulkner, who sold the firm to CannonDesign in 1982.
