Montessori School Verification Project
What is Montessori Verification?
Verification is a process for state regulators to recognize a particular school as a Montessori program. The process is administered by the Pacific Northwest Montessori Association (PNMA) At this time it only applies to Early Childhood programs, although we may be offering the process for Infant/Toddler programs soon. A Verified Montessori school exhibits the following criteria:
•A credentialed teacher (MACTE, AMS, or AMI affiliated training) in each classroom for the age group served
•A mixed age class based on developmentally appropriate groupings
•An uninterrupted extended work period
•Adequate Montessori materials in each classroom
•Educational philosophy and method consistent with accepted Montessori practice
•Some level of Montessori training or experience for at least one member of the administrative team.
What Does it Mean?
At this time, Montessori Verification only applies to Early Childhood programs because these are the programs that have perceived a need for verification in their relationship with the state.
How Can a School Achieve Verification?
Click Here to start!The applicant school must:
- Pay a $100 administration fee. You will be emailed the Verification Handbook and Self‐Study form. The self-study is emailed automatically. Please check your spam folder if you don't see it. You may also contact the committee chair at verification@pnma.org
- Receive and submit the PNMA Montessori Verification Self‐Study.
- A verifier will contact you to schedule a visit (we anticipate a 60‐90 minute visit).*
PNMA Verification Committee Chairperson:-
•Assigns a qualified Verifier to visit the school site
•Receives the Verifier Report and presents it to the Verification Committee. The committee sends its recommendations to the PNMA Board for approval at monthly meetings.
•Sends a Verified Program Certificate to the approved school and to DCYF.
* AMS Accredited and AMI/USA recognized schools are waived from the requirements to submit a self-study and receive a Verifier visit due to the extensive work on meeting standards that exceeds those of Verification.
What is the Benefit to Becoming a Verified Montessori School?
Verified Montessori schools will have the philosophical basis for having a group size larger than 20 children in early childhood classrooms. DCYF has agreed to allow Verified Montessori schools to have class sizes up to 26 children, so long as the other criteria are met, such as (but not limited to) required ratios (1 adult per 10 children) and classroom space requirements (35 square feet of usable space per child) are maintained.
How Can I Become a PNMA Verifier?
To become a PNMA Verifier, you need to:
•Be a current member of PNMA
•Provide a copy (pdf is fine) of your AMS, AMI, or MACTE accredited training program credential in Early Childhood
•Attend a 1-hour training with PNMA Verification Trainer
We will be conducting regular Verifier Trainings throughout the year. We will post the dates of upcoming trainings. If you are interested in being on the email list for notification of future Verifier Trainings, please contact the Committee Chair.
Committee Members: Kim Droppo, Chelle Downey-Magee, Debora Abbott Nichols, Elizabeth Truman, Mary Moore, and Charmaine Johannes, chair
