Columbus Montessori is part of the greater education community in central Ohio. In order to be a leader in 21st century education, we firmly believe that strong links to Montessori and early childhood education organizations is key. Accreditations help to ensure that we bring quality education to your child.
Affiliate of the American Montessori Society (AMS) – AMS is an organization that supports and monitors authentic Montessori schools. In order to attain the status of “affiliate”, all classroom lead teachers must hold Montessori credentials at the levels they teach. The credentials are issued by a Montessori Teacher Education Program that are accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE); the school must also have an AMS consultation visit once every 5 years. For more detailed information, please visit www.amshq.org
Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) – Accreditation ensures that early education programs assess themselves against and make changes to meet a set of standards. Some of these standards are “structural” – such as class size, child-to-staff ratios, and teacher qualifications. Others are “relational” – how teachers interact with the children, the learning experiences the children have, and how parents are engaged. For more detailed information, please visit www.naeyc.org
Chartered by the State of Ohio Department of Education– A Chartered Non-Public school is a private school that holds a valid charter issued by the state board of education and maintains compliance with the Operating Standards for Ohio’s Schools (Ohio Administrative Code 3301-35-12). These schools are not supported by local or state tax dollars and require the family to pay tuition. Chartered Non-Public schools are eligible for the Administrative Cost Reimbursement Program, Auxiliary Services Program and Transportation services for students. For more detailed information, please visit www.odu.gov.
Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) Accredited Teacher Education Program – MACTE develops valid and reliable accreditation standards that contribute toward quality Montessori teacher education. They serve as a resource to various stakeholder groups concerning quality issues in the Montessori field. For more detailed information, please visit www.macte.org
Step Up to Quality, Three Star Award Winner – Step Up to Quality is a Three Star quality rating system for childhood programs licensed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Step Up to Quality recognizes and promotes early care and education programs that meet quality benchmarks over and above minimum health and safety licensing standards. For more detailed information, please visit www.stepuptoquality.org.
The Independent Schools Association of the Central States - Currently Columbus Montessori is pursuing a rigorous accreditation process through ISACS, widely recognized as the top accrediteding body for independent schools across the country.
ISACS currently provides services for more than 230 schools across the Midwest. For over forty years, schools have turned to ISACS for assistance regarding accreditation, professional development, and best practices in independent education.
ISACS accreditation services are highly regarded in the independent school community. This seven-year cycle is based upon meeting ISACS standards, on the fit between a school’s stated mission and actual program implementation, and a thorough process of school improvement. With the guidance of our highly experienced Office of Accreditation and the Evaluation Review Committee, visiting teams support schools in a comprehensive and broad-based review of their programs and operations.
Columbus Montessori Education Center shares many values with our partner ECAL, Early Childhood And Learning. Early Care and Learning (ECAL) is a not-for-profit organization that works to create access to quality, safe, consistent early care experiences for all infants and toddlers in Ohio through advocacy, program initiatives and community education.
In 2008 Action for Children and Early Care and Learning partnered with five early learning centers, including Columbus Montessori Education Center to establish CC:B-3. Each center is urban, offers comprehensive programs for children from birth to age five or older, and serves many lower income children, including those receiving state subsidies. The partner centers have committed to structuring their infant/toddler programs to provide continuity of care in a family style center.
