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What’s Happening at AMS?

Research Library

Resources for Researchers

AMS Research Committee

AMS Research Advisory Committee

RESEARCH

The American Montessori Society offers annual awards for graduate level work that furthers the public understanding of Montessori education. The application deadline for 2011 awards is November 1, 2010. For more information, click here.

What’s Happening at AMS?

In 2001, The American Montessori Society Board of Directors established a strategic plan and determined five major goals. One of the goals was for AMS to assume a leadership role to advance and support research in Montessori education.

To date, our efforts have centered on the organization of an active research committee including researchers from a wide range of geographic areas, and with varied backgrounds and areas of study and interest; increased networking with fellow researchers; and increased attention and opportunities for Montessori researchers to gather at AMS conferences for sharing of research interests and activities.

Recent months have seen great progress on the Montessori research initiative. Using donations earmarked for research efforts, AMS created a part-time, one-year position for a research coordinator. The research coordinator is now working with the AMS Research Committee to help position AMS as a support center and clearinghouse for research related to Montessori education. In addition, the 2009 AMS Annual Conference saw an increased emphasis on Montessori research including the first-ever AMS Poster Session. Additions are also being made to the online Research Library, which now contains several new research-based articles relating to Montessori education. Exciting things are happening. Watch for future updates on this important initiative on this section of the AMS website!

In addition, Montessori Life has extended a call for research articles to increase circulation of results that articulate findings related to student outcomes and teacher practices. We encourage researchers to heed this call and publish their results. Contact the editors Kathy Carey and Carey Jones.

AMS is also proud to support several financial awards for outstanding Montessori dissertations and theses in Montessori education. For information about the application process and criteria, see the AMS Thesis and Dissertation Awards Webpage.

Research Library

The research on this site has been vetted for relevance by the AMS Research Committee. Research findings do not necessarily reflect the view of AMS or the members of the Committee.
 
If you have research or other information that you would like to bring to our attention, please contact Dr. Sharon Damore.

AMS Research Committee

The Committee is working to improve AMS’s leadership in the advancement and support of research in Montessori education. Committee members are available to field questions and engage in dialogue with fellow Montessori researchers. Contact Sharon Damore, Chair of the AMS Research Committee.

	AMS RESEARCH COMMITTEE MEMBERS
	Sharon Damore, Ed.D, Chair
		Assistant Professor of Elementary Teacher Education, DePaul University, Chicago, IL Member, AMS Board of Directors Research: Teacher collaboration, student assessment, and professional development schools
	Janet Hall Bagby, Ph.D.
		Senior Lecturer, Department of Educational Psychology, Baylor University, Waco, TX Winner, AMS 2002 Dissertation Award: Problem-solving transfer
	Carolyn Daoust, Ph.D.
		Associate Professor, Montessori Elementary Coordinator, and Director of Interns, Saint Mary’s College, Moraga, CA Winner, AMS 2005 Dissertation Award: An examination of implementation practices in Montessori early childhood education
	Ann Epstein, Ph.D.
		Assistant Professor, Lander University, Greenwood, SC Winner, 1997 AMS Dissertation Award:  Montessori early childhood teacher accommodations for young children with exceptionalities  (Link?) Research interests:  Conflict Resolution and Young Children, Accommodations for Young Children with Exceptionalities Recently published Montessori Life article (2008)
	Maureen Harris, M.Ed.
		Music Educator and Coordinator, The Children's House Montessori, Ontario, Canada Dissertation: Montessori music and math (2005) Recently published articles:  'Montessori music and math' article published in Research Journal for Learning through the Arts (2007):
	Michelle Moody-Frazier
		Grants Manager, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, IL
	Anna Perry, M.Ed.
		Executive Director, MECA-Seton, Adjunct Faculty, Erikson Institute, Chicago, IL, Doctoral Student, Erikson Institute/Loyola University. Research interests:  Public Policy and Advocacy, Teacher Education and Adult Learning, and Child and Family Relations
	Nanette Schonleber, Ph.D.
		Associate Professor of Education, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Honolulu, HI Winner, AMS 2006 Dissertation Award: Culturally congruent education and the Montessori model: perspectives from Hawaiian culture-based educators Research interests: Culturally congruent teaching/assessment; reading/Montessori
	Keith Whitescarver, Ed.D.
		Educational Consultant, Hartford, CT Research interests:  history of literacy, history of Montessori Recent articles on Montessori education:  “Montessori and the Mainstream: A Century of Reform on the Margins,” Teachers College Record (Dec. 2008), and “Establishing an American Montessori Movement: Another Look at the Early Years,” Montessori Life (Spring 2006)
	Linda Zankowsky, Ed.D.
		Head of School, Wilmington Montessori School, Wilmington, Delaware Executive position paper: School-wide reading assessment in a Montessori Program (University of Delaware).

AMS Research Advisory Committee

The Research Committee could not function without the support and legacy of those AMS members and researchers, who either precede them or, in many instances, continue to advise and assume leadership roles and support in Montessori research. Those individuals are listed below. They are always willing to dialogue with others regarding current issues and study of Montessori education. For more information, contact Sharon Damore.