Overarching Statement on Assessment:

As a public school, there are assessments we are required to administer as part of our accountability requirements as a recipient of public education funding. There are also assessments that we choose to administer because they provide valuable information to the guides, which informs instruction. As a high-fidelity Montessori school, certain assessments we elect to administer also provide insights about whole child development and the effectiveness of our Montessori practice and environments.   

Observation is a cornerstone of the Montessori practice. Montessori guides are highly trained observers; they observe the child at work in the classroom and use the information they gather to shape their lessons. The Three Period Lesson of the Montessori method is a tool of fluid instruction used across the Planes of Development by guides to deliver lessons, observe progress, and assess student learning. The first period is when a concept is presented by a guide (aka “a lesson”); during the second period, the child then practices independently or with a peer; in the 3rd period, the child achieves conceptual and practical independence as s/he internalizes the concept and demonstrates mastery.

In the Upper Elementary and Middle School, mastery projects and culminating projects provide an opportunity to demonstrate third period understanding. As such, much “assessment” is embedded and ongoing at SVCMS.  We prioritize and value insights we receive from these well-established tools of the Montessori method.