What Exactly Is an AMS-Accredited School?

Accreditation by the American Montessori Society is an affirmation that a school is implementing best practices in Montessori education, as well as in areas of health and safety, finance, and administration. It affirms that a school represents the gold standard of Montessori education.

• Not all schools that are members of AMS are accredited.
• The decision to undergo AMS accreditation is voluntary.
• Currently, 207 of our 1,300 member schools (approximately 15%) are AMS-accredited. 187 are private schools. 17 are public schools.
• Accredited schools are validated by independent teams of evaluators as meeting rigorous standards of excellence developed by AMS.
• The accreditation process typically takes 18 months to 2 years.
• Every private school that is accredited by AMS gains automatic recognition by the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA), a national organization that serves as a review panel for the standards and review procedures of private-school accrediting agencies.

Accreditation through the American Montessori Society provides guidance, empowerment, and high ideals to help a school community interpret and implement rigorous standards of Montessori education.

It is a signal of a school’s commitment to high quality Montessori education, and the highest level of recognition a Montessori school can achieve.