Affiliations
Countryside is affiliated with the following professional organizations:
Independent School Management Consortium 
Illinois Coalition of Non-Public Schools 
North American Montessori Teachers' Association (NAMTA)
Requirements for Accreditation
Requirements for full recognition status from the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI):
- Each class is to be directed by a teacher holding an AMI diploma appropriate for that age group (0-3 yrs., 3-6 yrs., 6-9 yrs., 9-12 yrs).
- AMI consultation every three years. Each class should contain a full set of recognised Montessori materials with no superfluous materials added, i.e., none which are not listed in the AMI albums.
- An approach consistent with Montessori philosophical principles as offered in AMI training courses is to prevail in the classroom. Specifically:
- Classes will have children of mixed ages (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 years).
- Classes should have between 28-35 children including a well-balanced division of ages to ensure social development.
- In addition to morning sessions five days per week with the full class, an afternoon session or extended day consisting of two to three hours of Montessori activities should be offered to the older children in the Primary (3-6) classes, five days per week.
- The importance of a three hour work cycle should be respected and any additional subjects, such as foreign language and physical education, are to be scheduled outside this period.
- There should be only one non-teaching aide in the classroom. AMI does not support the practice of offering split sessions, nor of team-teaching as these are unsound pedagogical practices.
Requirements for full accreditation status from the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) can be found through this link: ISACS Requirements
|
