Five year, $3 million investment to investigate how the Montessori approach produces achievement outcomes for children age three to third grade and may reduce the achievement gap between children from under-resourced communities and other children.
CHAPEL HILL, NC -- The Trust for Learning announced today that one of its funding partners, The Brady Education Foundation (BEF), is inviting proposals to participate in a research network focused on investigating the impact of high-fidelity Montessori education in public settings from age three through third grade. This five year, $3 million commitment from BEF will support rigorous evaluations of the impact of Montessori education and investigate whether Montessori education can reduce the gap in educational outcomes faced by children living in under-resourced communities.
“We’re thrilled to begin this initiative on this important topic,” said Elizabeth Pungello Bruno, Ph.D., President of the Brady Education Foundation. “It is imperative that we increase access to high quality early learning environments, especially for families from underresourced and under-represented communities. While rigorous research concerning the effects of the Montessori approach is limited, recent evidence suggests that it may be particularly effective for executive functioning and achievement outcomes. The information generated by the community of researchers that will be supported by this initiative has the potential to provide parents and the public with critical information needed to help create equitable opportunities and close the achievement gap.”
Barbara Crockett, Executive Director of the Foundation, added, “The first Montessori classrooms provided low income children highly personalized, developmental education that built skills necessary for success in life. One hundred years later, Montessori education is a popular choice for affluent families, but it is often overlooked as a potential solution for children in low-resourced communities.”
The Foundation is particularly interested in research outcomes related to executive functioning, achievement, mastery orientation and school engagement. The RFP process will take place in three stages: Letter of Intent, Stage 1 full proposal and Stage 2 proposal. A webinar will initiate the process on August 16, 2017 at 1:00pm Eastern time. Please email applications@BradyEducationFoundation.org to request an invitation.
“As a partner with the Brady Education Foundation, we’re excited to see the results of the research bear out over the next five years,” said Stephanie Miller, Executive Director of the Trust for Learning. “We believe that highly developmental learning is ideal for all children, and Montessori is an exemplary model. We’ve seen great results among smaller programs. Having a community of researchers and more robust research is a big step toward proving widespread impact and making more of these transformative programs available to
low-income families.”
Letter of Intent deadline is September 6, 2017.
To learn more details about the RFP process, requirements for submission and timeline, please visit the Brady Education Foundation’s website.
About the Brady Education Foundation
The mission of the Brady Education Foundation is to help close the opportunity and resulting achievement gap between children living in under-represented and/or under-resourced communities and other children. The Foundation pursues its mission by promoting collaboration between researchers and educators via the funding of program development and program evaluations in education. Currently, the Foundation is particularly focused on the development and evaluation of programs that are consistent with a strengthbased approach and show promise of being feasible, effective and sustainable.
About the Trust for Learning
The Trust for Learning’s mission is to make ideal learning real for all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Ideal learning is evidence-based, curriculum-rich early learning that is child-centric, emotionally and intellectually engaging, structured and accountable for developing the whole child. The Trust is a group of grantmakers that accelerates the supply of ideal learning programs while helping practitioners build public demand through advocacy and marketing; engaging providers of high quality models and programs in order to adapt and deliver the best programs and best outcomes across very different communities—complete with infrastructure, curriculum and educators.
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Contact:
Barbara Crockett
Executive Director
Brady Education Foundation
barbaracrockett@bradyeducationfoundation.org
919-240-4941
Websites: www.bradyeducationfoundation.org; www.trustforlearning.org