The first national randomized trial of public Montessori preschool students showed stronger long-term outcomes by kindergarten, including elevated reading, memory, and executive function as compared to non-Montessori preschoolers. The research also appears highly actionable for policymakers, because the results found the Montessori programs delivered better outcomes at sharply lower costs. The study of 588 children across two dozen programs nationwide shows an imperative to follow and study these outcomes through graduation and beyond.
A new national study led by researchers from the University of Virginia, University of Pennsylvania and the American Institutes for Research found that Montessori preschool programs (ages 3 to 6) in public schools deliver stronger early learning outcomes for children—and at a sharply lower cost to school districts and taxpayers. The first randomized controlled trial of its kind, published in the highly regarded Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, tracked nearly 600 children across 24 public Montessori programs nationwide.
By the end of kindergarten, children who won a random lottery to attend public Montessori preschools outperformed their peers in reading, executive function, short-term memory, and social understanding—all while costing approximately $13,000 less per child than traditional preschool programs. Those costs do not include anticipated savings from improved teacher morale and retention, a dynamic demonstrated in other data. The findings, which have been vetted by third parties, contrast sharply with the prior common findings, where impacts of preschool were observed immediately following the program but then seemed to disappear by the end of kindergarten.
"These findings affirm what Maria Montessori believed over a century ago—that when we trust children to learn with purpose and curiosity, they thrive," said Angeline Lillard, Commonwealth Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. "Public Montessori programs are not only effective but cost-efficient."
"Montessori preschool programs are already being used in hundreds of U.S. public schools, and our research shows that they are having a positive impact in key areas of early learning," said Karen Manship, coauthor and Managing Director at the American Institutes for Research. "These findings provide valuable evidence to policymakers and educational leaders who are seeking to deliver better outcomes with increasingly limited resources."
"Montessori began in the low-income housing of early 20th century Rome," noted David Loeb of the University of Pennsylvania. "This research shows it still delivers on that promise for America's children today."
Key Findings:
- Stronger early learning: Montessori children scored significantly higher in reading, memory, executive function, and understanding others' perspectives by the end of kindergarten.
- Sustained benefits: Unlike many preschool programs where gains fade, Montessori students' relative outcomes improved over time.
- Cost savings: When compared to traditional public preschool, Public Montessori programs cost $13,000 less per child across the three years from ages 3–6, due primarily to more efficient class structures, including harnessing the benefits of children teaching each other across age groups.
- Teacher morale and retention: In practice, those cost savings are likely even higher due to prior prevailing evidence that Montessori teachers experience higher job satisfaction and lower turnover.
- Benefits for all children: Effects were strongest among children from lower-income families, although children of all backgrounds benefitted. These and other findings are a helpful reminder that Montessori was originally designed to reach low-income communities.
Dr. Maria Montessori opened her first classroom in 1907 in the working-class tenements of Rome, and pioneered an educational model rooted in children's natural drive to learn. Today, more than 600 U.S. public schools offer Montessori education. This national study affirms that Montessori's century-old model is a highly effective approach to early education—delivering enduring benefits for children and communities alike.
The research also appears highly actionable for policymakers, because the results found the Montessori programs delivered better outcomes at sharply lower costs, and studies have demonstrated improved teacher morale and retention for Montessori programs.
The papers coauthors include researchers from the American Institutes for Research (Juliette Berg, Maya Escueta, Alison Hauser) and UVA graduate student Emily Daggett.
A full copy of the research paper will available from the PNAS once the embargo lifts.
(end)
