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Purpose/History
MACTE (Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education) is an autonomous, international, nonprofit postsecondary accrediting agency for Montessori teacher education institutions and programs. The MACTE Commission accredits independent institutions which offer comprehensive, certification courses; and programs or departments located within colleges and universities. A Montessori teacher education certification course is defined as postsecondary instruction designed to:
  develop expertise in the educational system designed by Dr. Maria Montessori, including its philosophies, teacher roles, and design of curricula and environments;
  assure basic knowledge of child development, including major theorists and contemporary research;
  lead to certification in Montessori teaching with a specified child age range within the period from birth to age 18
MACTE was created in 1991 through a merger of two previous groups: the Accrediting Association for Montessori Teacher Education (AAMTE), an outgrowth of an ad hoc committee of Montessori educators founded in 1987; and the Accreditation Council for Childhood Education Specialist Schools (ACCESS), which began accrediting Montessori teacher education institutions and programs in 1982.
It is of great significance that the MACTE Essential Standards and Criteria, which must be implemented in order for an institution or program to achieve accreditation, were written through consensus by representatives of all the major professional societies. These included:
  The American Montessori Society (AMS)
  The International Association of Progressive Montessori (IAPM)
  The National Center for Montessori Education (NCME)
  The London Montessori Center (LMC)
  Montessori Educational Programs International (MEPI)
  The Pan American Montessori Society (PAMS)
  The Montessori Institute of America (MIA)
  The St. Nicholas Montessori Centers of London and Dublin
  Many independent institutions not affiliated with any of the above
The MACTE Commission is made up of ten representatives elected from organizations and consortia, independent members, and the public. The Commission meets each year in May and November, and is responsible for accreditation of institutions/programs and monitoring of policies and procedures.
MACTE administers the process of program evaluation and accreditation, and provides information and consultation to applicant institutions and programs. MACTE staff maintain a pool of qualified evaluators, assign on-site teams, evaluate compliance with the standards and criteria, maintain records, and monitor the activities of accredited institutions and programs.
Vision
MACTE is the premier, international, standard-setting and accrediting body for Montessori teacher education.
MACTE honors diversity and encourages collaboration among its constituents.
Mission
MACTE improves the level of Montessori teacher education by:
  1. Developing valid and reliable accreditation standards that contribute toward quality Montessori teacher education;
  2. Evaluating compliance with these standards;
  3. Recognizing institutions and programs that demonstrate compliance with the standards;
  4. Serving as a resource to various stakeholder groups concerning quality issues in Montessori teacher education;
  5. Serving as a unifying body in the field of Montessori teacher education.
MACTE currently accredits Montessori teacher education programs designed for these age levels:
  Infant and Toddler (birth through age 3)
  Early Childhood (ages 2 1/2 through 6)
  Elementary I or I-II (ages 6 through 9 or 6 through 12)
  Secondary I or I-II (ages 12 through 15 or 12 through 18)