The accreditation process is open to any Montessori teacher education institution or program which meets the Quality Principles and Criteria. Institutions are eligible for accreditation regardless of their professional affiliation, organizational form, sources of financial support, size of enrollment, or location.
Each potential applicant should thoroughly read the MACTE Guide to Accreditation before beginning the accreditation process. This document will address questions you may have with regard to program eligibility (e.g., Does your program have qualified personnel? Does your program meet the required number of academic and practicum hours?)
To get started or for further inquiries, please email accreditation@macte.org or by phone at (434) 202-7793.
Accreditation Process at a Glance
Step 1. Application
Program Actions:
- Program faculty prepares and submits an application and the appropriate fee
MACTE Actions:
- MACTE accepts or rejects the application based on eligibility requirements
Step 2. Self-Study
Program Actions:
- It is strongly suggested that the program faculty attends a MACTE webinar on writing the Self-Study
- Program faculty submits the Self-Study for formative evaluation
MACTE Actions:
- MACTE staff reviews the Self-Study for completeness, clarity, and requests any revisions in the MACTE office review
- MACTE sends the Self-Study to a reader who completes the content review
- MACTE sends the program the reader’s feedback in the form of a staff analysis
Step 3. Staff Analysis
Program Actions:
- Program faculty responds to the MACTE staff analysis (15 business days)
MACTE Actions:
- MACTE reviews the revisions and declares the Self-Study auditable
- MACTE accepts the Self-Study and moves to planning the on-site visit
Step 4. Third Party Comments
Program Actions:
- Program faculty distributes request for third party comments to all stakeholders
MACTE Actions:
- MACTE places the program on the MACTE website Third Party Comments page
Step 5. On-Site Verification Visit
Program Actions:
- Program faculty submits data for the visit as requested
- Program faculty receives and hosts the verifiers for the on-visit (2-4 days)
- Program faculty responds to on-site visit reports
MACTE Actions:
- MACTE schedules the visit and sends the On-Site Verification Visit documentation
- The on-site verification team (OSVT) reviews the submitted data
- OSVT completes the visit to the program
- OSVT prepares the on-site report and submits the report to MACTE
- MACTE sends the report to the program
Step 6. Board Meeting
MACTE Actions:
- MACTE sends the Self-Study, OSVT Report, and Program Director’s response to the MACTE board
- The program is presented for discussion by two board members
- The entire board deliberates and votes on accreditation
Step 7. Post Board Meeting
Program Actions:
- Program faculty accepts or appeals MACTE’s action (within 30 days)
MACTE Actions:
- MACTE formally announces the decision to the program and sends an official letter of accreditation along with a certificate of accreditation
- If the decision is to accredit and the program accepts the decision, MACTE announces the decision. If the decision is to not accredit and the program appeals, MACTE initiates its appeal process
