Not sure if Dobson Montessori is worth the financial investment?
Consider these statistics…what better investment can you make than insuring your child’s educational future?
Dobson Montessori School
Top Stanford 10 scores
again in 2019 !!!
What the numbers say:
Once again, Dobson Montessori students placed far above the state and national norms! Our small school has outscored the tens of thousands of students attending public and charter schools in the valley and the nation! Our scores show student achievement well above grade equivalents in all areas!
~Our third grade students took their first standardized test ever and scored as well or better than students in 7th grade nationally!
~Our intermediate 4th, 5th and 6th grade students averaged two to three years above grade level. For example, our 5th grade students scored as well or better than those in 8th grade nationally.
~And our Upper Division 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students’ scores were truly amazing. 7th graders tested 11th grade 6th month. All our 8th and 9th grade students scored PHS (post high school at college levels) in all subjects: Reading Math, Language Science, Social Science, Listening, and Thinking Skills.
~Our high school students tested PHS-post high school into college level and are taking concurrent enrollment college courses for credit!
What the numbers mean:
Obviously, these are phenomenal scores! The Stanford 10 is the gold standard among standardized tests and is much more challenging than the watered-down version given in public schools. We administer the full battery that tests achievement in reading and math but also science, social studies, thinking skills, listening, and more. It is great for our parents to know that their child attends the top academic school in the valley! We do not “teach to the test” or feel rote learning is an appropriate teaching method. Our scores are almost a side product of our environment where the main focus is a love of learning, individualized curriculum, and low student teacher ratios with an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning and problem solving.
Arizona public and charter school sores: Shockingly, more than 50% of all state students did not pass the much easier AZMerit test again this year! This means they are not even reading and doing math at grade level. As children continue each year, the scores actually get lower! This year 75% of all Arizona public and charter school 11th graders did not pass the reading test portion to show that they were able to read at grade level! As performance continues to fall, the board of education has responded by removing the requirement to pass the test to graduate from high school. Parents often ask why our outstanding scores are not listed in the newspaper. The media will only list public schools. Charter schools are public schools so they are listed as well. Unfortunately, none of the valley private schools are included in the newspaper listings each year.
Arizona currently ranks 46th in the nation in quality of public schools. The charter schools, which are also public schools, score even lower than the public school districts. Even those who advertise high academic standards have difficulty delivering the results or eliminate students who do not test well.
Another alarming trend in Arizona is the decline in scores as the students proceed from year to year, especially as they enter the junior high years. As you can see, our students make more than a year of progress each year with our junior high students soaring past high school equivalencies.
New research recently released has shown students whose education has focused on learning answers for such tests as the AIMS or AZMerit actually do poorer on college entrance exams and have not mastered important skills such as problem solving, research, creative writing, team and leadership abilities, analytical thinking, communication, and learning how to learn.
You may have heard even more controversy in the news recently concerning new Common Core Standards. Public schools are struggling to know how to implement these ideas with no curriculum, materials, or proper teacher student ratios. Perhaps what’s old is new again as these standards have always been a part of Montessori education and curriculum! We go far beyond the modest proposals considered. Real life applications, team projects, presentations, writing, research, applied mathematics, problem solving, communication, project development…these have always been part of a child’s education at Dobson Montessori School.
It is also important to keep test scores in proper perspective. Some children do not test well and cannot “show what they know” in a standardized test situation. We feel writing is a very important part of a good education and standardized tests cannot measure creativity objectively. Tests cannot measure other very important educational aspects such as communication, real life skill applications, getting along with others, creativity, or team and leadership abilities. Clearly, it is important for teachers, parents, and students to remember test scores are just one way of evaluating a portion of a student’s achievement. At Dobson Montessori, our goal is to educate the whole child as they prepare for a happy and successful future.
Congratulations to Dobson Montessori School, its students, teachers, and families on their continued achievements!