International Montessori Council
The International Montessori Council (IMC) is a world-wide umbrella organization of Montessori schools and the persons who lead them, own them, or serve on their boards. A non-profit organization that provides information and support to schools and educators, the IMC guidelines call for their recognized teacher education programs to meet and exceed the standards of national accreditation organizations for Montessori education. All IMC programs in North America are required to seek MACTE accreditation.
MACTE
The Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) is recognized by the US Department of Education (USDOE) as the accrediting agency of Montessori Teacher Education programs. MACTE accredits Montessori training programs that meet specific standards, which MACTE calls the Essential Standards and Criteria (ESC). These standards were developed in consensus with the major professional Montessori societies. Many US and Canadian Montessori schools require their teachers to hold certificate from a MACTE accredited Teacher Education Program.
What are the organizations that accredit CGMS?
Not all of our programs are accredited, but those that are have received accreditation from one or both of the International Montessori Council (IMC), or the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). At the bottom of this page you will see a precise list of which of our programs have received accreditation from which organizations.
Is your organization accredited by AMS?
No, CGMS is affiliated with another organization, the IMC. More on the IMC may be found below. However, AMS does recognize our Full certificate graduates as eligible to lead classrooms. Schools may be eligible for Full AMS Accreditation if they employ teachers from any MACTE accredited teacher education program, as long as 50% of the teachers and the head of school maintain an AMS membership. In North America most schools look for teachers from a MACTE accredited teacher education program, though there are some which prefer either AMI or AMS trained teachers.
What is MACTE?
The Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) is recognized by the US Department of Education (USDOE) as the accrediting agency of Montessori Teacher Education programs. MACTE accredits Montessori training programs that meet specific standards, which MACTE calls the Essential Standards and Criteria (ESC). These standards were developed in consensus with the major professional Montessori societies. Many US and Canadian Montessori schools require their teachers to hold certificate from a MACTE accredited Teacher Education Program. MACTE
www.macte.org
Address: MACTE office, 420 Park Street, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
Phone : (434) 202-7793
Fax : (888) 535-8838
Email : info@MACTE.org
What is the IMC?
The International Montessori Council (IMC) is a world-wide umbrella organization of Montessori schools and the persons who lead them, own them, or serve on their boards. A non-profit organization that provides information and support to schools and educators, the IMC guidelines call for their recognized teacher education programs to meet and exceed the standards of national accreditation organizations for Montessori education. All IMC programs in North America are required to seek MACTE accreditation.
Address: 19600 E State Road 64, Bradenton, FL 34212-8921
Phone : (941) 729-9565
Fax : (941) 745-3111
Website: imcmontessori.org
Accreditation Details
None of the professional development courses run by the Center for Guided Montessori Studies are accredited by any agency. No Associate Certificates are MACTE accredited.
All teacher certification programs offered by CGMS are recognized by IMC. The following clarifies which programs have obtained MACTE accreditation as of August 2017.
Accredited
Please see the list below for summer residential locations that are MACTE accredited. Note that all locations are not offered each summer. Summer residential locations and dates for the summer 2026 sessions will be posted to this link in February 2026.
NOTE: ALL LOCATIONS ARE NOT OFFERED EACH SUMMER
- Early Childhood Full Credential Program, Charlotte, NC-MACTE Accredited
- Early Childhood Full Credential Program, Tulsa, OK – MACTE Accredited
- Early Childhood Full Credential Program, Salt Lake City, UT – MACTE Accredited
- Early Childhood Full Credential Program, Lakeland, FL– MACTE Accredited
- Early Childhood Full Credential Program, Jakarta, Indonesia – MACTE Accredited
- Elementary I, Elementary II, Elementary I-II Full Credential Program, Charlotte, NC-MACTE Accredited
- Elementary I, Elementary II, Elementary I-II Full Credential Program, Lakeland, FL-MACTE Accredited
- Elementary I, Elementary II, Elementary I-II Full Credential Program, Salt Lake City, UT – MACTE Accredited
- Elementary I, Elementary II, Elementary I-II Full Credential Program, Jakarta, Indonesia – MACTE Accredited
- Infant/Toddler Full Credential Program, Nashville, TN – MACTE Accredited
- Infant/Toddler Full Credential Program, Allison Park, PA – MACTE Accredited
- Infant/Toddler Full Credential Program, Salt Lake City, UT – MACTE Accredited
- Secondary Full Credential Program, Ocoee, FL – MACTE Accredited
- Leadership Full Credential Program, Sarasota, FL – MACTE Accredited
Non-Accredited
We have not, nor do we expect to apply for MACTE accreditation for the following programs.
- Infant/Toddler Associate Certification program
- Primary Associate Certification program
- Elementary Associate Certification program
- Secondary Associate Certification program
- Professional Development Courses – Neither IMC recognized nor MACTE Accredited
