SAIS/SACS Certified and AMI Recognized

What does it mean to have dual accreditation by the Southern Association
of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools?

It means we have what it takes to be a school of excellence! We have successfully fulfilled or exceeded the requirements of both SAIS and SACS and agree to any recommendations they put forth. SAIS/SACS accreditation represents a school’s commitment to maintain only the highest principles and values, while speaking with its own voice and vision. Accreditation is a voluntary process. We are It required to comply with a set of formal standards regarding:

• Arbor’s mission and purpose
• Arbor’s Governance and leadership
• How we teaching and how students learning
• Documentation and use of results, resources and support systems
• Stakeholder communication and relationships
• A commitment to continuous improvement.

Before we received our final report, the chair of the Peer Review Committee shared portions of her recommendations. Her comments included the words “absolutely phenomenal” and “extraordinary!”

She went on to write:

“Arbor Montessori has a spirit that pervades the entire school. The mission is lived by every member of the Arbor family that we met. Without exception,every person we spoke with understands and is committed to the mission of this school. The entire population feels proud of the incredible progress they have made in becoming the school it is today. There is a tremendous collaboration between faculty, staff, parents, and administrators.

“The peer review team wishes to thank the entire school population for extending each of us such a warm welcome. It has been a joy for us to be part of Arbor Montessori’s initial SAIS-SACS accreditation. From the first moment, we felt the spirit of excitement that pervades throughout Arbor. History has been made, and we are honored to play a small part in the process.”

Arbor is proud to be one of a handful of excellent schools that have undergone the review process and received this accreditation.

What AMI Accreditation Means

The word or name "Montessori" is not a trademark or a franchise: any institution can call itself a Montessori school with impunity. Therefore, we have a method of standardization and authenticity, the equivalent of a board certification: AMI Accreditation.

AMI, the Association Montessori Internationale, was founded by Dr. Montessori in 1929. An AMI Accredited school signifies that that school employs teachers who have received the AMI training and are equipped to carry out the educational principles of Maria Montessori’s pedagogy. To receive AMI recognition, each classroom in the school must have:

• A fully-trained teacher who has completed both a college undergraduate degree and AMI's year-long training program;
• A complete set of authorized Montessori classroom materials;
• A three-year range of ages within the single classroom;
• An uninterrupted three-hour work cycle each morning.

To verify that these requirements are met, trained consultants evaluate AMI schools every three years.

Explore More

• About Arbor: Why we're here

• Our History: 40 years and Flourishing

• Montessori at its Fullest

• The Arbor Programs