A five-year study analyzing the impact of South Carolina’s nearly 50 Montessori public schools has found that their students perform significantly better than those in traditional public schools, closing the achievement gap especially for children from low-income backgrounds.

This new research is one of the largest longitudinal studies in a growing body of work showing the positive outcomes associated with Montessori schools. It was funded by the Self Family Foundation and the S.C. Education Oversight Committee.

“Nationally, we’ve been fighting the achievement gap for years and have found few things that close that gap, so the fact that low-income Montessori kids fared better than their low-income peers…that says a lot,” said Ginny Riga, Montessori consultant for the South Carolina Department of Education.

South Carolina has the largest number of public Montessori schools in the country, at 52, followed by California, with 46, and Arizona, with 42, according to the Montessori Census. As of this year, the South Carolina model has grown to 52 school sites serving over 8,500 students, mostly elementary-aged.

Read the full article about South Carolina public Montessori schools by Kate Stringer at The 74.