An Analysis of Performance Differences Between Self-Directed and Teacher-Directed Alternative Education Campuses in Texas Page: 30
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contends that educators must work together to build systems of collaboration that hold all
educators accountable for student success and encourage sharing of information, responsibility,
and leadership.
One approach to a self-directed strategy is found in the Montessori method. The practice
eliminates any direct instruction, relegating instructors to a role of observers, though it is the
teacher who decides if a student has mastered content sufficiently. Created by Maria Montessori,
an Italian educator, this method is primarily used with preschool and elementary students. Based
on the principles that all children can be self-directed in learning, children learn primarily
through discovery rather than a sequenced series of information dictated by a teacher, and
learning is most efficient when the child works alone, the Montessori Method has gained
popularity since its development in the early part of the last century (Lillard, 2005).
While the Montessori method focuses primarily on younger children, the element of
individualizing instruction has also become a trademark for many secondary schools, particularly
in alternative environments. This process utilizes the teacher more in the role of a facilitator to
assist students. Self-directed strategies place the emphasis for progress and achievement
primarily in the hands of the student. While receiving assistance and guidance from an instructor,
the student is largely responsible for daily progress that ensures effective and timely completion
of studies. The student is encouraged to become independent in these areas and receive
instructional assignments only when work has been accomplished successfully.
In most self-directed schools, the student is diagnosed through testing in content areas
and assessed as to the current status of ability in subjects such as literacy and mathematics. These
results, as well as transcripts, are used to develop an individual education plan for the student.30
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Wimberley, Alan. An Analysis of Performance Differences Between Self-Directed and Teacher-Directed Alternative Education Campuses in Texas, dissertation, May 2010; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc30430/m1/36/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .