Program Pathways
Elevate your journey in Montessori Secondary education
CMStep’s Low-Residency pathway combines online coursework with short in-person intensives, making it possible to earn your AMS Secondary I-II Credential from wherever you are. For those seeking a fully in-person experience, our High-Residency option may be available and is ideal for educators who prefer an immersive, onsite format.
Application Deadlines
Low-Residency Cohort 6, Section 1 (Cincinnati, Ohio): June 6th, 2025
Online coursework begins June 8th, 2025, with in-person coursework starting in Summer 2026.
View the CMStep Cohort Pacing Guide for upcoming coursework dates
High-Residency
In-Person Coursework
- In-Person Summer Coursework: 8 weeks total, spread over 2 summers (5 weeks in Summer 1, 3 weeks in Summer 2)
- Fall Intensive: 3 days
Online Coursework
- The Overview Course: A required, self-paced online course to be completed before the credential is awarded
- Winter Intensive: 5 days
- Mindfulness Minimester: A 2-week online course held in November – December
- Practicum Zooms: Monthly virtual sessions during the practicum year following Summer 1. 2 sessions are mandatory
Prerequisites
- The Overview Course: This required, self-paced course introduces Montessori philosophy and Elementary-level practices. It must be completed before your credential is awarded (unless you already hold an EL Montessori credential). This course is available with rolling enrollment from January 1 – December 31. You’ll have access from your start date until December 31 of the same year to complete it.
- Pretraining Readings: Required for all cohorts and assigned prior to Summer 1. These readings provide foundational context for the academic coursework.
Application Deadline: Spring 2026
Applications for High-Residency Cohort 19 will open in Fall 2025
Training Begins: Summer 2026
Training begins in Summer 2026, with in-person summer coursework in 2026 & 2027.
Low-Residency
In-Person Coursework
- In-Person Summer Coursework: 16 days, spread over 2 summers (11 days in Summer 1, 5 days in Summer 2)
- Fall Intensive: 3 days
Online Coursework
- Minimesters: Regular online coursework organized into nine four-week sessions (25 hours each)
- Summer Coursework: Virtual, synchronous sessions spread over two summers (2 days after in-person Summer 1 and 2 days after in-person Summer 2)
- Mindfulness Minimester: A 2-week online course held in November – December
- Practicum Zooms: Semi-weekly virtual sessions during the practicum year following Summer 1
- The Overview Course: A required, self-paced online course to be completed before credential is awarded
- Introduction to Secondary Montessori: Required before beginning Minimester I (Low-Residency only)
Prerequisites
Before certain parts of the program begin, the following items must be completed:
- Introduction to Secondary Montessori: Required before starting Minimester I (Low-Residency only). This six-week, paced online course introduces Montessori philosophy, adolescent development, and the structure of secondary classrooms.
- Pretraining Readings: Required for all cohorts and assigned prior to Minimester I. These readings provide foundational context for the academic coursework.
- The Overview Course: This required, self-paced course introduces Montessori philosophy and Elementary-level practices. It must be completed before your credential is awarded (unless you already hold an EL Montessori credential). This course is available with rolling enrollment from January 1 – December 31. You’ll have access from your start date until December 31 of the same year to complete it.
Application Deadline: June 6, 2025
Please email after the deadline to see if space is still available.
Training Begins: June 8, 2025
Training begins with the Introduction to Secondary Montessori course, beginning June 8, 2025. If you’ve already completed this course, please be sure to indicate that on your application.
Formal academic coursework begins with Minimester I in Fall 2025.
In-person training sessions will take place in Summer 2026, Fall 2026, and Summer 2027.
Not sure yet?
Our prerequisite courses are also available as stand-alone professional development. Click here to learn more or to register for these individual courses. And don’t worry—if you take one now and later decide to enroll in the Secondary I-II Credential Program, the cost of these courses will be credited toward your total CMStep tuition.
It was paced well, it was organized beautifully, it spiraled and we kept getting deeper and deeper in our understanding of what Montessori looked like at the secondary level. I thought the variety in the guides was phenomenal too - backgrounds, experiences, subject areas, expertise - we had so many opportunities to learn from people 'in the field'.
~ Amy Norton, Low-Residency Cohort 2
