In this episode, Dr. Jess Laine dives into the academic achievement findings from her dissertation research. Using STAAR assessment data from Dallas ISD middle schools, she compares Montessori and traditional students to determine whether discovery-based learning leads to stronger academic outcomes.

The results show that Montessori students were more likely to meet grade-level expectations, but the story doesn’t end there. The instructional method alone wasn’t the only factor influencing achievement. School culture, teacher effectiveness, and broader support systems also played critical roles.

This episode unpacks the nuance behind the numbers and explores what the findings mean for teachers, administrators, and families who want to make informed decisions about student success.

In this episode, Dr. Jess Laine unpacks the engagement data from her dissertation study comparing Montessori and traditional middle schools in Dallas ISD. What does “student engagement” really mean? How was it measured? And did Montessori classrooms actually lead to higher engagement?

Spoiler: instructional method alone didn’t tell the whole story.

This episode explores why engagement is more than participation—it's about belonging, motivation, and connection. Dr. Jess reveals what the data said, what it didn’t, and why school culture and teacher relationships matter just as much as curriculum design.

In this bonus episode, Dr. Jess Laine shares the pivotal moment when she walked away from the traditional classroom without a safety net and stepped fully into the uncertainty of studio teaching. After years of burnout and feeling misaligned within the system, she made the courageous decision to resign without a guaranteed plan, trusting that there was something better ahead.

From piecing together tutoring jobs and online teaching to freelancing on Broadway tours and national productions, this episode explores the emotional reality of trading stability for possibility. It’s a story about risk, resilience, and rediscovering joy in education. If you’ve ever felt the pull toward something different but feared the unknown, this episode is for you.