It’s not unusual for the student that comes
to Abbott House to be average or even above average
in ability but she functions well below her potential
because of the stresses of her family life and/or her
unproductive behaviors. Learning problems, low self-esteem
and interrupted educational backgrounds further compromise
the student’s ability to succeed in school. For
all of these reasons, the educational part of the Abbott
House program is considered essential to the total treatment
process.
Our academic approach is to provide a special education
school that meets all the standards for students with
special needs because of emotional or behavioral adjustment
problems. After thorough assessment, each student who
attends the Abbott House School is placed on her own
Individual Education Plan. The assessments used include;
achievement testing, classroom observations, psychological
testing, personal interviews, and a past history analysis.
A team consisting of the parents, the student, or residential
staff, social workers, and our teachers review the assessment
information to create a plan that addresses the student’s
specific needs. The framework for the school affords
some students the opportunity to make-up credits toward
graduation and perhaps graduate with their age mates
even though they had fallen far behind.
Most of our students are integrated into some classes
at the Mitchell School system before they leave Abbott
House. Girls that achieve all their credits for graduation
at Abbott House will receive their diploma from Mitchell
High School.
If the student is unlikely to graduate from high school
with a traditional diploma, the Abbott House School
will provide assistance for achieving a GED by providing
directed study. Testing is available in the community.
The classroom environment is one that consists of 12
students with a teacher and aides to help provide individual
attention. Individualized attention is taken very serious
in the Abbott House School and students frequently work
one-on-one with teachers and aides. Our teachers have
either special education endorsements or they are credentialed
as classroom teachers. In addition, the school year
at Abbott House is 250 days each year. This provides
ample opportunities to accelerate the student’s
academic placement or to really address the achievement
deficits that have caused them problems throughout their
life.
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