ABACUS
ABACUS is a middle school program designed to address the individual needs of significantly disengaged students and their families. It is the mission of ABACUS to positively re-engage middle school students in school while building developmental assets that will support their ongoing success. The program adheres to a strength-based philosophy of educational inclusion, where the re-engagement process occurs in the least restrictive classroom environment. Educators, providers, and collaborative partners serve the youth in their natural classroom settings.
At the foundation, the ABACUS curriculum is based on the Indiana State Instructional Standards for each grade level. In addition, the curriculum incorporates developmental asset-building, character education, and cultural themes. Also unique to ABACUS is its emphasis on collaborative school-community partnerships. Indianapolis Public Schools partner with PASSWORD Community Mentoring, Strides to Success, VSA Arts of Indiana, and S.P.I.C.E. Challenge Education Program. These partnerships allow educational and community resources to be combined in an intentional and innovative manner to develop an effective and supportive learning environment that benefits disengaged youth at the middle school level.
