michigan school-justice partnership midland county health and human services council april 23, 2014

Michigan School-Justice Partnership

Midland County Health and Human Services Council

April 23, 2014


What is the “Michigan School-Justice Partnership”?

A Statewide initiative bringing leaders from Michigan’s 83 counties together to develop strategies for keeping children in school and out of court and subsequent incarceration.


• 49% of the 8,800 people sentenced to prison in Michigan in 2012 did not have a GED or high school diploma

• 82% prisoners nationwide do not have a GED or high school diploma

• 72% of Michigan prisoners read at <3rd grade level• Michigan prison population increased 187% while

general population increase 10% (1985-2008)


• Michigan currently houses more than 400 juveniles under 18

• Cost is $37,500 per prisoner per year in Michigan

• Average of 4 years per prisoner ($150,000)• It is estimated that as many as 250,000 young

men and women in Michigan aged 16 – 24 are not enrolled in school, are not working, and do not have a GED or high school diploma.


• Dropout rates are often issues of school discipline, multiple suspensions, school truancy, lack of differential response to juvenile’s needs, and eventual disconnection with the educational process all together

• 95 percent of out-of-school suspensions were for nonviolent, minor problems like school dress code violations or disrespect

• Minority, mentally ill and disabled students are over represented in school suspension and discipline data

Michigan School-Justice Partnership• National School-Justice Partnerships meeting in New

York• Michigan Leadership Summit in September 2013– All 83 counties were represented– Leadership from State, Courts, Department of

Education– Numerous stakeholders sponsored – Presentations by national experts in truancy,

chronic absenteeism, delinquency and its related causes


Leadership– Maura D. Corrigan, Director of Michigan Department of

Human Services– Honorable Judge Dorene S. Allen, Chair of Michigan School-

Justice Partnership– Dr. Herman McCall, Acting Director for Juvenile Justice

Programs for the Michigan Department of Human Services– Terri Ticknor Gilbert, MSW, Oakland County Bar Association– Angela M. Cole, Director of Michigan School-Justice

Partnership– Richard Dolinski—The Legacy Center for Community

Success

Michigan School-Justice PartnershipSummit Outcomes– Vision: School. Justice. For All.– Statewide Strategic Objectives are• Increase overall graduation rates by 10%• Increase local graduation rates by 10%• Reduce juvenile arrest rates for truancy and school-

related misconduct by 5%

– Tactical Objectives• Reduce truancy rates by 5%• Reduce school expulsions by 10%• Reduce out-of-school suspensions by 10%


Moving forward– Web Site developed to share materials/resources ,

to promote collaboration, and to report “Best Practices” at www.school2prison.com

– County Teams formed to develop and implement action plans to achieve local objectives

– Review Board for feedback and guidance – Quarterly updates– Regional meetings


Midland County Team Members from HHSC– Judge Dorene S. Allen, Chair of School-Justice Partnership– Cliff Block, Chief, Midland Police Department– Dr. Katherine Dollard, Program Director, CMHCM– Gib Giblin, Connections/Care Pastor, Midland Evangelical Free

Church– Jennifer Heronema, President, The Legacy Center for Community

Success– Angelina Scarpelli, Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney– Charles Schwedler, Superintendent, Bullock Creek Public Schools– John Searles, Superintendent, Midland County ESA– Scott Stephenson, Sheriff, Midland County Sheriff’s Office


• 67 of 83 counties turned in plan or are in communications

• 3 counties opted out• 13 are non-responsive• Cross-section of state – at least two counties

have turned in plans from each of the Governor’s ten regions


Some weaknesses in the plans– Data/Policy collection and tracking– Setting measurable goals– Specific accountability– Asset building– Missing vital team members (Community mental

health, prosecutors, etc.)


Learnings from the plans– Education around Michigan Zero Tolerance laws – Truancy definition– Attendance tracking


Regional Meeting Planned– Share successes – Discuss barriers– Review and refine local action plans – Share “best practices”– Hear targeted speakers (data collection, mental

health, restorative practices, and community school models.)


• Regional Meeting Dates/Locations– Southeast Region—May 6 (Ann Arbor)–Northern Region—May 13 (Gaylord)–Central Region—May 21 (Frankenmuth)–Upper Peninsula Region—May 28

(Marquette)– Southwest Region—June 3 (Grand Rapids)

“Best Practices” ExampleReducing Expulsions• Data on Expulsions Gathered– Source: Michigan Center for Educational Performance and

Information (michigan.gov/cepi)– Summarized as “Expulsions per 1,000 students (eperks)

• “Heat Map” created to identify Benchmarks (lowest eperks)– Courtesy of D. J. Cole– Michigan Average is 1.93 eperks

Making Measurement Meaningful

Reducing Expulsions• Benchmark identified from “Heat Map” at Walled

Lake Consolidated School District– 0.13 WLCSD eperks– 1.93 Michigan average eperks—ranges up to 25.3

• Visited WLCSD to learn “Best Practices” that result in Benchmark performance

• Utilize Two Phase Approach– Phase I—Identification and Prevention of Student

Performance and Attendance Issues– Phase II—Treatment and Restoration of Student

Performance and Attendance Issues


Reducing Expulsions• Phase I—Identification and Prevention of Student

Performance and Attendance Issues– Student Instruction Planning Process (SIPS)

• Early identification of problem student behavior in weekly school level staff meeting

• Immediate intervention at multiple levels, as appropriate and necessary, to address identified problems– Student– Family– School – Community

• 98+ percent of problems resolved in this Phase


Reducing Expulsions• Phase II—Treatment and Restoration of Students with

more serious problems– Levels of Achievement and Transition in Education

(LATE) program• Alternate classroom• On-line self-paced learning with guidance from teacher

and paraprofessional• Scorecard developed/Points awarded for various pre-

determined/stipulated considerations such as – Punctuality– Cooperativeness with staff and other students– Academic achievement


Reducing Expulsions• Phase II– Supplemental community resources introduced as

required to address/counsel regarding related issues such as• Anger management• Substance use disorders

– Incentives established to motivate program completion for re-entry into regular school, e.g.,• Partial completion, based on achieving defined Point

levels, rewarded with right to practice with team



• Benefits of Reductions in Delinquency– Improved Business Climate– Increased Economic Development– Social Cost Avoidance• Property Loss• Personal Pain/Suffering• Adjudication/Incarceration• Substance Use Disorders

– Improved Quality of Life for all


What questions may we address?

michigan school-justice partnership midland county health and human services council april 23, 2014

Documents

michigan prisoners

high school diploma

human services council

statewide initiative

subsequent incarceration