By Daniel McIntyre, Director, Bureau of Reentry Coordination
When Deputy Secretary for Reentry Kelly Evans visited SCI Pine Grove in early May, she had the opportunity to meet with Principal Allan Berkhimer and Superintendent Lee Estock. Evans listened to Berkhimer's ideas and learned about changes that have been implemented in the education department. She contacted me on her way home and asked me to visit SCI Pine Grove and see for myself the positive impact that these changes have had on student accountability.
I went to Pine Grove and meet with Berkhimer the following week and saw firsthand how the changes improved the program for students and teachers alike. When Mr. Berkhimer started at Pine Grove in January 2021, he initiated this process by first speaking with education department staff, then proceeded to the blocks to meet with block staff and students to gain each stakeholder's perspective on the existing cell study processes.
A clearly-structured process for collection and distribution of cell study materials, an increase in communication, and personal interaction and accountability were concerns common to all stakeholders. Analysis of all report cards reflected numerous students who earned zeroes for the entire semester. Team meetings with students who were behind or refusing their cell study materials also yielded similar answers—that many were interested in their education but reported feelings of being overwhelmed by the pace and volume of the current cell study process. Berkhimer said "there just seemed to be a disconnect with the packets, and the collective data clearly supported the need for uniform change."
Pine Grove has a younger inmate population and the largest population of any SCI that requires Special Education support. Berkhimer came from 21 years of public education and saw the need to address the lack of personal interaction between the students and the educators, much of which was brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"If we had students that didn't show up for school and didn't turn in their homework for a couple of months, we would be reaching out to them to see what the problem was," he said.
This is exactly what started to occur throughout the education department—a sort of revitalization of accountability.
This accountability came in the form of a three-step process that was simple, yet effective. These steps are:
- Step One called for uniformity of how study materials were distributed and returned. This was communicated throughout the institution and it normalized the process. If students were not turning in their work, the teachers met with them one-on-one, usually on their block, to discuss their concerns. This is especially beneficial for students with special needs, and it had an immediate, positive impact. With direct input from all stakeholders, Berkhimer said "the teachers would only give the students one or two assignments at a time in order to find each student's sweet spot for in-cell learning, where they were being challenged but not overwhelmed by using positive reinforcement for positive behavior."
- Step Two continued with the team approach: if the work was still not being done and the student had fallen behind, the "team" would meet with that student and discuss their concerns. These teams are made up of the teacher (regular education and special education, who are being crossed trained to help recognize their respective roles in an IEP), the education counselor and the principal. All report cards will continue to be analyzed by the principal and school counselor for any discrepancies or areas of concern. Having this team approach allowed for a common understanding of special education expectations and also looked at individual student barriers to education.
- Step Three worked with attendance tracking and further accountability. Each step is addressed through personal interaction and will result in progressive consequences if the student continues to produce inconsistent work. All work (attendance) is distributed and collected on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday rotation. This facilitates immediate feedback and open dialogue between the student and teacher and even allows for increased workloads for students who exhibit the ability and interest to do so.
The changes and hard work are paying off. With 110 students and 325 classes, SCI Pine Grove has realized a reduction in missed school work, going from 37 students with step one infractions to 12 in step two and only two having a step three intervention with a team that has all of the step two members as well as the Unit Manager, Unit Counselor, I/M Employment and the Unit Psych Staff. The new team meetings have increased communication and connections amongst staff and is paying dividends. Berkhimer credits a skilled teaching staff "who are staying updated and informed on best practices where personal interaction is encouraged and this administration has been very supportive through all of our changes and requests."
Superintendent Estock is excited about the changes and what Berkhimer is doing within education as was Deputy Secretary Evans. Regional Director Michele Jennings, who also met with Deputy John Cree and us, has also been very supportive, as is (of course) Education Chief Terri Fazio.
These practices and others that have been implemented at SCI Pine Grove are being reviewed by the Fazio and her staff for possible implementation at other SCI's, especially those SCI's that have Special Education inmates.