Educators
Administrator / Counselor:
Purpose/Explanation of Peer Tutoring - The purpose of
a peer tutoring credited elective class is for students without disabilities
to gain experience working with same aged peer students with severe cognitive
and physical disabilities in educational settings. Peer tutoring allows
for positive social interaction and social relationships to develop between
students with and without severe disabilities. (Click here
to learn more.)
Role of Administrator - The role of the administrator and/or counselor is to help the special education teacher get the peer tutoring program up and running in the school environment, regulate any grading issues that might occur, help regular education teachers learn about and implement the peer tutoring program, help recruit peer tutors, help with scheduling issues, and "sell" the peer tutoring program to anyone and everyone as a needed program for students with severe disabilities.
The administrators need to periodically meet with the special education teachers to discuss progress and struggles that might be occurring in the program. Sometimes administrators will need to help those regular education teachers who might be weary of this program discover that inclusive classrooms are the law and that students with severe disabilities have the right to be in regular education classes.
The counselors need to work with the special education teachers to get students with severe disabilities into appropriate inclusive classes, get the needed number of peer tutors for each class/block and not overload peer tutoring as a class for people who need fillers, help the special education teacher set up the requirements to be a peer tutor, and recommend students who would make good peer tutors.
Click on any of the links at left to learn more about the various roles of other imoprtant members of the Peer Tutoring team!
Important Note!
Another important point to consider is appropriate teacher credentialing for peer tutoring. Since peer tutors are regular education students earning academic credits for their peer tutoring course, the teacher of record for the Peer Tutoring Course must be a teacher with a regular education high school teaching certificate. If the special education teacher does have a teaching certificate in regular education at the high school level, then she/he can be the primary course instructor. If she/he does not have the certificate to teacher regular education at the high school level, then another teacher with this type of certificate must be designated as the primary course instructor for peer tutoring (as an example, this could be a Guidance Counselor). Within this arrangement, the special education teacher can be a collaborative or co-teacher for the Peer Tutoring Course. This meets the requirements of KDE for appropriate certification.
This, of course, will need to be consistent with the school’s reporting
to KDE regarding teaching assignments and cross -referenced with any other
school or district reports of persons being properly certified for their
prescribed duties
Roles and Responsibilities
Role of the Student with a Disability
Role of the Special Education Teacher
Role of the Regular Education Teacher
Role of Administrator/ Counselor