Peer Tutoring: A Key to Inclusive Education Success

Rebecca Brooks: Peer tutoring involves a peer providing support, often one-on-one, to another student. In my role, I utilized peers to accompany students with disabilities to their general education classrooms, offering a variety of support based on the student’s needs. This could include modeling, reminders of tasks or activities, re-explaining instructions, and supporting classroom activities. The peer received instruction, guidance, and training from both myself, as the special education teacher, and the general education teacher.

Tim Villegas: Hello, I’m Tim Villegas. This is Think Inclusive, and that was Rebecca Brooks. I’m an associate professor in the School of Education at California State University, San Marcos, and the program director for CSUSM’s Aspiring Scholars Program. Today, we’re discussing peer tutoring as a support for implementing inclusive practices. We’re glad you’re here, listening or watching.

Think Inclusive is MCIE’s podcast that brings you conversations with people working on inclusion in the real world. Our guest today, Rebecca Brooks, brings a wealth of experience from her years as a special education teacher, where she implemented peer tutoring systems to ensure students with disabilities had access to general education classrooms and inclusive schools.

In this episode, Rebecca shares her insights on peer tutoring, how it differs from peer buddy programs, and the benefits it offers to both students with disabilities and peer tutors. We’ll discuss the selection process for peer tutors, the training and support they receive, and the impact of peer tutoring on academic and social outcomes. Rebecca also addresses common questions and concerns, such as ethical considerations and how peer tutoring can be documented in the IEP. Plus, she shares success stories that highlight the positive changes peer tutoring can bring to a school community.

Before we get into our conversation with Rebecca, I want to tell you about our sponsor for this season, IXL. IXL is a fantastic all-in-one platform designed for K-12 education. It helps boost student achievement, empowers teachers, and tracks progress seamlessly. Imagine having a tool that simplifies what usually requires dozens of different resources. That’s IXL. As students practice, IXL adapts to their individual needs, ensuring they’re both supported and challenged. Each learner receives a personalized learning plan to effectively address any knowledge gaps. Interested in learning more? Visit ixl.com/inclusive.

After a short break, my conversation with Rebecca Brooks. Catch you on the other side.

Rebecca Brooks: Thank you for having me. I’m very excited to be here.

Tim Villegas: Rebecca, we’ve been trying to get together and talk about peer tutoring for a while. I think I was introduced to you at the Club 21 conference, right?

Rebecca Brooks: Yes, good memory.

Tim Villegas: You were a speaker, and my good friend Joy Domingo, who is with Club 21, said, “You have to meet Rebecca. She’s doing awesome things.” So I reached out to talk about peer tutoring because it’s not a topic we’ve covered on the podcast before. It sometimes gets confused with peer buddy programs or friendship programs. Could you start by telling us your role and background?

Rebecca Brooks: Sure. I’m an associate professor in the School of Education at California State University, San Marcos, and the program director for CSUSM’s Aspiring Scholars Program, an inclusive post-secondary education program. Before joining the university, I spent many years as a special education teacher, primarily in high school. I often created and implemented peer tutoring systems to support students’ inclusion in general education classrooms.

Tim Villegas: Great, thank you. For those unfamiliar with peer tutoring, how would you describe it?

Rebecca Brooks: Peer tutoring involves a peer providing one-on-one support to another student. In my role, peers accompanied students with disabilities to their general education classrooms, offering support based on the student’s needs. This could include modeling, reminders, re-explaining instructions, and supporting classroom activities. The peer received instruction and training from both the special education teacher and the general education teacher. Sometimes, a peer was assigned to a class rather than an individual student, providing support to multiple students as needed.

Tim Villegas: How are peers selected for this role, especially in a high school context?

Rebecca Brooks: Great question. I’ve seen different selection methods at various schools, but I’ll share my approach. We created a peer tutoring elective course, allowing students to enroll voluntarily. Students were also recommended by counselors or teachers. We didn’t have specific requirements like a minimum GPA or letters of recommendation, and the course was open to all grade levels. I found that all students had something to contribute and could be great peer tutors if they were interested.

Any student could enroll in the course. However, when it came to selecting peer tutors, we were selective in how we made the matches. Peer tutors completed a survey, so we learned about their grade level, courses they had taken, courses they loved, clubs, activities, sports, and interests. This information helped us match peer tutors with classes and students based on their strengths and experiences. For example, if a peer tutor had experience in drama and we had a student in a theater arts class, that would be a good match.

We worked hard to match peer tutors with the right classes and students, building on their strengths and experiences. We also allowed the course to be open to anyone, often having more peer tutors than students needing support. This was intentional, so if a peer tutor was absent, another student could step in. Additionally, some students’ strengths were not in providing one-on-one support but in other areas, such as creating accommodations and modifications for the curriculum. These students could support by using different programs and technology, creating visual curriculum, or adapting materials into braille.

Tim Villegas: Thank you. Another question that comes to mind is whether there are any ethical dilemmas with having peers in that support educator role. What you’re describing sounds a lot like what a paraprofessional would do.

Rebecca Brooks: That’s a great question and one that gets asked often. Peer tutors are always directly trained and supervised, either by me as the special education teacher or by the general education teacher in the classroom. They are always supported and instructed on how to provide support to students. Confidentiality is maintained, and no personal information is shared with peer tutors. The focus is on how they can support another student and help teach a concept.

Peer tutors are not in the role of a teacher but provide an extra layer of support by repeating or demonstrating what the teacher has taught. The full responsibility of teaching is never placed on peer tutors. They may help create or adapt curriculum, but this is done under supervision and collaboration with teachers. Peer tutors are always supported and supervised, similar to paraprofessionals, but with less independence and information about the students they support.

Tim Villegas: That makes sense. How is this support documented in an IEP?

Rebecca Brooks: It depends on the district and the IEP templates. Sometimes there is already a box for peer support as an accommodation, and we would check that. If it wasn’t an option, we would add it when listing the supports a student needed. Students often set goals for themselves, such as reducing adult support and increasing peer support. Some students wanted to become more independent and have less peer support over time. Our goal was always to fade support as much as possible, whether from peers or paraprofessionals, to help students become as independent as possible. The level of support varied depending on the class and the tasks involved.

Tim Villegas: Right, right. So, I’m imagining people wondering about the efficacy of peer tutoring. I know there’s a research base, but I get the impression that peer tutoring is underutilized in relation to the research behind it. Is that a fair assumption?

Rebecca Brooks: Yes, it is. I feel like it’s been underutilized for a very long time. I wrote an article many years ago titled “Peer Support and Inclusive Education: An Underutilized Resource.” I’m happy to say that I see more educators and school districts trying to implement or already implementing structured peer support systems, which is exciting. However, I still have conversations with schools that want more effective inclusive education opportunities but cite a lack of supports and resources as barriers. When we discuss using peers, many schools are open to it but haven’t started implementing it or don’t know how to. Peer support is a free resource that can greatly benefit students with disabilities and peer tutors alike.

Tim Villegas: I’d imagine those benefits are similar to those of inclusive education, such as improved graduation rates, employment, and quality of life for learners with disabilities. When I think about peer tutoring, I often see schools implementing peer buddy or friendship programs, where typically developing peers are paired with learners with disabilities for lunch or extracurricular activities. These programs are not necessarily bad, but they don’t sound the same as peer tutoring. Is there a common misconception or confusion between the two?

Rebecca Brooks: Sometimes, yes. In my experience, schools that use peer buddy systems often don’t have students with disabilities in general education classes for core academic learning. The opportunities for peer support aren’t there because the students aren’t in those classes. When students are in general education classrooms throughout the day, I see more use of peers or paraprofessionals who are stretched thin. Natural supports in classrooms are great, but if a student needs one-on-one support and there isn’t enough staff, peer tutors can step in. It’s a huge difference when a student is supported by a peer rather than an adult. Peer tutors can help students participate and get the most out of their educational experiences.

Tim Villegas: What I’m hearing is that peer tutoring should be discussed in the context of learners being included. For systems and districts to entertain this idea, it’s part of a larger goal of systems change. This may sound great to some school leaders, but it’s just one piece of transforming a system to be more inclusive. In the schools you’ve worked with or observed, is there a larger goal of supporting learners with complex needs in general education classrooms?

Rebecca Brooks: Absolutely. You need to create an inclusive culture and address scheduling. I work closely with counselors on scheduling, ensuring students pick classes aligned with their IEP goals. Peer tutor support is one piece of making that happen. You can create a great schedule and get students in classes, but if they need more support and it’s not available, they may not have the experience we hoped for.

Rebecca Brooks: We always think about the triangle of supports, which includes three pieces: access to the curriculum, assistive technology to enhance participation, and personal supports. Personal supports can be educators and paraprofessionals, but we also consider peer tutors as part of this support system. Successful students often have all three pieces of the triangle in place, and peer tutoring is one part of that big picture to ensure they can participate as much as possible.

Tim Villegas: Are there any potential downsides or cautionary tales about implementing peer tutoring?

Rebecca Brooks: The main potential downside is if there isn’t a structured system where peers receive the training and support they need. We want both the student with the disability and the peer tutor to be successful.

Tim Villegas: Do you have any stories of successful implementation of peer tutoring and its impact on learners?

Rebecca Brooks: In my experience, I had a caseload of 12 to 16 students, and with a six-period school day, it was impossible for me and the paraprofessionals to support all the students in all their classes. Having a peer tutor elective course, with 100 to 120 peer tutors, allowed every student to have a different peer tutor each period. This had a huge impact on their educational experience, enabling them to attend and succeed in more classes. Peer tutors provided that extra set of hands, helping students give presentations, participate in lab activities, and more.

Academically, peer tutors also benefited. They learned by re-explaining concepts to students, sometimes learning more as a peer tutor than when they took the class themselves. Socially, many natural friendships developed, and I’ve seen peer tutors remain friends with the students they supported for years. The inclusive culture we created on campus was strengthened by these relationships.

The impact on peer tutors was significant as well. Many went on to pursue careers in education, speech-language pathology, or related fields. They also gained academic knowledge and social skills, learning about learning differences and disabilities. Highlighting these benefits is important when developing peer tutor elective courses, as it shows the positive impact on both students with disabilities and peer tutors.

Rebecca Brooks: We always think about the triangle of supports, which includes three pieces: access to the curriculum, assistive technology to enhance participation, and personal supports. Personal supports can be educators and paraprofessionals, but we also consider peer tutors as part of this support system. Successful students often have all three pieces of the triangle in place, and peer tutoring is one part of that big picture to ensure they can participate as much as possible.

Tim Villegas: Are there any potential downsides or cautionary tales about implementing peer tutoring?

Rebecca Brooks: The main potential downside is if there isn’t a structured system where peers receive the training and support they need. We want both the student with the disability and the peer tutor to be successful.

Tim Villegas: Do you have any stories of successful implementation of peer tutoring and its impact on learners?

Rebecca Brooks: In my experience, I had a caseload of 12 to 16 students, and with a six-period school day, it was impossible for me and the paraprofessionals to support all the students in all their classes. Having a peer tutor elective course, with 100 to 120 peer tutors, allowed every student to have a different peer tutor each period. This had a huge impact on their educational experience, enabling them to attend and succeed in more classes. Peer tutors provided that extra set of hands, helping students give presentations, participate in lab activities, and more.

Academically, peer tutors also benefited. They learned by re-explaining concepts to students, sometimes learning more as a peer tutor than when they took the class themselves. Socially, many natural friendships developed, and I’ve seen peer tutors remain friends with the students they supported for years. The inclusive culture we created on campus was strengthened by these relationships.

The impact on peer tutors was significant as well. Many went on to pursue careers in education, speech-language pathology, or related fields. They also gained academic knowledge and social skills, learning about learning differences and disabilities. Highlighting these benefits is important when developing peer tutor elective courses, as it shows the positive impact on both students with disabilities and peer tutors.

Tim Villegas: Right, right. So, I’m imagining people wondering about the efficacy of peer tutoring. I know there’s a research base, but I get the impression that peer tutoring is underutilized in relation to the research behind it. Is that a fair assumption?

Rebecca Brooks: Yes, it is. I feel like it’s been underutilized for a very long time. I wrote an article many years ago titled “Peer Support and Inclusive Education: An Underutilized Resource.” I’m happy to say that I see more educators and school districts trying to implement or already implementing structured peer support systems, which is exciting. However, I still have conversations with schools that want more effective inclusive education opportunities but cite a lack of supports and resources as barriers. When we discuss using peers, many schools are open to it but haven’t started implementing it or don’t know how to. Peer support is a free resource that can greatly benefit students with disabilities and peer tutors alike.

Tim Villegas: I’d imagine those benefits are similar to those of inclusive education, such as improved graduation rates, employment, and quality of life for learners with disabilities. When I think about peer tutoring, I often see schools implementing peer buddy or friendship programs, where typically developing peers are paired with learners with disabilities for lunch or extracurricular activities. These programs are not necessarily bad, but they don’t sound the same as peer tutoring. Is there a common misconception or confusion between the two?

Rebecca Brooks: Sometimes, yes. In my experience, schools that use peer buddy systems often don’t have students with disabilities in general education classes for core academic learning. The opportunities for peer support aren’t there because the students aren’t in those classes. When students are in general education classrooms throughout the day, I see more use of peers or paraprofessionals who are stretched thin. Natural supports in classrooms are great, but if a student needs one-on-one support and there isn’t enough staff, peer tutors can step in. It’s a huge difference when a student is supported by a peer rather than an adult. Peer tutors can help students participate and get the most out of their educational experiences.

Tim Villegas: What I’m hearing is that peer tutoring should be discussed in the context of learners being included. For systems and districts to entertain this idea, it’s part of a larger goal of systems change. This may sound great to some school leaders, but it’s just one piece of transforming a system to be more inclusive. In the schools you’ve worked with or observed, is there a larger goal of supporting learners with complex needs in general education classrooms?

Rebecca Brooks: Absolutely. You need to create an inclusive culture and address scheduling. I work closely with counselors on scheduling, ensuring students pick classes aligned with their IEP goals. Peer tutor support is one piece of making that happen. You can create a great schedule and get students in classes, but if they need more support and it’s not available, they may not have the experience we hoped for.

Tim Villegas: Are there any considerations in how we prepare the peers, especially regarding the helper-helped relationship? How does that relationship grow throughout the school year?

Rebecca Brooks: When we train peer tutors, we emphasize how to be an effective peer tutor. We highlight that they are not the teacher and are working with someone their age. We discuss how they would want to be treated and talked to, ensuring they don’t feel above the person they’re helping. This understanding is crucial for effective peer tutoring. Some students do this naturally, but we do activities to help them realize how to support others in a respectful and helpful way.

Tim Villegas: That makes sense. The word “tutor” is interesting and appropriate because kids tutor each other all the time. It’s a natural concept, and friendships may grow organically or not, which is fine. Peer buddy programs often focus on creating friendships, which can feel forced.

Rebecca Brooks: Exactly. Some relationships naturally develop into friendships, which is wonderful. Others may remain acquaintances, and that’s okay. Peer tutoring provides natural opportunities to meet people, just like any other tutoring situation. It’s about creating opportunities for interaction and support.

Tim Villegas: If someone wants to implement a structured peer tutoring program at their school or district, what resources are available?

Rebecca Brooks: Connecting with other schools that are implementing programs is very useful. There are different ways to structure peer tutoring to meet the needs of a school. Observing how other schools implement it can provide valuable ideas. Networking within your district to see if anyone is already implementing it can also help. I’m happy to share resources and specifics with anyone interested in implementing a program.

Tim Villegas: What’s the best way for people to contact you?

Rebecca Brooks: Email is the best way to reach me.

Tim Villegas: Great. I’ll include your email in the show notes. If anyone listening has a similar program, please reach out to me, and I can share that information as well. This is a wonderful way to layer on support.

Tim Villegas: In an inclusive school system, peer tutoring isn’t utilized as much as it should be, despite the research behind it. It’s something we should be doing more often. Thank you again for being on our podcast and discussing this. Is there anything else you want to share with educators that they could take away from this conversation?

Rebecca Brooks: Personally, I feel I was able to be a more effective teacher and ensure students had the opportunities they deserved by having this extra layer of support available. I highly encourage others to consider how they might utilize peers on their campus. One thing I want to mention is that when we selected peer tutors, it was open to anyone, including students with disabilities. Everyone has something to give.

I’ll share one success story. I had a peer tutor with a reading disability who was excited to be a peer tutor. We matched him with a student learning to read using picture supports and sight words. His mom shared that his self-esteem and motivation improved significantly because he was teaching someone to read. This experience helped him improve his own reading skills. I believe everyone can be a good peer tutor.

Tim Villegas: That’s a great example. Thank you for sharing. It’s powerful to see a learner support another with a challenge they also face. Before I let you go, I have a segment called the Mystery Question. I have a stack of prompt cards, and we’ll both answer the question.

Rebecca Brooks: Okay.

Tim Villegas: The question is: What words, if any, do you always struggle to spell correctly?

Rebecca Brooks: Conscientious.

Tim Villegas: Conscientious, oh gosh, I don’t think I can spell that right now. For me, it’s restaurant. I cannot, for the life of me, spell restaurant. I’m not a good speller, and spell check has always been my friend. I use Grammarly for grammar help, which is humbling as a communications director, but it frees me up to communicate effectively. I also use voice text a lot. Do you use that?

Rebecca Brooks: Yes.

Tim Villegas: Voice text errors can be funny and troubling.

Rebecca Brooks: Yes.

Tim Villegas: Rebecca Brooks, thank you so much for being on the Think Inclusive Podcast. We really appreciate it.

Rebecca Brooks: It was my pleasure.

Tim Villegas: That’s it for this episode of Think Inclusive. Time for the credits. Think Inclusive is written, edited, designed, mixed, and mastered by me, Tim Villegas, and is a production of the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. Original music by Miles Reich. Additional music by Melody. Thank you to our sponsor, IXL. Learn more at ixl.com/inclusive. We appreciate each and every one of you that listens, and we’d love to hear how you are using these episodes. Are you using them for a class you teach, or are you sending them to school administrators? Are you sharing them with your family or friends and colleagues? Let us know. You can always reach out to me at tvillegas@mcie.org. If you are still listening this far into the episode, it probably means that you love Think Inclusive and the work MCIE is doing. Can I please ask you a favor? Help us keep it going by donating at our website, mcie.org. There is a button at the top of our website. Click that and chip in $5, $10, $15, $20, $100. It would mean a lot to us and the children in the schools and districts we partner with. Thank you in advance for your donation and support. Thanks for your time and attention, and remember, inclusion always works.

Download the complete and unedited transcript here.