Peer Buddy Programs for Successful Secondary School Inclusion

When secondary schools are committed to inclusion, everybody wins—schools make progress toward IDEA and NCLB requirements, and students with and without disabilities enjoy higher academic achievement and new friendships. A good peer buddy program can play an invaluable role in making inclusion happen, and this guidebook shows educators exactly why and how.

Carolyn Hughes and Erik Carter, highly respected experts well-known for their work with peer buddy programs, give schools all the step-by-step guidance they need to get a program started and keep it going. Educators will discover how to

• establish a peer buddy program and spark student interest
• clarify the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved: teachers, counselors, administrators, parents, and students
• create successful peer-buddy matches using students' strengths, needs, and common interests
• develop smooth procedures for day-to-day program implementation
• guide peer buddies in providing appropriate, effective academic support
• promote inclusion in social arenas such as school clubs and the lunchroom
• assess and expand the program, incorporating participant feedback

To help with every phase of program implementation, readers will also get a wealth of practical, research-based materials: extensive case examples, program checklists, suggested classroom adaptations, sample forms such as peer buddy applications and evaluation tools, and learning activities school staff can use to brainstorm and solve problems.

With the proven program model in this one-of-a-kind guide, educators will transform secondary schools into caring and compassionate communities where all students help each other learn.

Carolyn Hughes, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and Project Director of the federally funded Metropolitan Nashville Peer Buddy Program. In 1990, she received her doctoral degree in special education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, specializing in the areas of secondary transition and employment and self-management strategies. At Vanderbilt University, Dr. Hughes teaches courses in behavior management and the transition from school to adult life and manages several federally funded research and personnel preparation grants. She conducts research and publishes widely in the areas of self-instruction and self-determination, supporting the transition from school to adult life, and social interaction and social inclusion of high school students. Dr. Hughes is a coauthor of Teaching Self-Determination to Students with Disabilities: Basic Skills for Successful Transition (Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 1998) and is on the editorial board of the American Journal on Mental Retardation, Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Journal of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, Journal of Behavioral Education, and Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. In addition, Dr. Hughes taught general and special education classes in public schools in Montana for 10 years.

Erik Carter, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department Special Education at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. His research and teaching focuses on evidence-based strategies for supporting access to the general curriculum and promoting valued roles in school, work, and community settings for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to receiving his doctorate, he worked as a high school teacher and transition specialist with youth with significant disabilities. He has published widely in the areas of educational and transition services for children and youth with significant disabilities. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Early Career Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children and the Early Career Award from the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. His research interests include adolescent transitions from school to adult life; peer relationships and peer support interventions; students with severe disabilities, access to the general curriculum; and religion, congregational supports, and disabilities.