Santana High School is located in Southern California where approximately
1,800 students attend. Diversity in the classrooms at this school
exists not so much in racial differences as it does in ability
levels as students receiving special education services in the
'moderate-severe handicapped' program are enrolled in general
education classes. All students with significant disabilities
attend classes according to their grade level, not according to
their disability and have at Santana High School for the past
decade.
This high school provides a variety of supports to students with disabilities. The most essential ispeer tutoring. Santana offers a peer tutoring course as an elective towards graduation credit. The course consists of students, grades 9-12, who are paired with and assist a student with a moderate to severe disabilities in general education courses. Peer tutors attend general education classes in which the student with a disability is enrolled with their sole responsibility being to support the student with the disability, both academically and socially.
In addition to the ongoing training and support provided by special educators, peer tutors participate in five formal trainings throughout the 18-week term. These trainings focus on information pertaining to inclusion, curriculum modification, support strategies, the use of people first language (e.g. person with a disability, not a disabled person), forms of communication, and a variety of learning disabilities. A major emphasis of training is on respect and empowering the student being supported, helping students learn to strive for social justice for people with disabilities and to celebrate human diversity.
The trainings encourage peer tutors to develop an understanding of people with disabilities which results in better support for students. There is a phenomenal response from the peer tutors during group discussions. They truly recognize that the students they are assisting are individuals just like them selves and their peers. Trainings are specifically designed to encourage and guide the peer tutors to independently formulate this sense of equality.
While the focus of the peer tutors course is to provide support to students with disabilities included in general education courses, there are also many other benefits that have evolved. The general school population experiences increased opportunities to be exposed to people with a variety of ability levels. General education students discover the commonality they share with people with disabilities. Peer tutors also increase their own knowledge of the subject matter as they provide tutoring. Friendships are developed, academics are effectively taught, and most importantly, individual needs are being met in a supportive, inclusive environment.
By Rebecca Bond and Liz Castagnera