Peer 2 Peer ProgramsChanging Lives in Michigan

RCN Fall Leadership Day November 4, 2013

Demographics

• Population decline• Poverty• High Unemployment rate• Crime index 86% higher than Mi. avg.• Schools closing / Students relocated• Multiple administrative/leadership change• ALL STUDENTS ARE AT RISK

Saginaw Public Schools

• Arthur Hill High School • Saginaw High School • Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy

Overview:

• Foundation of Peer Programming• Peer Mentoring Program at SHS• General education classes • Student sharing of roles and experiences• Outcomes• Panel Discussion

Saginaw High School

• 750 students• Students with autism new to the school• 3rd year of Peer Education Program

Individuals with Disabilities Act (2004)

• Almost 30 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by--

• (A) having high expectations for such children and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum in the regular classroom, to the maximum extent possible, in order to--

• (i) meet developmental goals and, to the maximum extent possible, the challenging expectations that have been established for all children; and

• (ii) be prepared to lead productive and independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible;

Rigor RelationshipsRelevance

Erik Carter Research

Rigor

RelevanceRelationships

“You can observe a lot by watching.” Yogi Berra

What do you currently have going on in your building that brings peers together?

TA q

uest

ion?

Peer Education Program

• High School Elective • 4th and 6th hour – 45 students enrolled• Partnership between GE/SE• RTI approach

Struggling Freshman

• Transition to High School can be challenging

• SHS data showed that 9th grade group experienced higher rates of academic failure, disciplinary problems, and truancy than upper grades

• In 2009 SHS moved to a more inclusive model of including students with disabilities in General Education Classrooms, with a push in model for support as opposed to a pull out

Transition Trouble

• Failure was rampant for incoming freshmen

• End of the first term approximately 78% of the freshmen had failing grades in core classes

• Behavioral referrals increased and students were skipping classes

How to get Freshman better positioned for Graduation?

• Research documented the value of P2P support• Cross-age peer mentoring contributes to mutual benefit to both peer mentor and mentee

• Behavioral referrals are down and graduation rates up 75%

• 31% increase in freshmen core academic success with passing grades

• 9th graders are REQUESTING MENTORS

• Upper classmen are asking how they can become a MENTEE’s

2013 Data

A smooth transition…

LINKPeer Mentor

Peers

What’s the connection?• Evidence Based • Peers help share and shape the vision • Peers have greater social knowledge than

adults (hidden curriculum)• Peers don’t see roadblocks -

Possibilitarians

Meeting to Recruit

• Example Questions for Prospective LINKS• How well do you already know ______?• What interests you most about becoming a peer support?• What expectations do you have?• Why do you think it takes to be an effective peer support?• Are there aspects of the experience you are worried about?• What school and community activities are you involved in?• What experiences have you had that you feel would make you a good peer support?• What questions do you have about becoming a peer support?• What do you hope to gain from this experience?• Have you ever received support from your classmates? Describe the experience

Communication is KEY!

School year 2012/13 – Royce moves up to SHS

Background• 9th grade student with ASD• Limited exposure to General

Education Curriculum• Segregated classrooms lower

grades• Moved around multiple times to

different classrooms and teachers

General EducationWhat does it LOOK like?

Culture of the class:• Student Learning• Behavior• Sense of belonging all students

Differentiated Instruction

• Learning about the needs of the student(s)• How to support/what’s your role?• Role of the LINKS• Has it changed the culture of your class?

LINK Round TableSHS name for Case Conferences

• Weekly or Monthly Meetings

• Problem Solving Focus

• Never had a meeting without Royce

• Teaching Support Strategies in the Round Table that will Generalize to GE Environment

Using the Board…What’s working?

• Takes notes• Writing equations• Students want to work with

Royce• Runs at lunch• Independent at breakfast –

lunch - locker

Using the Board….

What is Challenging?

• Is leaving class early• Struggling in math• How to build more

social with after school activities

• Homecoming?

1st Round Table - TOP 5 questions LINKS asked…no prompting!

1 Tell me my role in class? Who does what?2 What does Royce do after school and on weekends.

How can we get him more involved?3 He needs a girlfriend – who’s going to work on that?4 What is he going to do for a job when he graduates?5 How is he suppose to be independent and a High

School student, if adults are always helping him in ways he does not need help?

LINKISMSIsm: a suffix added to the

end of a word to indicate that the word represents a

specific belief, practice, system, or philosophy. 

SHS PANEL