Effects of classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) on the academic performance of 14 mildly handicapped and 36 nondisabled students enrolled in three 10th-grade social studies classrooms were examined. Effects were analyzed using a multiple baseline design across settings with a withdrawal of treatment in two classrooms. Analysis of results indicated that the implementation of CWPT produced an average increase of 21 points on weekly tests. With CWPT 60% of all students earned “A” grades, failing grades were virtually eliminated, and no mildly handicapped students received grades below “C”. Anecdotal student and teacher comments were positive. Implications for secondary, mainstreamed students and teachers were discussed.

Teaching is more difficult today than in the past, and most educators predict that it will become even more challenging in years to come. Exponential increases within the school curriculum, spectacular changes in student demographic characteristics, and dwindling instructional resources make it extremely difficult for even the most responsive teachers to provide a high-quality education for all pupils. These challenges become more formidable when teachers attempt to meet the needs of students with mild disabilities in less restrictive settings (e.g., general education classrooms). In this article, we describe how a variety of peer-mediated instruction and interventions might assist classroom teachers in meeting such instructional challenges. We describe the extensive academic and behavioral needs of this population of students, provide an illustrative review of peer-teaching methods, and suggest future directions for research and practice. EDUCATIONAL AND INTERPERSONAL DIFFICULTIES HE EDUCATIONAL AND INTERPERSONAL DIFFICULTIESthat students with mild disabilities (i.e., communication dis-

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Most students with special learning needs spend a good proportian of their time in school in general education classrooms. There is ample reason to suspect, however, that many general educators are not prepared adequately to meet their extensive instructional needs. This evidence becomes even more compelling when one considers the initial preparation of beginning teachers. In this study, we attempted to improve the instructional performance of three dyads ofpreservice teachers who were tutoring students with special learning needs through the use of reciprocal peer coaching procedures. Following systematic training as peer coaches, preservice general educators increased the frequency with which they engaged in relevant coaching interactions and improved the accuracy with which they implemented an innovative instructional strategy (i.e., Peabody Peer Assisted Learning Strategy) (PALS). More importantly, all three tutees demonstrated noticeable improvements in their daily reading comprehension as a function of increases in the accuracy with which tutors' used PALS procedures. Study results are examined in light of the contributions they make to the peer coaching and teacher preparation literatures.