Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) provides effective behavior management in many schools, yet such systematic approaches to behavior management are generally not implemented aboard school buses. This article describes guidance for the expansion of PBIS onto school buses. Research supporting the use of PBIS in school and…

Norwood Elementary, a Title I science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) school in Baltimore County, MD, recently realized that traditional behavior management programs and processes were not working with their students. Over time, school administrators discovered more successful approaches, and restorative practices became the way to…

Since transportation expenses constitute 7% to 10% of a typical school budget, it is not surprising that transportation departments have been under a microscope lately. Everyone on the district's decision-making team, from the school board and school superintendent to the managers who oversee each component of the transportation department, is…

Many school districts in North America have adopted policies to permit cameras on their properties and, when needed, on buses used to transport students. With regard to school buses, the camera is typically a tool for gathering information to monitor behavior or to help investigate a complaint about behavior. If a picture is worth a thousand…

Outlines common-sense tips for disciplining student bus riders that are recommended by several driver-training programs. Themes include the following: (1) Set a few clear rules for proper bus behavior; (2) be positive; and (3) establish amiable communication with the children and with the principal as well. (CJH)

In 1977, a school transportation director developed a policy giving school bus drivers authority to discipline unruly student behavior via a system of graduated warnings and suspension of riding privileges. Most parents have been supportive and expect their kids to behave on the bus. In the interest of safety, school administrators should support…

This report of a Colorado school district's program for student management on school buses includes descriptions of discipline procedures and the "Safe Ridership" program which is offered at the elementary and junior high levels and which of instructs students on ridership rules and regulations. Also included are copies of the relevant…

Across the U.S., more than 24 million students begin and end their school days on buses. In most cases, the driver is the only adult on board. To transport students safely, the driver must watch the road, not the riders, during most of the trip. Although bus drivers have mirrors and usually see fights, they can easily miss pushing, shoving, and…

The president of the National Safety Council suggests ways that parents can promote school bus safety, with emphasis on preventing accidents outside the bus. Parents can explain safety rules to their children and work with their parent teacher associations and school administrators to plan and enforce safety regulations. (PP)

Presents a program that one school developed to address extortion and fighting on school buses. Fourth- and fifth-grade students were encouraged to become "flight attendants" on the buses. This enhanced students' sense of pride, responsibility, and interest in others, creating a safer atmosphere more conducive to learning and career…