With the current shortage of school bus drivers in many states, access to education is at risk for the many students who get to and from school by bus. Despite the critical role drivers play, little is known about why they stay in their jobs, and what can be done to keep them. To learn more about school bus driver retention, 301 drivers in 32…

While the yellow school bus is emblematic of American education, there is variation in bus service across the country. Millions of students rely on the bus, making transportation an essential part of a student's educational experience. Thus, equity in transportation access is a key component of educational equity. Using national district-level…

The goals of this study were to determine whether children who took the bus to school on a regular basis felt safest during the commute to school, in school, or on the commute home from school, and to identify the factors that correlate with fear of being bullied on the bus. A sample of 610 students (296 boys, 313 girls; mean age = 11.25 years, SD…

Taking the school bus has long been an integral part of the school experience in the U.S. However, not much is known about how school transportation relates to getting to school each day, particularly for students with disabilities. This study used ECLS-K: 2011 to explore two issues. First, we examined what characteristics are associated with…

Purpose: This study explores student sensemaking based on the creation and interpretation of sound on a public school bus, operating as a result of a desegregation settlement. To understand these multimodal literacy practices, the authors examined students' journeys, sonically as passengers in mobile and adult-constructed space.…

This study examines how the student transportation options available to families affect which schools are accessible to them in a choice-based setting. The study has two parts. First, we compare commute times by foot, public transit, school bus, and car. We show that providing school bus service reduces commute times and improves access for…

Although research suggests that student misconduct on school buses is pervasive, little is known about the strategies drivers use to promote safe buses. We consulted with more than 40 professionals from the transportation community to create a behavioral management strategy taxonomy for buses. We also analyzed results from a nationally…

In Philadelphia, if a student chooses not to attend their neighborhood school, other options include schools with specialized programming in the arts, sciences, or business fields, schools with career and technical education options, and competitive magnet schools. But choosing an out-of-catchment school rather than a neighborhood school may…

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of an electronic check-in, check-out (eCICO) intervention. The district's case manager (i.e., guidance counselor) implemented the eCICO intervention remotely via FaceTime on an iPad in collaboration with the bus driver who facilitated student wireless internet access to a mobile hot spot.…

The distance to school, commute time, student safety, and the cost and availability of transportation are all critical elements that determine the degree of real "choice" present in any school system, and more information is needed regarding family experiences, preferences, and challenges related to school transportation across school…

Background: Although prior research has established that school buses are a safe form of transportation, crashes can produce catastrophic consequences. School buses have 2 types of routes: predictable, routine routes that take children to and from school and less predictable, nonroutine routes for school events. No studies have examined school bus…

This paper explores 'home-school' transport in contemporary schooling contexts in England. Home-school transport is a complex issue lying between government departments, policy frameworks, research and professional disciplines. It is complicated further by commercial and private interests alongside social and public ones. Informed by an…

Researchers, policymakers, and practitioners have recently aligned efforts to reduce school absenteeism, particularly during kindergarten when excessive absences are highest out of all elementary grades. Little is known, however, about whether the way in which students get to school might influence if they go to school. To address this gap, this…

This report is the first publication of a multi-year project examining the relationship between student commutes using public transportation and on-time arrival and absenteeism. This report begins to develop a basic understanding of how students commute to high school in Baltimore with a focus on those using public transportation. The report is…

School buses may be a critical education policy lever, breaking the link between schools and neighborhoods and facilitating access to school choice. Yet little is known about the commute for bus riders, including the average length of the bus ride or whether long commutes harm academic outcomes. We begin to fill this gap using data from New York…