School systems are being required to extend transportation services to more severely handicapped children and younger handicapped children. Discusses new legislation and bus driver responsibility and training, and advises administrators to become involved in special education students' individualized education programs. (MLF)

"Exchange" surveyed members of the Panel of 300, their advisory board of center directors, to find out what questions they would like to address to manufacturers and bus companies for early childhood programs. They then posed these questions to the companies and have presented a representative sampling of their responses in this article.

School bus and related pedestrian safety education is prevention-oriented so that students will learn how to avoid bus-related accidents. This manual provides lesson plans emphasizing the school bus stop, loading and unloading zones, emergency evacuation drills, and appropriate behavior on the school bus. The guide also recognizes demographic…

This publication provides a summary and update of school bus-safety activities conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This report discusses Congressional mandates and NHTSA's actions to improve school-bus safety (which include programs that affect human behavior and motor-vehicle safety performance), the magnitude…

While school buses transport more passengers per trip, the rate of occupant fatalities per mile driven for school buses is one-quarter that for passenger cars. Nevertheless, the public expects school districts and other school bus operators to take all reasonable precautions to protect children as they travel to and from school. Although a variety…

Express routing, under consideration by San Diego (California) Public Schools, is a form of bus transportation that picks up and drops off students at centralized points instead of driving through residential neighborhoods. This report examines other, similar districts' experiences in applying express routing in integration and other school…

This publication deals with suggested maintenance standards that apply to vehicles used for pupil transportation in California and covers all the safety-related systems that are common to most buses. The guide has been prepared to help all school bus and school pupil activity bus operators set up an inspection and preventive maintenance program…

An outline of questions is provided for evaluating student transportation systems. Questions are listed under the following topics: board of education policy, legal compliance, routing, contract transportation, special transportation, finance, purchasing, personnel, safety, vehicles, garage, maintenance, insurance, and energy conservation. (MLF)

This detailed report and analysis of school bus transportation in Indiana is divided into the following topics: transportation policies; bus utilization; the bus driver and his terms of employment; bus ownership; insurance, storage, maintenance, and fuel costs; bus ownership and costs; and the transportation director. A strong case is made for…

This report describes procedures that were used to develop and pilot test a school bus driver instructional program to fulfill the requirement of Highway Safety Program Standard No. 17, Pupil Transportation Standard. The program comprises 13 units: Five for developing the minimum core skills and knowledge needed by the driver, and eight…

School districts, school employees, bus companies contracted by districts, and bus company employees could be involved in court litigation over student injury and student civil rights related to school bus transportation. Civil rights insurance should be added to general liability insurance and motor vehicle liability insurance. Students must be…

Providing transportation to children younger than kindergarten age has become more common for public school districts, and school personnel are unsure as to the rules, guidelines, and best practices that apply to the youngest school bus passengers. This document outlines the current Illinois requirements regarding the transportation of very young…

The school bus plays a central role in helping this country achieve its social and educational goals. (Author)

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)

Recognizing safety procedures and minimizing disciplinary problems on school buses are the responsibilities of school bus drivers. Describes elements of driver training, lists student control guides for bus drivers, and summarizes the procedures followed by the Halifax County-Bedford District School Board in Nova Scotia. (MLF)