8606 - TRANSPORTATION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS

Transportation and bus behavior are normally an integral part of the student's program. Because of the significance of this service for maintaining effective programs for the variety of disabling conditions, the Transportation Supervisor should be involved with the I.E.P. team or Section 504 team to assist in providing answers to such questions as:

1. Can the child be transported safely, given the transportation environment and the nature of the disabling condition?
2. What medical, health, physical, or behavioral factors could expose the student to unreasonable risk, given the anticipated transportation environment?
3. What assistive or adaptive equipment is necessary to accommodate the student during the transportation process, can it be safely transported and secured, and are there adequate instructions to ensure its proper use?

The Transportation Supervisor can also be helpful in incorporating behavioral transportation goals into the IEP/504 plan and determining appropriate means of discipline, including the possible removal from a vehicle.

As participants in and recipients of special education planning, transportation staff need to be advised that the information they deal with is confidential and protected by Federal law.

TRANSPORTATION FOR NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS

The District will provide transportation as a related service to students with disabilities who live in the District and attend a nonpublic school if the School District is provided with supporting documentation from the child’s individualized education program (“IEP”) or an individual service plan (“ISP”) developed by the county board of developmental disabilities pursuant to RC 5126.41 for county residents who receive supported living services.

BEHAVIORAL MANAGEMENT

Managing student behavior on the bus should be done primarily through teaching appropriate bus-riding skills. Learning the skills necessary to ride the school bus is part of the skills needed for the student to participate in the student's program.

To teach bus-riding skills, a limited number of simple rules defining what the student is to do, feedback on how well it is done, and positive, backup consequences are necessary. In teaching bus-riding skills, it is necessary to work on a small number of behaviors at a time (one (1) or two (2)). As a student learns a behavior, another behavior can be taught.

Behaviors that present a potentially dangerous risk of harm to the student or others on the bus require special attention. An attack on another person or running from the bus are two (2) examples of behaviors that present high risk of harm and require documentation and follow-up with appropriate school staff.

Communication Between School/Transportation Staffs

1. The transportation staff will keep the school staff advised of the behavior of students on the bus--both positive and negative type activity.
2. The school staff will advise the transportation staff by memorandum or through the school secretary if a student has had a particularly difficult day and may require special attention on the bus.
3. The primary daily contact between the transportation staff and the school staff will be the bus driver (with the transportation aide as an alternate) and the Transportation Supervisor/Principal.
4. Both the school staff and the transportation staff are expected to maintain confidentiality and protect the students' rights. Except for positive statements, information given by the drivers to the building staff should not be relayed to the student; nor should drivers relay information received from the building staff. Bus behavior should never be a subject of general conversation.
5. Communication with parents is encouraged, particularly positive comments that are honest and sincere. It is important to develop means to maximize this effort.

Stopping Unacceptable Behavior

It is the District's intent to stop unacceptable behavior by using the minimum physical intervention necessary.

When necessary, a staff member may use reasonable physical intervention to stop an action that presents the risk of harm to the student, to others, or to property. This may include use of physical intervention to stop the action but would not extend to gross abuse and disregard for the health and safety of the student. Use of physical intervention should at all times be temperate and not excessive.

Alternate Transportation

In the event a student has demonstrated severe behavior problems at school and cannot be adequately brought under control for the ride home, the student is not to be placed on the bus. The student is to remain at school and the parents called to transport the student home. If the parent cannot provide transportation, alternate means are to be provided. (It is important to keep in mind that alterations in transportation may be considered a change in placement.) 

Suspension from Transportation

1. The Principal may suspend a student from transportation, in accordance with District policies and guidelines related to suspension of disabled students. Incidents that may result in suspension include:
    
   1. fighting on the bus;
   2. hitting, kicking, or biting others on the bus;
   3. smoking, drugs, alcohol;
   4. destruction of school property;
   5. throwing dangerous objects on the bus.
2. When a student's behavior is unmanageable in spite of behavior management techniques, the suspension procedure may be initiated. This procedure may be initiated as a natural consequence of inappropriate behavior: to protect the student, other students, the driver or District equipment, or to provide time to help the student make the adjustment to transportation services.

Restoration of Riding Privileges

If a student is suspended from transportation, a meeting will be held prior to the student's resuming transportation. The meeting should include the building principal, social worker, Transportation Supervisor and Supervisor of Exceptional Children, bus driver, aide, and the parent. The meeting should address:

1. the behavior that caused the suspension;
2. development of a written plan to address the behavior.

This will require a well-defined follow-up schedule, beginning within ten (10) days, to determine if the plan is working.

MEDICAL/HEALTH CONCERNS

It may be necessary for members of the transportation staff to be able to provide emergency and routine health care to students during the transportation process. They may also become exposed to communicable diseases which could be debilitating, and in extreme circumstances, fatal.

It is the responsibility of the Transportation Supervisor to ensure that training is provided in two (2) major areas -- precautionary procedures; and care, intervention, and management.

Precautionary Procedures

All members of the transportation staff should be able to use standard precautions relative to handling of and exposure to communicable disease. Such precautions would include, but not be limited to:

1. characteristics of common communicable diseases
2. techniques for managing such common diseases
3. use of protective equipment and devices

Care, Intervention, and Management

Staff members need to be able to implement any care plans developed during the IEP process to deal with special health risks, such as medically fragile, technology-dependent, and/or highly-disruptive students.

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