For many students, the bus is a big part of their daily life. Each weekday morning and afternoon, school buses share the road with thousands of other vehicles in communities across the nation. In fact, school buses transport 26 million students each day and are widely regarded as the safest option for student transportation when compared to private vehicles and walking. For more than 50 years, National School Bus Safety Week has focused attention on school bus safety and student transportation.
School bus drivers must keep their student passengers safe at all times, including while picking up, dropping off, and while the bus is traveling. They must also monitor student behavior on the bus. How students behave on the bus can affect the safety of all.
National School Bus Safety Week
The third full week in October is traditionally National School Bus Safety Week. This event is hosted by the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), the National School Transportation Association (NSTA), and the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS). It is a public education program that promotes school bus safety, not only for students and bus drivers but also for members of the general public.
Each year, there is a poster contest in which thousands of school districts participate at the local and state levels. The winning designs become the official posters for the next years’ event. The 2021-22 contest theme is “1 Bus + 1 Driver = a BIG Impact on Education.” Contest rules can be found here. Schools can submit poster designs until the contest closes on March 1, 2022.
Better Bus Behavior With PBIS
National School Bus Safety Week is the perfect opportunity to discuss bus behavior with students. Up to 15% of all traffic accidents are the result of distracted driving, and a bus full of students displaying poor behavior can be a significant distraction.
How do you encourage students to display positive behavior on the bus? Make bus behavior part of your PBIS initiative! Just as you identify specific behaviors on campus, be intentional about the behaviors you wish to see on the bus.
School Bus Expectations Sample – PDF
Extending your schoolwide expectations to the bus can reap big benefits for your entire school culture. Students arrive at school exhibiting positive behavior, which can create a positive start to their day. Positive behaviors can build throughout the day and continue on the ride home.
Schools using PBIS Rewards can involve their bus drivers by authorizing them to award points through the PBIS Rewards app. A simple scan of a student ID or points awarded to a group allows drivers to recognize positive behavior. Reports on bus behavior can be a part of a larger recognition for the bus with the most points.
PBIS Rewards can make it easy to include your bus drivers in your school’s PBIS initiative. Let us show you how everyone on your school staff can acknowledge positive behavior any time, anywhere! Contact us for a demo!
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