Published: November 07, 2009 08:18 pm      

Focus On Education

Pulaski County Schools develop set of expectations for bus-riding behavior

The song says that the wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round ... but sometimes, drivers and school administrators can find themselves going ‘round and ‘round with students about their behavior on the school bus.

To that end, the Pulaski County School System has embarked on a project designed to help make bus rides a little bit smoother for everyone involved.

Based on a program implemented by Northern Middle School (NMS) during the 2005-06 school year, Pulaski County Schools are now looking to take the idea — a positive behavior intervention support program — district-wide.

Participating with The Kentucky Center for Instructional Discipline (KYCID), NMS developed an approach to letting kids know what behavior is expected of them, both in school and on the road.

The bus presented a specific set of problems, where students must manage the trip without being under the constant watchful eye of a teacher — the bus driver is present, of course, but it’s the responsibility of the students to provide an atmosphere in which the driver can concentrate on navigating the vehicle safely.

“We see all kinds of behavioral issues on the bus — everything from throwing paper wads to starting fights,” said Dusty Phelps, a psychologist with the Pulaski County School System. “Our bus drivers see all kinds of things.”

Added Phelps, “Obviously, there are safety issues there that aren’t present in the classroom. The classroom isn’t moving down the highway.”

Phelps said the schools look at data regarding student behavior, whether in the classroom or on the bus, gathered from office discipline referrals.

“When students get in trouble, we make a referral to a school administrator, who meets with the student,” said Phelps. “We look at the data, what kinds of issues we’re seeing on the bus. Are they just throwing paper wads or are there other things that are in conflict with other students, like not staying in their seats? Then we develop a plan to improve the issue.”

After establishing the set of expectations and developing a systematic approach to teaching them, NMS saw an improvement in student behavior at school.

“Students want to do well in school and parents want their children to do well,” said NMS principal Angela Murphy. “Students will rise to meet our expectations both academically and behaviorally. We have very high standards for our students and we are intending to teach to these expectations.”

Bus drivers for Northern Middle participated in a “Bus Driver Summit” to gain a better understanding of the KYCID action plan and to share ideas with each other and with school staff and improving student behavior on the school bus. As the plan spreads throughout the system, this will become common for bus drivers for all schools.

“I was very impressed and excited by the number of drivers who expressed an interest in partnering with the school to improve the bus experience for everyone involved,” said Phelps. “They obviously care about the students and the families that they serve.”

When NMS started the program, they were seeing about 900 referrals per year — 936 in 2005, to be exact. Last year, that number was down to only 300.

Expectations for student behavior on the bus include:

• Sit in your seat the entire time and do not change seats;

• No food or drink allowed;

• Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself and inside the bus;

• Follow all bus rules whether with your regular driver or substitute is driving;

• Use appropriate language and voice level when talking to others;

• Follow all adult directions.

“Our bus drivers have been very supportive of these initiatives,” said Murphy. “They are excited to continue to build a partnership with our school to have a positive impact on students.”

Of course, much of the above seems like common sense — things children should learn at home before they get on the bus. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case, said Phelps, though the students’ families do play a critical role in the process.

“One of the things we are trying to do is to bridge these expectations to parents,” said Phelps. “We talk to them about those expectations, and hopefully, parents are teaching those as well. We have a large number of students from a large area. Most parents do a good job teaching those expectations, but they some need help, and we have to reinforce that.”

Phelps said NMS has become a demonstration site for the state, an example of success that all Kentucky schools can look at and draw ideas on how to manage their own behavioral problems.

Not only will negative behavior be reprimanded — “It depends on what school the student goes to and what level they’re at” as to what type of discipline they receive, said Phelps. “It can be anything from counseling the student to try to correct it to being suspended off the bus” — but positive behavior will be reinforced with recognition as well.

“The students meeting expectations, we want them to be in the spotlight,” said Phelps. “Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Students may act out to get attention. We want students to get attention for doing the right thing and become models for those not meeting expectations.”

This policy is being developed for the classroom as well as the bus, and is re-taught after each break — summer, fall, Christmas, and spring — to make sure students stay on their toes and remember what it is they need to be doing.

“What we hope to see (as an outcome) is better student behavior and a more enjoyable atmosphere for staff and students on bus, which is an extension of the classrooms,” said Phelps. “If we see a decrease in bus referrals, we’ll know we’re seeing a impact on behavior on the bus.”