Who's on the Bus? An Exploration of Student Factors in School Bus Services

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Addressing Complex Educational Problems Through Systemic Improvement

Abstract

For a large number of students in the U.S., the school day begins and ends with riding the school bus. Shockingly, little is known about who rides the bus or how school bus services shape students’ educational outcomes. Who rides the bus? Are there significant disparities across sociodemographic groups? Do students using the bus outperform their peers? Knowing the answers to these questions will help schools and districts design bus policies that level the playing field and enhance student outcomes. Using new and unique detailed data on the transportation services provided to New York City public school students, we begin to answer these questions, providing descriptive evidence on who is eligible to receive transportation services and who rides the bus.

Authors

• Sarah A. Cordes, Temple University

• Amy E Schwartz, Syracuse University

• Michael A. Gottfried, University of California - Santa Barbara