This publication was downloaded from the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center’s website (www.nadtc.org). It was developed by Easter Seals Project ACTION, a technical assistance center operated by Easter Seals, Inc. through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration.

	

Initial Impact Evaluation of the Easter Seals Project ACTION Inclusive Transportation Service-Learning Program

This document is an accessible version provided for those using screen readers.

Prepared for: Easter Seals Project ACTION
Independent Evaluation & Research Conducted by: Patricia Noonan, Ph.D.

Photo: A group of young adults holding up books by a trolley.
Caption inside: Photo on front cover: Students from Bay District Schools display their project’s coloring book titled, A Grandparent’s Guide to Parks, Picnics, and Public Transportation

Easter Seals Project ACTION thanks the school districts who participated in this project. These districts recognized the importance of accessible transportation options for students and the value of transportation in assisting students to attain meaningful post-school outcomes. We would also like to thank educational consultants, affiliated with Ohio State Support Teams, Amy Szymanski and Helen Brophy, who helped ESPA identify and orient school districts involved in this project. Finally, thank you to the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Career Development & Transition and its executive board, who offered recommendations as we launched the Inclusive Transportation Service-Learning Program.

Judy L. Shanley, Ph.D.
Director, Administration for Community Living, Mobility Management and Student Engagement Programs
Easter Seals

Easter Seals Project ACTION is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit  Administration. This document is disseminated by ESPA in the interest of information exchange.  Neither Easter Seals nor the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration assumes liability for its contents or use.                                       
4/2013

Logos: Easter Seals Project ACTION, Easter Seals and the U.S. Department of Transportation

Photo: Three young students writing in notebooks

Table of Contents
Note: The following page numbers correspond with the rtf version of the workbook. 
Introduction 
Project Descriptions 
ESPA’s Interest in Student Engagement and Service-Learning 
Results 
Student Survey Results 
Director Survey Results
Analyses
Conclusion
Recommendations 

Page 1

Introduction

In early 2012, Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA) developed the Inclusive Transportation Service-Learning Program for young adults with and without disabilities. The main goal of this pilot program was to support school districts in implementing projects for students in order to build student learning, student leadership, shared awareness of disability rights, and knowledge of the various aspects of accessible transportation services in local communities. Four diverse school districts entered the program in 2012 and completed their pilot projects during the 2012-13 school year. In order to participate in this program, each school agreed to some common design characteristics. As a result, each school’s project:
•	Collaborated with ESPA to ensure that project activities aligned with the intent of the project.
•	Identified students with and without disabilities for participation. 
•	Customized the service-learning project based on their community context.
•	Implemented the self-advocacy curriculum (see sidebar).
•	Helped students participate in a pre-post measure to determine student change. 

While all districts had common elements, each inclusive transportation service-learning project looked unique. The following project descriptions illustrate this principle.

Boxed item: Self-Advocacy Curriculum: Self-Advocacy to Enhance Transportation
Choice: Tools to Assist Students in Identifying Transportation Options Based on Preferences - These materials are part of the Integrated Self- Advocacy (ISA) Curriculum developed by Dr. Valerie Paradiz, an internationally recognized researcher and educator. Paradiz adapted the ISA Sensory Scan™ and ISA Social Scan™ for ESPA to help students understand and address sensory and social challenges related to transportation. This increased knowledge and awareness enables students to build a self-advocacy portfolio around accessible transportation that is aligned with sensory and social needs. Access the curriculum can at www.projectaction.org/InitiativesYouthTransportation/SelfAdvocacyCurriculum.aspx

Project Descriptions

Crestview Local Schools, Convoy, Ohio
Title of Project: Accessible Transportation Resource Mapping Service-Learning Project

Photo: A boy talking on the phone.
Photo caption: A Crestview student calls local churches to learn more about their services and determine whether those services may be used by students from the high school.

The goal of the Accessible Transportation Resource Mapping Service Learning Project was to determine the current and potential accessible transportation options for individuals with disabilities in Van Wert County, Ohio. Crestview High School students in the National Honor Society who did not have disabilities were matched with students with disabilities to develop a transportation resource list. Community transit professionals and transportation providers joined school transportation personnel, educators and administrators along with students, parents and families to assist in the project by identifying transportation needs and/or providing information on accessible transportation services which are or could be available in the community. The transportation resource list was shared with community stakeholders including the State Support Team Region 1 Regional Transition Council. Project findings will be used as a springboard from which to develop county and regional transportation initiatives. 

Page 2

Bay District Schools, Panama City, Florida
Title of Project: Grandparents, Parks, Picnics, and Public Transportation

Photo: A group of young adults holding up books at a Bay Town trolley stop. 
Photo caption: Students from Bay District Schools display their project’s coloring book titled, A Grandparent’s Guide to Parks, Picnics, and Public Transportation

In this project, Bay District high school student teams photographed parks served by the local transit system. They also photographed the downtown restaurants served by the transit system that agreed to make picnic lunches for the project. The students then traced the dominant lines portraying the significant features of the park or restaurant in each photograph. The resulting pictures were used to create a coloring book, which also included narrative text that the student teams added. The pictures were also enlarged onto 2’x3’ canvases so that the student teams could paint the images. 

Following these activities, the high school teams invited their grandparents as well as elementary teams to attend a Parks, Picnic and Public Transit event. The student-designed canvases were used for a travel exhibit at the Chautauqua City Arts Cooperative. The objectives of the program are to: a) deepen academic learning as well as intrapersonal and interpersonal skills through service learning; b) expose and enlighten a diverse group of citizens of all ages, socioeconomic statuses, and disability statuses to the importance of public transit and livable communities; c) use the art exhibit exposé and enlighten a broad group to the value of transit and accessible travel; and d) increase transit ridership and its acceptance in the community.

Stow Munroe Falls Local School District, Stow, Ohio

This service-learning project reviewed Summit County Metro Bus Transit transportation options in order to integrate the transition of students with disabilities and without disabilities to post-school settings. After leaving high school, students need transportation options to get to work, leisure/social activities, medical appointments, college, and other places. These transportation needs often involve crossing county borders and require times that are presently not options outside of the more populated Akron City area. Students in the Stow school system designed various activities to attend and arranged for their mobility needs and schedules. The students met with Summit County Metro Transportation to discuss needs and learn about present options. They then developed graphical blogs, also known as glogs, as we way to depict what they learned about transportation in their community (see next page for an example). Finally, they presented to the Tri-County Resource Transition Council and the Kent State Center for Innovation in Transition.  In summary, students conducted online research, participated in travel training activities and gave presentations to explore and conclude their findings.  

Page 3

Photo caption: One student team’s glog from Stow Munroe Falls Local School District, Stow, Ohio
Image: The words “Akron Metro Bus” are at the top. The image is very colorful with a photo as the background. Scattered around the image are smaller images of a transit center, a bus, a bus driver, and a woman in a wheelchair boarding a bus with various captions (hard to read). There are also two YouTube videos with still-images of buses. 

Page 4

Photo: Taken a distance, this photo shows people walking away from a bus by dry grass. 
Photo caption: Students from Socorro Independent School District unload from a public bus.

Socorro Independent School District, El Paso, Texas 
Title of Project: Socorro Accessible Transportation Project

Students surveyed neighborhoods to determine frequented destinations and surveyed patrons of community destinations to determine originating neighborhoods. This information has helped and will continue to help route service needs as Sun Metro expands service to the east side of El Paso. Students asked community members for their opinions and knowledge of accessible public transportation and used this information to target the development of information for the public. Project participants gathered information on current and potential options for transportation to and from employment, education, retail, and civic sites in El Paso County for residents residing in the 79927, 79928, 79936, and 79938 zip codes. Then, project participants compiled information into a categorized accessible transportation resource list.  Finally, project participants shared the resource list and project findings with county stakeholders and with the Region 19 Education Service Center Transition Network. 

ESPA’s Interest in Student Engagement and Service-Learning

The National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP), funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, states that service learning by definition provides students hands-on experience to help them integrate learning done in a classroom setting, connects them to other people in their community to improve social skills and empowers them through their feeling and seeing the positive impact they have on the community (ServiceandInclusion.org). With this foundation, ESPA launched the Inclusive Transportation Service-Learning Program. 

Project activities were based on the core belief that students with disabilities, working alongside their peers without disabilities, would gain understanding and skills around community-based transportation options if they focused on transportation in the community. The project anticipated that students would provide a service to the community by developing projects that ultimately would affect their access to and integration in community activities through self-directed projects. Information from the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) evidence-based practices database indicates that community-based instruction contributes to student learning in several areas, including grocery shopping, safety and community integration (http://www.nsttac.org/content/evidencebased-practices-secondary-transition). With this thinking, the project sought the advice of the nationally recognized transition-focused professional association, the Division on Career Development & Transition (www.dcdt.org) and launched this program. With the recommendations of advisors, program guidelines and outreach materials were developed and provided to participating school districts encouraging students and educators together to develop projects that were aligned with their personal learning needs and attributes of the school and community. 

Page 5

The Inclusive Transportation Service-Learning Program is part of a range of services and projects that ESPA offers with a focus on increasing educator skill and student preparedness related to accessible transportation options for students as part of their transition planning. The study of the transportation service-learning projects was intended to:
•	Continue to build a repertoire of services around transportation education, including a nine-module curriculum targeted to educators, human services professionals, transit, and others.
•	Advance the range of tools and templates ESPA offers to enable educators to customize the services they provide to students to enhance their knowledge and skill around transportation, including travel instruction.
•	Guide the development of materials that enable other educators and students to replicate the inclusive transportation service-learning projects.

Results

The evaluation of this project was designed to measure the initial impact of the service-learning projects on participating students’ understanding and behavior. In summer 2012, a survey was developed to be delivered online both before and after participation in the project. All participating students from all four school districts were asked to take an online pre/post survey combining quantitative and qualitative measures. Students were asked about transportation availability, their transportation use, their transportation education, and their views on transportation’s roles and importance. These results are summarized below. Qualitative questions regarding students’ transportation strategies were also part of the study; a summary of those results can be found at the end of this report. 

Photo: A young woman in a wheelchair with a guide dog. 

From all four school districts, 52 students completed the pre-test and 39 students completed the post-test. Of these students, an overall rate of 83.3% self-reported having an Individualized Education Program (IEP).  Respondents included a total of 54 students from four school districts: Bay District (18 respondents), Crestview (11 respondents), Socorro (23 respondents), and Stow Munroe (2 respondents). By district, respondents reporting an IEP constituted 83.3% of Bay District students, 54.5% of Crestview students, 100% of Socorro students, and 100% of Stow Munroe students. 

Finally, at the conclusion of the project in spring 2013, the director of each of the service-learning projects was asked to complete an online survey with several open-ended questions designed to get their perspectives regarding the impact for students, the school and community transit organizations. Five total directors responded (two from one district and one for each remaining three districts).

Page 6

Student Survey Results

Peer Interactions  (pre-test n=52; post-test n=39)

How often do you interact with your classmates who do not receive special education services?
1 = Never, 2 = A Little, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Frequently, 5 = A lot

Graph depicting: Pre - 3.63, Post - 3.74

How often do you interact with your classmates who receive special education services? 
1 = Never, 2 = A Little, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Frequently, 5 = A lot

Graph depicting: Pre - 4.31, Post - 4.15

Page 7

Transportation Options Available in the Community

What transportation options do you have in your community? Check all that apply.
Graphic depicting: 
Train: Pre – 3.8%, Post - 2.6%
Subway: Pre – 0.0%, Post - 0.0%
Bus: Pre – 69.2%, Post – 71.8%
Trolley: Pre – 30.8%, Post – 28.2%
Paratransit Van: Pre - 48.1%, Post - 20.5%
Taxi: Pre - 55.8%, Post - 25.6%
Drive own vehicle – Pre – 50.0%, Post – 33.3%
Walk: Pre – 76.9%, Post – 76.9%
Family/friend drives: Pre – 88.5%, Post – 84.6%
Bicycle: Pre – 57.7%, Post -33.3%
Other (please specify): Pre – 3.8%, Post – 2.6%

What transportation options do you use?

Graph depicting: Train
Never: Pre – 73.1%, Post – 59.0%
Rarely: Pre – 0.0%, Post – 0.0% 
Sometimes: Pre – 0.0%, Post – 0.0% 
At least once a month: Pre – 0.0%, Post – 0.0%
Almost every day: Pre – 0.0%, Post – 0.0%

Page 8

Graph depicting: Subway
Never: Pre – 73.1%, Post – 53.8%
Rarely: Pre – 0.0%, Post – 0.0% 
Sometimes: Pre – 0.0%, Post – 0.0% 
At least once a month: Pre – 0.0%, Post – 0.0%
Almost every day: Pre – 1.9%, Post – 0.0%

Graph depicting: Bus
Never: Pre – 25.0%, Post – 23.1%
Rarely: Pre – 3.8%, Post – 10.3% 
Sometimes: Pre – 1.9%, Post – 5.1% 
At least once a month: Pre – 1.9%, Post – 5.1%
Almost every day: Pre – 55.8%, Post – 43.6%

Graph depicting: Trolley
Never: Pre – 59.6%, Post – 35.9%
Rarely: Pre – 1.9%, Post – 0.0% 
Sometimes: Pre – 3.8%, Post – 0.0% 
At least once a month: Pre – 5.8%, Post – 2.6%
Almost every day: Pre – 13.5%, Post – 25.6%

Page 9

Graph depicting: Paratransit Van
Never: Pre – 61.5%, Post – 48.7%
Rarely: Pre – 5.8%, Post – 5.1% 
Sometimes: Pre – 5.8%, Post – 0.0% 
At least once a month: Pre – 0.0%, Post – 2.6%
Almost every day: Pre – 5.8%, Post – 5.1%

Graph depicting: Taxi
Never: Pre – 73.1%, Post – 64.1%
Rarely: Pre – 1.9%, Post – 2.6% 
Sometimes: Pre – 1.9%, Post – 0.0% 
At least once a month: Pre – 0.0%, Post – 0.0%
Almost every day: Pre – 0.0%, Post – 0.0%

Graph depicting: Drive own vehicle
Never: Pre – 55.8%, Post 35.9%
Rarely: Pre – 1.9%, Post – 0.0% 
Sometimes: Pre – 0.0%, Post – 0.0% 
At least once a month: Pre – 5.8%, Post – 0.0%
Almost every day: Pre – 19.2%, Post – 23.1%

Page 10

Graph depicting: Walk
Never: Pre – 15.4%, Post – 7.7%
Rarely: Pre – 5.8%, Post – 10.3% 
Sometimes: Pre – 1.9%, Post – 10.3% 
At least once a month: Pre – 15.4%, Post – 12.8%
Almost every day: Pre – 40.4%, Post – 48.7%

Graph depicting: Family/Friend drives
Never: Pre – 9.6%, Post – 2.6%
Rarely: Pre – 3.8%, Post – 0.0% 
Sometimes: Pre – 3.8%, Post – 12.8% 
At least once a month: Pre – 11.5%, Post – 15.4%
Almost every day: Pre – 61.5%, Post – 59.0%

Graph depicting: Bicycle
Never: Pre – 44.2%, Post – 25.6%
Rarely: Pre – 7.7%, Post – 15.4% 
Sometimes: Pre – 5.8%, Post – 7.7% 
At least once a month: Pre – 9.6%, Post – 5.1%
Almost every day: Pre – 7.7%, Post – 5.1%

Page 11

How do your senses affect your transportation choice? 

The sounds that occur affect my choice.
1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Always
Graph depicting: Pre – 1.41, Post – 1.29

The smells that occur affect my choice.
1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Always
Graph depicting: Pre – 1.70, Post – 1.45

Page 12

The visual problems I have affect my choice
1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Always
Graph depicting: Pre – 1.40, Post – 1.32

The problems I have touching certain things or being touched affect my choice.
1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Always
Graph depicting: Pre – 1.36, Post – 1.37

Page 13

How do your social preferences affect your transportation choice? 

I know I won’t know anyone and that affects my choice.
1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Always
Graph depicting: Pre – 1.49, Post – 1.42

I know I won’t know anyone and that affects my choice.
1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Always
Graph depicting: Pre – 1.32, Post – 1.19

Page 14

I know that other passengers may want to talk with me and that affects my choice.
1 = Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Always
Graph depicting: Pre – 1.55, Post – 1.31

Beliefs 

Using transportation will help me go to college.
1 = Never, 2 = A Little, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Frequently, 5 = A lot
Graph depicting: Pre – 3.94, Post – 3.61

Page 15

Using transportation will help me get a job.
1 = Never, 2 = A Little, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Frequently, 5 = A lot
Graph depicting: Pre – 4.06, Post – 4.13

Using transportation will help me live in the community.
1 = Never, 2 = A Little, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Frequently, 5 = A lot
Graph depicting: Pre – 4.14, Post – 4.29

Page 16

Students should know about transportation options in their community.
1 = Never, 2 = A Little, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Frequently, 5 = A lot
Graph depicting: Pre – 4.37, Post – 4.69

I can advocate for the transportation I want to use. 
1 = Never, 2 = A Little, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Frequently, 5 = A lot
Graph depicting: Pre – 4.20, Post – 4.31

Page 17

Information Sources

Where do you learn information about using transportation in your community?
Graph depicting:
Family/home: Pre – 50.0%, Post – 41.0%
Teachers/School: Pre – 84.6%, Post – 89.7%
Community Organizations: Pre – 51.9%, Post – 20.5%
Friends: Pre – 46.2%, Post – 25.6%
None: Pre – 7.7%, Post – 5.1%
Other (please specify who this person is): Pre – 3.8%, Post – 2.6% 

In addition to the quantitative results displayed above, qualitative answers to four open-ended questions were also collected from respondents. In part, we asked these questions as a proxy to learn about students’ knowledge of travel and transportation since we did not have a way to observe directly students’ travel or mobility skills.

•	Where do you go to find a transportation schedule?

Consulting the internet was the most commonly selected option, with 48.1% of respondents using this option. Contacting the transportation provider was the second most common method of acquiring this information; 38.9% of respondents reported this form of contact. After these options, using a map at the transportation building or using the information available aboard the transportation itself were the third and fourth most popular responses at 24.1% and 22.2%, respectively. Using a phone (14.8%) and contacting the school (9.3%) rounded out the reported methods of finding a schedule or map. One respondent reported not knowing how to acquire this information (1.9%).

•	Pretend you are waiting for a bus to get to your job...how do you know which bus to get on?

Two options were by far the most frequently reported: looking for a number or other identifying information on the transportation itself was the most popular option at 42.6%, and consulting a map or schedule was a close second with 40.7% of respondents reporting using this option. Asking the bus driver (25.9%) or a teacher (18.5%) were other frequently reported responses. Four other responses were reported by a small number of respondents: contacting the transportation provider’s office (5.6%), using the internet (3.7%), using the phone (3.7%), and don’t know (3.7%). 

Page 18

•	What process do you use to pay for your ride?

Most students (51.9%) reported having a bus pass for their use.18.5% of respondents reported using cash to pay, while 7.4% had a school-provided pass. Two students (3.7%) reported that another party such as a parent or teacher is in charge of payment for their transportation. 9.3% of respondents reported using some other form of payment. 

•	What would you do if your transportation vehicle did not show up?

Respondents’ main form of recourse was calling another party: 44.4% would call a family member or friend, 40.7% would call the transportation provider, and 31.5% would call the school. 14.8% of respondents listed another party that they would call. 13.0% of respondents reported that they would turn to another form of transportation to reach their destination, while 3.7% of respondents would decide not to go. 

Director Survey Results

A second survey of open-ended questions was designed specifically for directors in each school district. Five total directors responded (two from one district, and one for each remaining three districts). The online survey contained the following open-ended questions:
1.	Describe the number, ages and disabilities of the students who participated in the projects without using identifying information.
2.	Provide a description of the inclusive transportation service-learning project in which you were involved. 
3.	What outcomes did you expect for students?
4.	Describe why or why not these outcomes were achieved.
5.	What benefits do you think that an inclusive transportation service-learning program has for students?
6.	What benefits do you think an inclusive transportation service-learning program has for a school and/or district?
7.	What benefits do you think the inclusive transportation service-learning projects had for the community?
8.	Did your relationship with your public transit or planning agency change as a result of this project?
9.	Do you think that you or your school/district will continue to implement inclusive transportation service-learning projects?
10.	What resources do you think educators/schools/districts would need to implement similar inclusive transportation service-learning programs?
11.	Was there anything that surprised you in this project?
12.	Is there any additional information you would like to provide about your participation?

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Full answers from each director are included below when appropriate and all identifying information has been removed. 

1.	Describe the number, ages and disabilities of the students who participated in the projects without identifying information.

For this question, respondents recounted the number of students who participated in each school along with various disability categories. To summarize, one district had six students with and without disabilities ages 12-22, another included 13 students ages 15-21 with various disabilities and 12 students without disabilities, one district included 70 students ages 6-22 with and without disabilities, and the fourth district included 29 students with disabilities ages 18-22.

2.	Provide a description of the inclusive transportation service-learning project in which you were involved. 

•	To determine the current and potential accessible transportation options for individuals with disabilities in [our] county. This project is a service-learning project for students attending [our] high school with and without disabilities who are members of the National Honor Society.
•	Identifying transportation available that fill post high school needs.
•	The team collaborated with business and service organizations through the community on transportation resources for people with disabilities.  Data was collected and collated into a brochure that is shared with community leaders.
•	My students are in a class called [name removed] which is a PE class where typical students and students with disabilities enjoy leisure activities on a daily basis in a PE class. This class has the students without disabilities work directly with a specific student [with a disability] as a sort of helper. My students live in [name removed] and have no previous experience using a bus other than a school bus. So the majority of this project has been to introduce using public transportation to the students so that they can feel comfortable enough to use the bus as they get older and get a job. For the most part my students will probably never get a driver’s license and drive themselves anywhere. So getting comfortable with public transportation was a big part of this project. The first part of our project had [name removed], the mobility specialist with [the] transit authority, come to the school and give a two-day training on how to take the bus. She talked about safety and how to find a route, use the online trip planner, and actually took us on a trip on a bus to the [transit center]. From there we have taken monthly trips to various places in the community. [The mobility specialist] again came into the school and held another lesson on how to read a schedule where we included peers without disabilities from our [name removed] class, where the students with disabilities were actually able to answer more questions and help lead their peers without disabilities through the process. We have learned to get on the bus, use the trip planner to plan a trip and call [name removed] when we do not understand the trip. We have walked to the bus stops and waited for buses near our school (in 30 degree weather), gone to two shopping malls, to our local supermarket and Target, both there and back, using [the transit system]. 

Page 20

The most influential trip we have taken so far was going to the [art museum]. We have two trips planned in April where we will include the peers without disabilities. One is to [the state college], located in the county directly south of our county. This particular college has many technical classes and degrees that students with disabilities could access; they allow many IEP accommodations to help students be successful in their classes. Unfortunately, transportation from county to county is not easy and students often do not choose to go to this school because parents cannot transport them. With the help of the [transit agency] mobility specialist, we will have a [county] mobility specialist on this trip. We will also be taking our peers without disabilities with us on this trip where the roles will be reversed and the peers with disabilities will show the peers without disabilities how to ride the bus. In May, we will also take them with us to [a] baseball game. We will be using class time in March to plan both trips using the online routes and online trip planner powered by Google Maps.
•	Grandparents, Parks, Picnics, and Public Transportation. A coloring book was developed as part of our project that had older inclusive groups of students invite inclusive groups of younger students and their senior citizen caregivers to use public transportation. Students invited their grandparents to a picnic. The trolley was used as the means of getting to both the picnic lunch and to the public park for the picnic.
•	Project ACTION transportation for people with and without disabilities.

Photo: A bus going up the street with a body of water in the background. 
Photo caption: www.pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden

3.	What outcomes did you expect for students?
•	I expected the high school students to develop a level of comfort with a variety of students with disabilities. I expected the students to communicate with [our] county transportation providers and understand what they can offer in transportation options. I expected growth in knowledge of the disadvantages a rural community offers individuals with disabilities.
•	Increased knowledge, compassion and understanding regarding the level of difficulty for traveling throughout our region. Students with disabilities have an added challenge because there are no modes of public transportation.
•	I expected that all students would become familiar with taking the bus and be comfortable getting off and on. I wanted them to know that public transportation is an option for them. I do have a handful of students who I expect to be able to secure a competitive job in the community. I wanted them to know that they could get a job and not rely on their mom or dad to drive them. I also wanted them to know that if they did chose to participate in a postsecondary education program, they could take the bus. I also wanted them to know that they could meet friends at the mall or the movies without their mom or dad driving them.
•	More confidence in knowing and using public transportation and more confidence in advocating for public transit.
•	The students had to survey people in specific zip codes regarding transportation needs.

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4.	Describe why or why not these outcomes were achieved.
•	I was disappointed to find that there were no independent transportation opportunities. 
•	My students were very nervous when they were assigned their interviewees. After the interviews the students met and talked about what they had found out.  Many were surprised at the lack of transportation available and the total dependence on family. They felt a comradeship with their student partner.
•	Before our study, community leaders did not pay a great deal of attention to the transportation obstacles found by our students with disabilities. Knowledge was gained as well as exposure to the need to add adequate transportation alternatives for those who require it.
•	I believe that my outcomes were met, and this is still an ongoing process. The [transit system] mobility specialist gave us a coupon we can use each time we take the bus that allows us to ride for $.25 each trip. She has offered this coupon not just for this year but for any year we choose to use the [transit system] for our trips. This is going to help my students to continue to take a [transit system] bus when we plan our community-based sites. I will be able to plan a monthly trip without parents having to pay upwards of $2.50 each trip. What I am saying is that my students will be able to continue their public transportation exploration year after year thus continuing their familiarity with taking public transportation. This connection with the mobility specialist has been key to our success. In December, I received the feedback I was looking for. While taking a bus back to the stop near our school, one student said, “You know the more you do this, the easier it gets.” Finally an epiphany! The students chose this as a destination and it was an amazing hit. I never dreamed they would enjoy this part of their community.
•	These outcomes and many more were achieved. All outcomes were positive for transit futures.
•	The surveys have been very successful and [name removed] has agreed to take the data gathered and make changes regarding their routes based on our information. One of my students has been appointed to serve as an alternate to the [name removed] Citizen’s Advisory Council.

5.	What benefits do you think that an inclusive transportation service-learning program has for students?
•	My students views were broadened and softened. My student-partners and their parents felt like they were included in the transportation project. It was interesting for my students to hear who in the community would consider helping in increasing transportation access for students with disabilities.
•	Increasing confidence and independence.

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•	Provided students with a strong depth of knowledge concerning the current problem at hand, as well as avenues to correct the problem.
•	For my students, it has allowed for them to be the leader where they are often the followers. It has allowed them to show what they have mastered to a peer without a disability who usually the one who takes the lead.
•	The benefits are two-fold. Students learn to use public transit as they teach others of all ages and abilities to appreciate and use public transit. The project also helps those who may not immediately need transit to appreciate the broader purpose of public transit.
•	They have become more self-confident and outgoing. They see that they can make real change and advocating for themselves can be easy.

6.	What benefits do you think an inclusive transportation service-learning program has for a school and/or district?
•	It makes people realize that there are many options available and that transportation can’t be a barrier to mobility and independence. 
•	The school has a clear view on what they can offer our current students. Our findings may clarify what other groups offer.
•	Awareness and establishing transportation as a goal within a school’s strategic plan for improvement.
•	Certainly, I have become more familiar with public transportation. With each trip we take, the more comfortable I am with the entire process. Living in [name removed], I never take a bus anywhere. So I had to learn along with my students the ins and outs of reading the schedules and planning the trip. Since I am in charge of their life-skills learning, my knowledge and my comfort with transportation will allow me to continue with the travel training long after this program has ended. The mobility specialist has become familiar with my students and the district. She has begun to volunteer more information and more help. She and I have planned more time for her to come out to the school to help with planning our trips in April and May. This project also includes two other teachers in my school. They have said they have no idea how to ride a bus, so this program has opened up the dialogue with other teachers regarding students taking public transportation. We can call the mobility specialist to help travel train students when they find a job.
•	Specifically, schools must prepare students for the future. Teaching independence is a critical role in preparing students for their futures. Many students are born with disabilities and will need transit. Many more will age into disabilities, be injured, or acquire an illness and need public transit. Research shows that in more equal societies everyone does better. Accessible, efficient public transit is one of the essential elements of an equitable society.

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7.	What benefits do you think the inclusive transportation service-learning projects had for the community?
•	I think it was beneficial for the students to interview the community members as information surfaced that transportation is not readily available.
•	It provides a base point to start looking at opportunities that could be expanded upon.
•	The project has strengthened and encouraged inter-agency collaboration. Many organizations (primarily churches) are willing to assist with tackling this problem.
•	Until last year, [name removed] did not have a route on the [name removed] Transit line. There was a route in the early 2000’s but it was terminated because money was tight and very few people used the system. Having the route reopened and the connections we have made with the mobility specialist could possibly help keep this line open. Each time we ride, there are very few passengers other than our class, until we get to the transit center. The city of [name removed] has many bus riders; it is the suburbs that have few riders.
•	It helped those who need transit to feel valued. The project seemed to make transit a prized asset and those who use it [a prized asset], too.
•	It engages the community with people with disabilities and gave [the community] the opportunity to view them in a different light.

8.	Did your relationship with your public transit or planning agency change as a result of this project?
•	The school/student’s relationship was definitely enhanced as they had never conversed before this project.
•	Definitely, and my understanding was broadened.
•	The relationship was strengthened.
•	[The transit professional] and I have been working together very well. She has helped us make connections with the [county] mobility specialist. I have a student working at [name removed] University located in the county just east of us. I have asked [name removed] for help in contacting the [county] mobility specialist to help travel train her. I know I can call her anytime to answer a question or help us design a trip if we are unable to do so without her help.
•	It enhanced an already good relationship with the public agency. The planning agency is grateful to the emphasis.
•	Yes, [the transit agency] has become much more open to working with us and making real changes to benefit the community as a whole.

9.	Do you think that you or your school/district will continue to implement inclusive transportation service-learning projects?
One-hundred percent of the three respondents who answered this question indicated they would continue these projects.

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10.	What resources do you think educators/schools/districts would need to implement similar inclusive transportation service-learning programs?
•	Our project demonstrated that transportation needs are high and that transportation falls heavily on family members. Many of the groups we talked with indicated they would like to help but money was an issue. The next step would be to begin searching for financial support for these agencies to add additional routes to their current routes (for example, senior citizens routes).
•	State and national guidance.
•	A clear strategic plan for reaching the goal, agency contact numbers, camera cell-phone, solid interviewing/communication skills.
•	The school needs to have bus stops within walking distance of the school.  If not, the school must be willing to transport students to the transit center nearby.
•	This is not simple--but an understanding of demographic and financial changes makes the arguments initially.
•	Access to information, assistance in setting up a program.

11.	Was there anything that surprised you in this project?
•	I was surprised that one of the wealthier groups we talked to were adamant about not getting involved.
•	How little we have available for post high students and how much we depend upon family and friends to carry the burden.
•	[A foundation] was very clear that they had no interest in supporting this endeavor. There is still a strong reminder of the recession; some people showed their unwillingness to support this endeavor while they were still experiencing hardships at home.
•	I did not realize that the bus service in this area all but stops on the weekends. I was hoping we could take a longer trip somewhere during a weekend but the routes are so sparse it does not make it feasible. Also, I wanted to take the students into [city], but again even during the week there are only two buses that go to [city], and we could not make the time frame.
•	How well the students without disabilities loved the project and quickly understood the dynamics of transit and its increasing importance.
•	How easily my students took to surveying the public.

12.	Is there any additional information you would like to provide about your participation?
•	I was pleased with my students’ growth in knowledge and support of this project.
•	It was a success!

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Analyses

A non-parametric paired-sample statistical analysis using SPSS did not find any significant differences between pre- and post- test data; however, descriptive statistics including a review of mean scores did result in increases in student beliefs in some areas following their participation in the inclusive transportation service-learning program. At increased levels, students indicated that transportation will help them get a job and live in the community. Slight post-project increases were also noted in students’ belief that it is important for students to know about transportation options in their community, and more students indicated that they are better able to advocate for transportation options following their participation in the service-learning program. Also, it was noteworthy that students reported acquiring information about transportation from their teachers and schools to a greater degree following their involvement in the service-learning program. 

Conclusion

Although this study did not yield statistically significant findings, the self-reports by students regarding their beliefs about the importance of transportation in facilitating their ability to get jobs and live in the community were consistent with the intent of the inclusive transportation service-learning program. Also aligned with the purposes of the program were the increases in student reports regarding their ability to advocate for transportation options. These findings support student participation in a service-learning as a way to raise understanding about how transportation can affect the attainment of post-school goals, such as employment and community living. 

The ESPA director, providing oversight to this work, purposely did not provide stringent control of project conditions or data collection and, this in part, served as a limitation of this overall program. The uniqueness of the project topics, the diversity across student populations and the varying levels of engagement of district participants may have influenced the lack of statistically significant findings. Nevertheless, the descriptive statistical findings related to student beliefs, and the qualitative feedback from educators involved in this program, affirm the importance of a structured way to help students better understand transportation options in their communities. Due to a paucity of national data regarding the kinds of transportation education and services that best improve student knowledge and skill, an inclusive service-learning program, such as the one implemented in this study, cannot be refuted as one way to address student educational needs on transportation topics.

Recommendations

Educators can use findings from this study to:
•	Design and implement inclusive transportation service-learning programs within their communities.
•	Engage transportation providers in transportation projects.
•	Connect transportation-related programs to the benefits on post-school goals for students and their families. 
•	Collect data regarding project outcomes. 
•	Communicate with school and community officials about a school’s transportation-related projects. 

Photo: Young boy smiling and holding a notebook. 

Back cover

Boxed item: Schools must prepare students for the future. Teaching independence is a critical role in preparing students for their futures. Many students are born with disabilities and will need transit. Many more will age into disabilities, be injured, or acquire an illness and need public transit. Research shows that in more equal societies everyone does better. Accessible, efficient public transit is one of the essential elements of an equitable society.“ - A project director from the ESPA Inclusive Transportation Service-Learning Program

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4/2013

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