ANALYSIS
Field Trips: Plan Ahead for a Smooth Ride
WRITTEN BY LINDA F. BLUTH F
ield trips have a long established history for providing an opportunity to learn and participate in social experiences outside of the classroom. As a special education
teacher, I recall students’ enthusiasm when piling into yellow buses to visit museums, theaters, zoos, sports events and the circus. Across all ages and grades, students have been
enthralled by field trips. Tis holds true for students with and without disabilities. Tere is something special about getting on the yellow bus and traveling to an unknown destination. Te excitement of not spending a day in the school building is a welcomed change. For generations, field trips have provided an
excellent opportunity to partake in real-life experi- ences. Students are easily motivated to learn outside of the brick-and-mortar of the school building environment. For many students, a trip outside the boundaries of the school setting provides a first time experience and lasting memories. One of my fondest memories is to reflect back on my first field trip to Central Park in New York City with a group of 15 special needs students. Te trip included intellectually limited students with behav- ioral challenges, two chaperones and my mother as a third chaperone. All went well until I lost one of the parents. Tis occurred well before the age of cell phones. A police officer helped find the lost parent. I still laugh about this unanticipated event that became a favorite dinner topic of conversation for years in my family.
Never underestimate the amount of planning
required prior to taking a field trip. Below is a list of essential planning considerations prior to taking the first step onto the yellow bus for a field trip:
• Knowledge about the school district's field trip policies and procedures.
• Knowledge about what dates field trips are available during the school year.
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• •
• •
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Te beginning time and ending time for the field trip.
• Te allowable field trip geographical region including tolls and parking availability.
Responsibility for routing to and from the field trip?
Cost for participation in the field trip.
• Practice bus safety drills prior to the field trip for students who don’t use the school bus to get to and from school.
Check that parent consent forms are received prior to the field trip.
Maintain up-to-date emergency phone num- bers for school district personnel and student family contact numbers during field trip hours.
Ensure that the appropriate number of adults is available to provide supervision proportionate to the specific needs of individual students.
For students with disabilities, additional safety
precautions and considerations may be required. Students with autism, emotional disabilities and physical disabilities may provide the greatest chal- lenge. Key considerations include:
“If a school decides a student should be excluded from a field trip, the school district is obligated to make that determination on an individual basis and has the burden of demonstrating that the student should not participate.”
32 School Transportation News February 2014
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