unmatched care and the safest ride to school for an exceptional student experience. Initially, FirstServes, developed in conjunction with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the No. 1 ranked children’s hospital [in the “U.S. News & World Report rankings for 2023-2024], operat- ed as a training program for our staff to better support students with special needs. FirstServes is an example of how we continue to live our mission to provide a safer space for all students on the school bus. Today, it’s a student services platform we’ve deployed to ensure the continuity of services provided in the classroom to the school bus. Since the pilot, we’ve realized a decrease in negative student behavior on the bus. Our staff is better equipped to respond to student incidents, resulting in improved job satisfaction for our team.
STN: Is the training updated and taught/refreshed on an ongoing basis?
Kenning: Like a student’s individualized education program (IEP), the FirstServes program is designed for annual growth. We monitor and measure outcomes using FirstActs, our online behavioral incident reporting tool. We review program data and metrics in real-time, allowing us to make improvements to the training with additional input from our independent advisory board comprised of CCHMC staff and researchers from top educational institutions across the country. We have seen exceptional results and are excited to begin offering the FirstServes program, through our consulting division, to districts that operate their own transportation. We can offer an exceptional school transportation experience and help with safety, hiring, training, maintenance and more so that educators can keep their focus on their students and the classroom.
STN: What has been the response so far from school districts where the training has been implemented? Any documented student successes as a result? Employee successes/lessons learned?
Kenning: The feedback we’ve received has been ex- ceptional. A recent example is in Battle Ground [Public Schools in] Washington, where we partnered with the district to train drivers. The district has told us that FirstServes has completely changed the culture of transportation. Two of the big reasons the program has worked so well are the devoted training team and that the team takes time to align the content with district’s goals. We take calculated steps to understand our customers’ goals and their student services classroom practices.
Like our customers and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), our goal is to provide consistent support for students to offer the least restrictive environ- ment for their ride to and from school. We recently had a student passenger with autism who struggled with aggression and self-injury. By using an “About Me” form with the parents, we were able to uncover the student’s affinity for math. Our program managers suggested flash cards for the bus attendant to utilize during the ride. This small intervention resulted in reduced inappropriate behavior and transformed the transportation experience for the student. Drivers are empowered and prepared to use their learned skills from FirstServes, and our customers are pleased with the sig- nificant improvement they’ve witnessed as a result.
STN: Meanwhile, the FirstAlt service is a departure from the traditional yellow school bus but indicative of an exploding trend in student transportation. It ostensibly was already in development by the time you took the leadership reins last spring, but how does the service align with the goals you set for the company’s forward trajectory?
Kenning: Our mission is to provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school for all students so that they are ready to achieve their full potential when they arrive. Our customers are asking for alternative transportation options, and we can offer a full suite of solutions to meet their needs. Our goal is to help districts get as many students as possible to school on the bus, but when circumstances call for alternative solutions, we are com- mitted to the same standards as our yellow bus service. We have built a great team, led by Gregg Prettyman, that has developed custom technology specifically designed for alternative transportation and its unique challeng- es. This technology benefits districts, parents and the students we service. We can proactively manage every trip. Dashboards alert the team to any trips running late, substitute drivers needed and each driver and student’s status. Districts also have access to these tools via a dis- trict dashboard. With FirstAlt you aren’t just offering a reliable transpor- tation service. You’re offering well-trained, professional, caring support to the students who depend on you the most.
STN: What has been the adoption rate among existing First Student customers? What has the adoption rate been for districts that provide their own transportation?
Kenning: A significant number of our existing bus
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