Table II.-State requirements for school bus drivers-Examinations-First-aid-Continued

Oral or Written Test

In 39 States school bus drivers must pass some kind of oral or written test; in the other 9 States it is not required. This test is, in most States, required of all applicants for the kind of license the school bus driver must hold. It is administered by the agency which grants the license and in only 1 or 2 States is any part of the test of such a nature that would indicate that it was prepared for school bus drivers. Although the test is more extensive in some States than in others the same general pattern is followed in almost all of them. The three general topics usually covered are State traffic laws and regulations, correct driving practices, and ability to understand road signs.

Performance Test

In 38 States the school bus driver must pass a performance test; in 1 other State such a test may be required; and in the remaining 9 it is not required. The test is administered by the licensing agency in all of the 39 States, although it may also be administered by a school official in North Carolina. These tests are designed for school bus drivers in only 2 or 3 States. However, reports from California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin state that the tests are usually given in school buses to applicants for licenses to drive school buses.

TRAINING PROGRAMS

Even in the days when pupil transportation was in its infancy and I'mited to the use of a team and wagon to transport a few children to and from school, some school superintendents formulated certain regulations and instructions which were given to drivers. While this could hardly be called school bus driver training, it was the forerunner of present driver training programs. As the development of the motor vehicle made more extensive transportation possible, local units built up fleets of school-owned buses and employed drivers for them. Some of these local units soon began to organize regular training programs which, though not extensive in most cases, did include materials designed to improve the efficiency of the drivers. Some State departments of education actively encouraged local units to undertake organized training of school bus drivers. These local district and county training programs became quite common during the 1930's.

The organization of school bus driver training programs on a State-wide basis is a relatively recent development. The first one was established in North Carolina in 1937 and has been in operation since that time. Minnesota and Illinois began holding school bus driver meetings in 1939. New Mexico began work on training course material in 1939, and in the summer of 1940 the first course was offered to school bus drivers. There seems to have been no other programs on a State-wide basis previous to 1942.

The coming of the war gave marked impetus to school bus driver training programs as one of several means for preventing a severe curtailment of pupil transportation. By 1942 it was difficult to keep school bus drivers on the job, even if employers were not too particular about qualifications. A few school buses were idle for short periods of time because of the lack of drivers. Since it was becoming increasingly difficult to purchase new equipment, it was important that drivers be trained in efficient bus operation in order to conserve the buses already in use. Under such circumstances it was to be expected that those interested in school transportation should take active steps to prevent a break-down of the service.

A work conference to consider problems related to pupil transportation was organized in connection with the National Institute for Traffic Training at Yale University in June 1942. This conference was composed of chief State school officers and their representatives, representatives of various Federal Government agencies interested in pupil transportation, and representatives of various national organizations interested in the problem. A second work conference was held in July 1942, in Washington, D. C., to continue work on the

materials developed at the Yale conference. These two conferences resulted in the publication, School Transportation in Wartime,3 a handbook of suggested policies, principles, and procedures for the conservation, use, and procurement of school buses.

Two of the recommendations included in School Transportation in Wartime were that "All drivers of school buses should be required to take preemployment and supplementary training in school bus operation" and that "A school bus driver training program should be encouraged by the U. S. Office of Education." The National Council. of Chief State School Officers further emphasized the need for school bus driver training in a resolution requesting the U. S. Office of Education to give all possible advice and assistance in the planning and execution of programs for the training of school bus drivers. In line with these recommendations, State departments of education, the U. S. Office of Education, and the American Automobile Association began in 1942 the joint sponsorship of training courses for instructors of school bus drivers.

The American Automobile Association made available two staff members for giving this training and furnished equipment for testing school bus drivers. State departments of education made local arrangements for giving the courses and assisted in carrying them on. The Vocational Division of the U. S. Office of Education notified State directors of Vocational Education that vocational funds might be used according to existing State plans for defraying a part of the cost of these driver training courses. Four such courses were held in Alabama, 1 in Connecticut, 1 in Florida, 2 in Georgia, 1 in Mississippi, 6 in New York, 2 in South Carolina, and 3 in West Virginia. In addition, regional courses were held in connection with the National Institute for Wartime Traffic Training at Ohio State University in 1943 and at Northwestern University in 1944. Approximately 460 persons were trained as instructors of school bus drivers in these 22

courses.

Because of their interest in the safety of pupils transported to schools, the National Safety Council made a grant to the U. S. Office of Education in 1942 for the purpose of employing additional specialists on transportation and for defraying their expenses in holding meetings for those interested in pupil transportation. As a result of this grant, two transportation specialists held regional conferences in the fall of 1942 in Atlanta, Ga.; St. Paul, Minn.; Chicago, Ill.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Boston, Mass.; Washington, D. C.; Kansas City, Mo.; Denver, Colo.; Texarkana, Tex.; Jackson, Miss.; Portland, Oreg.; and Sacramento, Calif. Forty of the 48 State departments of education

* School Transportation in Wartime. Washington, D. C., American Automobile Association, 1942. p. 101.