Transportation Department (Primary IEP Service Provider)

  • Transportation Director Accountable for All IEP Compliance
  • Route Coordinator Daily Operations Management
  • Bus Driver Direct Service Delivery
  • Bus Attendant Student Support & Safety
Special Education Transportation Responsibility Matrix

Special Education Transportation

Detailed Responsibility Matrix (RACI) & Process Accountability

RACI Responsibility Model

A - Accountable: Ultimately answerable for completion
R - Responsible: Does the work to complete task
C - Consulted: Provides input before decision
I - Informed: Kept updated on progress
E - External: Outside stakeholder involvement
Process Segment Trigger/Timeline Administration Special Education Transportation Support Departments External
Supt Asst Supt SpEd Dir Principal SpEd Teacher Case Mgr Gen Ed Teacher Related Svc Trans Dir Route Coord Driver Attendant HR Dir Nurse Maintenance Parent Vendor
PHASE 1: INITIAL ASSESSMENT & IEP CONSIDERATION
1.1 IEP Team Convening Within 30 days of referral/annual review I I A I R R R C C - - - - - - E -
1.2 Transportation Need Assessment During IEP meeting - - A C R R C C C - - - - C - E -
1.3A No Transport Decision If IEP team determines not needed - - A - R R - - - - - - - - - E -
1.3B Transport Required Decision If IEP team determines needed - I A I R R - - C - - - - - - E -
PHASE 2: TRANSPORTATION SERVICE PLANNING
2.1 Detailed Needs Assessment Within 10 days of IEP decision - - A - C C - C R C - - - C - E -
2.2 Service Specification Upon assessment completion - - A - R R - - C - - - - - - E -
2.3 IEP Documentation Immediate upon specification - - A - R R - - I - - - - - - E -
PHASE 3: SERVICE IMPLEMENTATION
3.1 Staff Recruitment Upon IEP finalization - A I - - - - - C - - - R - - - -
3.2 Driver Qualification Before service start - - I - - - - - A - - - R - - - -
3.3 Training Implementation Post qualification verification - - A - C - - C R - - - R - - - -
3.4 Vehicle Preparation Concurrent with training - - I - - - - C A - - - - - R - E
3.5 Route Development 5 days before service start - - I C C - - - A R - - - - - E -
PHASE 4: DAILY OPERATIONS & COMPLIANCE MONITORING
4.1 Pre-Trip Operations Daily before each route - - - - - - - - A I R R - - - - -
4.2 Student Transport Per IEP schedule - - - I I - - - A I R R - - - E -
4.3 Incident Response As incidents occur I I A I I I - - R - R R - C - E -
4.4 Daily Reporting End of each service day - - I - - - - - A C R R - - - - -
PHASE 5: CONTINUOUS REVIEW & IMPROVEMENT
5.1 Weekly Operations Review Every Friday - - I - - - - - A R - - - - - - -
5.2 Monthly Compliance Audit First week of each month - I A - - - - - R C - - - - - - -
5.3 Quarterly Service Review End of each quarter - A R - C - - - R C - - - - - E -
5.4 Annual Program Evaluation End of school year A R R - C - - - R C - - - - - E -

Department-Based Responsibility Summary

Administration (Leadership)

  • Superintendent Final Authority
  • Assistant Superintendent Program Oversight
  • Special Ed Director IEP Compliance
  • Principal Site Coordination

Special Education Department

  • Special Ed Teacher IEP Development
  • Case Manager Documentation
  • Gen Ed Teacher Student Input
  • Related Services Assessment

Transportation Department

  • Transportation Director Service Management
  • Route Coordinator Route Planning
  • Bus Driver Service Delivery
  • Bus Attendant Student Support

Support Departments

  • HR Director Staff Qualification
  • School Nurse Health Assessment
  • Maintenance Vehicle Setup

External Stakeholders

  • Parent/Guardian Decision Partner
  • Equipment Vendors Specialized Setup
  • Emergency Services Crisis Response

Decision Escalation Hierarchy

1
Operational Issues: Bus Driver → Route Coordinator → Transportation Director
Daily operational problems, route adjustments, equipment issues
2
Service Delivery Issues: Special Ed Teacher → Special Ed Director → Assistant Superintendent
IEP compliance, service adequacy, parent concerns
3
Safety/Legal Issues: Any Staff → Principal/Director → Assistant Superintendent → Superintendent
Incidents, legal compliance, policy violations
4
System-Wide Issues: Department Directors → Assistant Superintendent → Superintendent → Board
Policy changes, budget impacts, district-wide implications

Critical Timeline & Accountability Points

T-30
IEP Team Meeting Trigger
Initial evaluation, annual review, or parent request triggers process
Accountable: Special Ed Director | Responsible: Special Ed Teacher
T-10
Detailed Needs Assessment
Comprehensive evaluation of student transportation requirements
Accountable: Special Ed Director | Responsible: Transportation Director
T-5
Route Planning & Final Preparation
Route development, safety protocols, parent coordination
Accountable: Transportation Director | Responsible: Route Coordinator
T-0
Service Implementation
Transportation Dept assumes full responsibility for IEP compliance
Accountable: Transportation Director | Educator Role: Return to instruction focus
+7
Operations Review
Transportation Dept monitors and adjusts services independently
Accountable: Transportation Director | Educator Role: None unless consultation requested
Annual
IEP Review
Only time educators re-engage with transportation - annual IEP review
Accountable: Special Ed Director for IEP | Transportation Director reports service status

Implementation Tools & Templates

Key Principle: Templates designed to minimize educator time on transportation operations while ensuring IEP compliance and clear departmental hand-offs.

Phase 1 Templates: IEP Development

  • Template A1: Transportation Consideration Checklist Pre-Meeting Prep
  • Template A2: IEP Team Decision Form Meeting Documentation
  • Template A3: Transportation Referral Form Hand-off to Transportation
  • Template A4: IEP Service Specification Compliant Language

Phase 2-4 Templates: Operations Support

  • Template B1: Emergency Contact Reference Quick Access
  • Template B2: Incident Communication Form When Issues Arise
  • Template B3: Parent Information Letter Clear Role Communication

Phase 5 Templates: Review & Monitoring

  • Template C1: Annual Transportation Review IEP Meetings
  • Template C2: Data Collection Form Progress Monitoring
  • Template C3: Transition Planning Worksheet Student Changes

Implementation Templates

A1 IEP Transportation Quick Check

Student: ________________
Date: ________________
Meeting Type:
☐ Initial ☐ Annual ☐ Review
Quick Decision Tree:
1. Distance Issue? ☐ Yes ☐ No
2. Disability Impact? ☐ Yes ☐ No
3. Safety Concern? ☐ Yes ☐ No
4. Access to FAPE? ☐ Yes ☐ No
If ANY "Yes" → Transport likely needed

A2 IEP Team Transport Decision

Team Decision:
☐ NO TRANSPORT
Reason: ___________________

☐ TRANSPORT REQUIRED
Type needed: ___________________
Parent Agreement: ☐ Yes ☐ No
Next Steps:
☐ Complete IEP - no transport
☐ Complete Template A3 referral
☐ Schedule follow-up meeting
Meeting Date: ______________
Completed by: ______________

A3 Transport Referral (HAND-OFF TO TRANSPORTATION)

STUDENT INFO:
Name: _______________
Grade: ______ DOB: ______
School: _______________
Address: _______________
________________________
Parent: _______________
Phone: _______________
SERVICE NEEDED:
☐ Regular bus + accommodations
☐ Wheelchair accessible
☐ Individual transport
☐ Attendant required
☐ Medical equipment
☐ Behavioral support
Schedule:
Start: _____ End: _____
SPECIAL NEEDS:
Medical: _______________
________________________
Behavioral: _______________
________________________
Equipment: _______________
________________________
Start Date: __________
EDUCATOR ROLE COMPLETE - TRANSPORTATION DEPT NOW ACCOUNTABLE
From: ________________________
Special Ed Teacher / Date
To: ________________________
Transportation Director / Date Received

B1 Transportation Emergency Reference

EMERGENCY CONTACTS:
Transportation Director: _______________
Phone: _____________ Ext: _____
Route Coordinator: _______________
Phone: _____________ Ext: _____
District Main: _______________
EDUCATOR RULES:
✗ Do NOT call parents about transport
✗ Do NOT solve route problems
✓ Call Transportation Dept immediately
✓ Focus on student education support
✓ Document educational impact only

C1 Annual Transport Review (IEP Meeting)

TRANSPORT DATA (from Transport Dept):
Days served: ______ / ______
Incidents: ☐ None ☐ Minor ☐ Major
Parent satisfaction: ☐ Good ☐ Issues
Service changes needed: ☐ Yes ☐ No
EDUCATIONAL IMPACT (Educator):
Attendance affected: ☐ Yes ☐ No
Learning impacted: ☐ Yes ☐ No
IEP goals affected: ☐ Yes ☐ No
Student adjustment: ☐ Good ☐ Issues
TEAM DECISION FOR NEXT YEAR:
☐ Continue same service ☐ Modify service ☐ Discontinue ☐ Start new service

P1 Parent Communication Template

[SCHOOL LETTERHEAD]

Dear [Parent Name],

Following our IEP meeting on [DATE], your child [STUDENT NAME] will:

☐ RECEIVE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
Contact for ALL transport questions:
Transportation Department: [PHONE] / [EMAIL]
They handle: routes, schedules, delays, incidents, changes

☐ NOT RECEIVE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
Family provides transportation
This decision reviewed annually at IEP meeting

Questions about your child's education: Contact me
Questions about transportation: Contact Transportation Dept

Sincerely,
[TEACHER NAME]
[CONTACT INFO]

QUICK START IMPLEMENTATION

SPECIAL ED TEACHERS:
1. Print Template A1 for all IEP meetings
2. Use Template A2 during meetings
3. Complete Template A3 = DONE
4. Post Template B1 at desk
5. Use Template C1 for annual reviews
TRANSPORTATION DIRECTORS:
1. Accept Template A3 referrals
2. Assume full accountability
3. Handle all parent communication
4. Provide data for Template C1
5. Own all daily operations
ADMINISTRATORS:
1. Train staff on clean hand-offs
2. Monitor role boundaries
3. Ensure educator focus on instruction
4. Support department accountability
5. Review process annually

Template Implementation Workflow

For Special Education Teachers

  1. Keep Templates A1 & A2 for all IEP meetings
  2. Use Template A3 for clean hand-offs
  3. Post Template B1 for daily reference
  4. Use Template C1 for annual reviews
  5. Remember: Focus returns to instruction after hand-off

For Transportation Directors

  1. Receive Template A3 referrals promptly
  2. Assume full accountability at hand-off
  3. Provide data for Template C1 annually
  4. Use Template B2 for educator communication
  5. Remember: Own all operational decisions

For Administrators

  1. Ensure clear role separation understanding
  2. Monitor template usage for efficiency
  3. Review hand-off processes annually
  4. Support department boundaries
  5. Remember: Protect instructional time

Success Metrics

Educator Efficiency:
  • Reduced time on transport issues
  • Clear role boundaries maintained
  • Focus on instructional priorities
Compliance Quality:
  • Consistent IEP documentation
  • Proper service hand-offs
  • Legal requirement fulfillment
Communication Clarity:
  • Clear parent understanding
  • Efficient inter-department coordination
  • Reduced confusion and conflicts