| Title: |
Distance and Disengagement in Middle School: Does Transportation Make a Difference? Technical Report |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Samantha Trajkovski; Amy Ellen Schwartz; Sarah A. Cordes; National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH) |
| Source: |
National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice. 2025. |
| Availability: |
National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice. 1555 Poydras Street Suite 700, New Orleans, LA 70112. Tel: 870-540-6576; e-mail: info@reachcentered.org; Web site: https://reachcentered.org/ |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
56 |
| Publication Date: |
2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: |
Institute of Education Sciences (ED) |
| Contract Number: |
R305C180025 |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Elementary Education; Grade 5; Intermediate Grades; Grade 6; Grade 7; Grade 8 |
| Descriptors: |
Middle Schools; Middle School Students; Student Transportation; Proximity; Student Behavior; Student Participation; Grade 5; Grade 6; Grade 7; Grade 8; Attendance; Student Characteristics; Environmental Influences |
| Geographic Terms: |
New York (New York) |
| Abstract: |
The increased distance between school and home that typically characterizes the move to middle school may exacerbate student disengagement, which may (or may not) be ameliorated by school buses or transit subsidies. Using data from New York City, we provide both descriptive and credibly causal evidence on the relationship between distance, transportation, and student engagement. We find a negative relationship between distance and engagement: living farther from school is associated with lower attendance and higher chronic absenteeism, but higher rates of participation in school breakfast. There is no evidence that distance is related to other forms of student engagement. Transportation assistance in the form of either the school bus of full-fare MetroCard increases attendance by 1.5 percentage point, which is roughly equivalent to 3 days, but has no effect on other engagement measures. Overall, our results suggest that increased distance to school may help to explain increased disengagement among middle schoolers and that one potential policy lever to address this is through subsidized transportation. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| IES Funded: |
Yes |
| Entry Date: |
2026 |
| Accession Number: |
ED678932 |
| Database: |
ERIC |