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Distance and Disengagement in Middle School: Does Transportation Make a Difference? Technical Report

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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
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
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PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
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  Data: Distance and Disengagement in Middle School: Does Transportation Make a Difference? Technical Report
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Samantha+Trajkovski%22">Samantha Trajkovski</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Amy+Ellen+Schwartz%22">Amy Ellen Schwartz</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sarah+A%2E+Cordes%22">Sarah A. Cordes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22National+Center+for+Research+on+Education+Access+and+Choice+%28REACH%29%22">National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH)</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22National+Center+for+Research+on+Education+Access+and+Choice%22"><i>National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice</i></searchLink>. 2025.
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  Data: 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/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
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  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 56
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
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  Label: Sponsoring Agency
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  Data: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
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  Data: R305C180025
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  Data: Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Junior+High+Schools%22">Junior High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Intermediate+Grades%22">Intermediate Grades</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+8%22">Grade 8</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+School+Students%22">Middle School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Transportation%22">Student Transportation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Proximity%22">Proximity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Behavior%22">Student Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Participation%22">Student Participation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+8%22">Grade 8</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attendance%22">Attendance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Characteristics%22">Student Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+Influences%22">Environmental Influences</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22New+York+%28New+York%29%22">New York (New York)</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: 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.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
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  Label: IES Funded
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Yes
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED678932
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED678932
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 56
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Middle Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Middle School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Transportation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Proximity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Participation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 5
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 6
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 7
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 8
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attendance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Environmental Influences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: New York (New York)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Distance and Disengagement in Middle School: Does Transportation Make a Difference? Technical Report
        Type: main
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            NameFull: Amy Ellen Schwartz
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            NameFull: Sarah A. Cordes
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              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice
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