INFORMATIONAL

  The Virginia Department of Education has been awarded
  Highway Safety Project funds to provide school divisions
  with seed money to support their driver education parent
  involvement programs and/or to devise under 21 driver
  improvement classes.  Fifteen, one thousand dollar grants
  are available to help schools motivate parents to become
  more realistic about their children's driving abilities,
  more aware of the dangers of inexperienced driving, and more
  knowledgeable about the limitations of driver education
  courses.    

  Research has shown that a critical element to producing
  safer novice drivers is parent involvement before, during,
  and after students receive their driver's license.  Driver
  educators must continue to take a leadership role in
  reinforcing the individual and community factors that
  influence teenage risk-taking behaviors. 

  When students successfully complete an instructional program
  we know what they can do, but have limited control over what
  they will do.   Parents, on the other hand, not only have a
  vested interest in their child's safety, but are also in the
  best position to reinforce safe driving behaviors.  Driver
  Education does help teens develop safe driving skills;
  however, more often than not, it is poor judgement that
  causes crashes--not poor skills.

  Parents and juvenile courts have also expressed a need to
  have access to driver improvement programs that specifically
  target the under 21 year-old driver.   Therefore, these
  funds can also be used to provide students, after they have
  obtained some driving experience, an opportunity to revisit
  defensive driving concepts during their high risk driving
  years.  

  APPLICATION DEADLINE

  The Department must receive the mini-grant applications by
  5:00 p.m. on May 5, 1997.  Applications should be mailed to
  Vanessa C. Wigand, Department of Education, P.O. Box 2120,
  Richmond, VA 23218-2120.  

  If you need additional information about the traffic safety
  injury prevention grant opportunity please contact Vanessa
  C. Wigand at 804/225-3300.  Best wishes for continued
  success in your very important work.

  RTL/vcw

  Attachment:  A hard copy of this memo and its attachment
               will be sent to the superintendent's office


   DRIVER EDUCATION INCENTIVE GRANT PROPOSAL PREPARATION


  Organize incentive-grant applications into sections that are
  identifiable for the reviewer as described in Sections A - F
  below. 

  Section A.   Cover Sheet:  Complete the attached cover
               sheet.  Only those proposals that include all
               appropriate signatures will be accepted for
               review.

  Section B.   Needs Statement:   This section should
               identify:

               -    the target population

               -    the need(s) of the target population

               -    the components to be addressed in the
                    program (e.g., establishing an under 21
                    driver improvement program, or
                    developing a parent/community
                    involvement component.)

               -    the design/structure of the program
                    development initiative(s)  (e.g.,
                    methods and delivery system, key project
                    staff and roles.)

  Section C.   Objectives:    List anticipated outcomes.

  Section D.   Timeline: Cite the time frame involved to
               complete each objective.  The grant duration
               Budget:   The proposal should include
               discussion about how funds will be used to
               support each objective, and whether funds
               will be used for teacher stipends, travel
               reimbursement, substitutes, inservice
               training, parent workshops, curriculum
               revision, publications, instruments/forms,
               development of a parent guide, printing,
               audio visual resources, etc.  All
               expenditures must follow school board
               procurement procedures.  Grant requests may
               not exceed $1,000 per project, and funds will
               be available on a cost-reimbursement basis. 

  Section F.   Evaluation:    The evaluation plan should
               assess the project's attainment of desired
               outcomes.




  APPLICATION DEADLINE

  Incentive grant applications should be mailed to Vanessa C.
  Wigand, Department of Education, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, VA
  23218-2120, and must be received by 5:00 p.m. on May 5,
  1997.

  REQUESTS FOR REIMBURSEMENT

  For detailed reimbursement information please refer to the
  "Procedures and Forms For All Federal Programs Requests For
  Reimbursement"  document developed and distributed to all
  school divisions by the Virginia Department of Education.


           DRIVER EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
                         COVER SHEET



  School Division                        School                


  Project Director                            


  Phone #  (  )                Fax # (  )                      


  E-mail                                                       


  Address                                         zip          


  Project Title                                  


  Project Focus Area(s):               Parent and Community 

                                       Under 21 Driver                                   Improvement


  Amount of grant funds requested  $             (not to exceed 
                                                 $1,000 per project)


  Project Director's Signature                   Date          

  Principal's Signature 
     (if appropriate)                            Date          

  Division Superintendent's 
     Signature                                   Date          
 

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