COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 47
August 15, 2003
ADMINISTRATIVE
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
2002-2003
Driver Education Program Approval Application |
In
accordance with 46.2-334 of the Code of Virginia, the Department of Education
is responsible for approving public and private school driver education
programs. Driver education program requirements are specified in the 2001 Curriculum and Administrative Guide for
Driver Education in Virginia as prescribed by 22.1-205 of the Code of
Virginia.
Public
and private schools seeking program approval from the Department of Education
must submit the attached Driver Education Program Approval Application prior to
beginning instruction. The application form requires division
superintendents or heads of private schools requesting driver education program
approval to certify that the proposed program will meet all state-approved
program requirements.
As required by 22.1-205 of the Code of Virginia, the Virginia
Board of Education has established a standardized program of driver education
for public, private, and commercial schools.
The Driver Education Standards of
Learning and the Curriculum and
Administrative Guide for Driver Education in Virginia prescribe the content
and administrative requirements of a state-approved driver education
program. In addition, the Department of
Education has developed a set of driver education scope and sequence modules to
assist teachers in providing a standardized program of instruction that meets
state requirements. These Curriculum Scope and Sequence Modules are available at www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/PE/.
Course
content, minimum requirements, and administrative guidelines for classroom
driver education and laboratory training (driving and observing and, if
utilized, simulation and multi-car-range instruction), shall follow the Board
of Educations standardized program of instruction as outlined in the
curriculum and administrative guide.
Successful course completion is a pre-requisite to obtaining a Virginia
drivers license.
The
Department of Education will share the teacher information submitted on the
program approval application with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to
satisfy 46.2-340 of the Code of Virginia that directs the DMV to monitor
classroom and in-car driver education teachers driving records.
Periodically, DMV will send each school the names of the teachers on the
monitored list to verify accuracy and to amend when necessary.
The Virginia Association of Driver Education and Traffic Safety (VADETS) has provided training to more than 2,000 public, private, and commercial school teachers and will continue to sponsor staff development opportunities for teachers who still need to take the curriculum implementation training. The training schedule is available on the VADETS website at http://adtsea.iup.edu/vadets/. The VADETS curriculum implementation training is funded by a 402 federal highway safety grant administered by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
Please
submit the completed application form no later than September 12, 2002. If you
have questions, please contact Vanessa C. Wigand (vwigand@mail.vak12ed.edu), specialist, health, physical education and
driver education, at (804) 225-3300.
JDL/VCW
Attachment
/administrators/superintendents_memos/2003/adm047a.pdf