Driver Education 101_ HPE II-Epps-YR-2025.pdf

9/29/24, 7:52 PM Driver Education 101: HPE II-Epps-YR-2025 Driver Education 101 There are two (2) components of Driver Education; both of which a student must pass to be eligible to receive their driver’s license before age 18. (If a student...

9/29/24, 7:52 PM Driver Education 101: HPE II-Epps-YR-2025 Driver Education 101 There are two (2) components of Driver Education; both of which a student must pass to be eligible to receive their driver’s license before age 18. (If a student is 18 years or older and has not previously held a driver’s license, complete a DMV issued Behind-the-Wheel Checklist (Form csma19.pdf (https://pwcs.instructure.com/courses/369663/files/97776835?wrap=1) (https://pwcs.instructure.com/courses/369663/files/97776835/download?download_frd=1) ), and have held a learner’s permit for at least 60 days before being eligible to take a DMV-administered road skills test). The two components are: Classroom Driver Education: All tenth-grade students complete a nine-week course of classroom driver education in their health and physical education class. In-Car Driver Education (Behind-the-Wheel): A separate behind-the-wheel segment, must also be successfully completed in order to obtain a driver's license in Virginia for those under age 18. Students must maintain an average of 60 or above on driver education assignments. This grade is independent of what parents can see in ParentVue, as the grade also factors in physical education. Students must achieve a score of 60 or above on a state-mandated Drugs & Alcohol/Driving Awareness (Module 8) Assessment. Attendance for classroom Driver Education is MANDATORY! This is a Virginia state mandate to which Virtual Prince William is not allowed to make exceptions. Mandatory components include laws, policies and regulations, alcohol safety, drug abuse awareness, aggressive driving, distracted driving, motorcycle awareness, organ donation, fuel efficiency, and what to do when stopped by police For this requirement, an excused absence does not excuse a student from their seat time. The seat time/hours requirement is extremely firm – students must be present for the instructional time. A Parent/guardian AND student must attend a state-mandated Parent/Student Meeting during the school year the student is enrolled in HPE II (regardless of whether they have a learner’s permit or the desire to receive a learner’s permit/ driver’s license). https://pwcs.instructure.com/courses/369663/pages/driver-education-101?module_item_id=57855403 1/4 9/29/24, 7:52 PM Driver Education 101: HPE II-Epps-YR-2025 When you pass classroom driver education, you will receive a DEC-District 8 card (Pink Card) from your teacher, which is required for Behind-the-Wheel instruction. PLEASE DO NOT LOSE THIS CARD! – the process to receive a re-issued card is much longer and we do not issue any cards over the summer. In-Car (Behind-the-Wheel) Driver Ed. instruction may be obtained either through PWCS or through a commercial driving academy, but students may not attempt In-Car instruction without having earned a completion certificate for Classroom Driver Education. This is the practical portion in which you will demonstrate your driving skills and knowledge of the driving laws during 7 days of driving (14 periods) with a certified Behind-the-Wheel instructor. On the last day of the class you will take your road skills test. It is highly recommended to seek In-Car instruction through PWCS. There is a fee, but the student will be in a familiar environment with familiar instructors committed to the student’s success. The fee at a private driving academy may be less than PWCS’s fee; however, instructors are unfamiliar and may be more committed to factors other than student success. In-Car Driver Ed. certification may be obtained either through PWCS Schools or through a commercial driving academy. If taking In-Car through PWCS, students may take while they are in classroom driver ed. If taking through a commercial driving academy, it is ILLEGAL for students to pursue In-Car instruction without having earned a completion certificate (DEC-district 8 card) for In-Class Driver Ed. Students become eligible to take Behind-the-Wheel through PWCS once they have received their learner’s permit, maintain a C or better in classroom Driver Education and have a minimum of 10 hours of driving practice with a parent. The first step: Obtain a learner’s permit. Students are eligible to take the test for their Learner’s Permit at the DMV after they are at least 15 years and 6 months old. You do not have wait until you https://pwcs.instructure.com/courses/369663/pages/driver-education-101?module_item_id=57855403 2/4 9/29/24, 7:52 PM Driver Education 101: HPE II-Epps-YR-2025 have completed classroom driver education before going to the DMV to attempt the test: as long as he/she has reached 15 years and 6 months of age, he/she may go. Details of the documents required at the DMV are available through their website (dmvnow.com). Once your student has received their learner’s permit, he/she may begin driving under the supervision of a licensed immediate family member age 18+ or a licensed family friend age 21+. During this time, they may work to complete their 45 Hour Driving Log, which is required for licensure. Students must accumulate 45 total hours of guided practice driving, 15 of which must be after sunset. Testing: Tests include a vision screening, a two-part knowledge exam and a road skills test. You must have 20/40 vision in one or both eyes. A DMV representative will tell you which tests you need to take. To screen your vision, you will be asked to look in a machine and read lines of letters or numbers to the DMV representative. This screening determines whether your eyesight and peripheral vision meet Virginia’s standards to safely operate a motor vehicle. The two-part knowledge exam is given in English or Spanish on a computer. It will test your knowledge of traffic signs, motor vehicle laws, and safe driving techniques. Exam questions are taken from information in the Virginia Driver’s Manual. If you fail the exam and are under age 18, you must wait 15 days before you can retake the exam. If you fail the driver’s license knowledge examination administered by DMV three times, you will not be permitted to take it a fourth time until you successfully complete an 8-hour Driver Manual Course. Upon completion of the classroom component and presentation of your certificate of completion, DMV will allow you to take the knowledge test again.] The driving exam - For applicants under age 18, the road skills test will be given as part of the driver education course taken at a public, private or commercial driving school. If you fail the driver’s license road skills test administered by DMV three times, you will not be permitted to take it a fourth time until you successfully complete the in-vehicle component of driver instruction at a driver training school approved by DMV or a comparable course approved by the Department of Education. Upon completion of the classroom component and presentation of your certificate of completion, DMV will allow you to take the road skills test again. The next step… …once you have completed all the following steps: obtained a learner’s permit and held it for at least 9 months passed both parts of Driver Ed. (Classroom Driver Education & In-Car), completed a 45 Hour Driving Log (45 hours of guided practice, 15 night hours) …then you are eligible to receive a Temporary Driver’s License (TDL). You will receive this from wherever you complete the In-Car “Behind the Wheel” instruction. If you seek instruction outside of PWCS, you will obtain your TDL from there, not your classroom teacher. https://pwcs.instructure.com/courses/369663/pages/driver-education-101?module_item_id=57855403 3/4 9/29/24, 7:52 PM Driver Education 101: HPE II-Epps-YR-2025 You will not need to go to the DMV for the licensing process other than to obtain your learner’s permit. Temporary Driver’s License (TDL) Facts: The TDL is only a piece of paper and your student must keep it with his/her learner’s permit in order to be valid. The TDL is valid for 6 months, or 180 days. It is within parental rights to withhold the license from your student until you feel they are mature enough and skilled enough to handle all the adult responsibilities that come with driving. Sometime within that 6-month period, you will receive a court date in the mail (It looks like a postcard) to attend a licensing ceremony with your parent at Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court (NOT the DMV). Please be sure both you and your parent attend the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony, the judge will present your driver’s license to YOUR Parent. YOUR Parent decides when and if to allow you to have the driver’s license. Your parent may take your license away —at any time and for any reason—until you reach age 18. If you refuse to hand it over to your parents, they may choose to have your license suspended Restrictions while driving with a TDL (Temporary Driver’s License): If you are under age 18, Virginia law prohibits you from driving midnight to 4 A.M. If you are under age 18, you may carry only one passenger under age 21, unless accompanied by a licensed parent, or other adult acting in place of a parent, in the front passenger seat. Virginia's cellular telephone law prohibits the use of cell phones while driving, regardless of whether such device is or is not hand-held. You can only use a cell phone or any other telecommunications device for a driver emergency and the vehicle must be lawfully parked or stopped. Curfew Restrictions: Restrictions on the Number of Passengers Cellular Telephone/Wireless Telecommunications Device Restrictions ***If you have any questions about the licensing process or about your student’s specific situation, please contact your HPE teacher. https://pwcs.instructure.com/courses/369663/pages/driver-education-101?module_item_id=57855403 4/4