This section contains requirements for traditional classroom
driving safety courses. For each course, the following curriculum
documents and materials are required to be submitted as part of the
application for approval. Courses of instruction must not be approved
that contain language that a reasonable and prudent individual would
consider inappropriate. Any changes and updates to a course must be
submitted by the driving safety provider and approved prior to being
offered.
(1) Driving safety courses.
(A) Educational objectives. The educational objectives
of driving safety courses must include, but not be limited to, promoting
respect for and encouraging observance of traffic laws and traffic
safety responsibilities of drivers and citizens; information relating
to human trafficking prevention in accordance with the provisions
of the Julia Wells Act (Senate Bill 1831, Section 3, 87th Regular
Legislature (2021)); information relating to the Texas Driving with
Disabilities Program (Senate Bill 2304, 88th Regular Legislature (2023));
implementation of law enforcement procedures for traffic stops in
accordance with the provisions of the Community Safety Education Act;
the proper use of child passenger safety seat systems; safely operating
a vehicle near oversize or overweight vehicles; the passing of certain
vehicles as described in Transportation Code §545.157; the dangers
and consequences of street racing; reducing traffic violations; reducing
traffic-related injuries, deaths, and economic losses; and motivating
continuing development of traffic-related competencies.
(B) Driving safety course content guides. A course
content guide is a description of the content of the course and the
techniques of instruction that will be used to present the course.
For courses offered in languages other than English, the driving safety
provider must provide written declaration affirming that the translation
of the course materials is true and correct in the proposed language
presented. Such materials are subject to the approval of the department
prior to its use in a driver safety course. To be approved, each driving
safety provider must submit as part of the application a course content
guide that includes the following:
(i) a statement of the course's traffic safety goal
and philosophy;
(ii) a statement of policies and administrative provisions
related to techniques of instruction, standards, and performance;
(iii) a statement of policies and administrative provisions
related to student progress, attendance, makeup, and conduct. The
policies and administrative provisions must be used by each driving
safety provider that offers the course and include the following requirements:
(I) appropriate standards to ascertain the attendance
of students. All driving safety providers must use appropriate standards
for documenting attendance to include the hours scheduled each day
and each hour not attended;
(II) if the student does not complete the entire course,
including all makeup lessons, within the timeline specified by the
court, no credit for instruction shall be granted;
(III) any period of absence for any portion of instruction
will require that the student complete that portion of instruction
in a manner determined by the driving safety provider; and
(IV) conditions for dismissal and conditions for re-entry
of those students dismissed for violating the conduct policy;
(iv) a statement of policy addressing entrance requirements
and special conditions of students such as the inability to read,
language barriers, and other disabilities;
(v) a list of relevant instructional resources such
as textbooks, audio and visual media and other instructional materials,
and equipment that will be used in the course and the furniture deemed
necessary to accommodate the students in the course such as tables,
chairs, and other furnishings. The course shall include a minimum
of 60 minutes of audio/video materials relevant to the required topics;
however, the audio/video materials must not be used in excess of 165
minutes of the 300 minutes of instruction. The resources may be included
in a single list or may appear at the end of each instructional unit;
(vi) written or printed materials to be provided for
use by each student as a guide to the course. The department may make
exceptions to this requirement on an individual basis;
(vii) instructional activities to be used to present
the material (lecture, films, other media, small-group discussions,
workbook activities, written and oral discussion questions, etc.).
When small-group discussions are planned, the course content guide
must identify the questions that will be assigned to the groups;
(viii) instructional resources for each unit;
(ix) techniques for evaluating the comprehension level
of the students relative to the instructional unit. If oral or written
questions are to be used to measure student comprehension levels,
they shall be included in the course guide. The evaluative technique
may be used throughout the unit or at the end; and
(x) a completed form cross-referencing the instructional
units to the topics identified in Chapter Four of the COI-Driving
Safety. A form to cross-reference the instructional units to the required
topics and topics unique to the course will be provided by the department.
(C) Course and time management. Approved driving safety
courses must be presented in compliance with the following guidelines
and must include statistical information drawn from data maintained
by the Texas Department of Transportation or National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration.
(i) A minimum of 300 minutes of instruction is required.
(ii) The total length of the course must consist of
a minimum of 360 minutes.
(iii) Sixty (60) minutes of time, exclusive of the
300 minutes of instruction, must be dedicated to break periods or
to the topics included in the minimum course content. All break periods
must be provided after instruction has begun and before the comprehensive
examination and summation.
(iv) Administrative procedures such as enrollment must
not be included in the 300 minutes of the course.
(v) Courses conducted in a single day in a traditional
classroom setting must allow a minimum of 30 minutes for lunch.
(vi) Courses taught over a period longer than one day
must provide breaks on a schedule equitable to those prescribed for
one-day courses. However, all breaks must be provided after the course
introduction and prior to the last unit of the instructional day or
the comprehensive examination and summation, whichever is appropriate.
(vii) The order of topics must be approved by the department
as part of the course approval, and for each student, the course must
be taught in the order identified in the approved application.
(viii) Students must not receive a uniform certificate
of course completion unless that student receives a grade of at least
70 percent on the final examination.
(ix) In a traditional classroom setting, there must
be sufficient seating for the number of students, arranged so that
all students are able to view, hear, and comprehend all instructional
aids and the class must have no more than 50 students.
(x) The driving safety provider must make a material
effort to establish the identity of the student.
(D) Minimum course content. Driving Safety course content,
including video and multimedia, must include current statistical data,
references to law, driving procedures, and traffic safety methodology,
as shown in the COI-Driving Safety to assure student mastery of the
subject matter.
(E) Examinations. Each course provider shall submit
for approval, as part of the application, tests designed to measure
the comprehension level of students at the completion of the driving
safety course. The comprehensive examination for each driving safety
course must include at least two questions from the required units
set forth in Chapter Four, Topics Two through Twelve of the COI-Driving
Safety, for a total of at least 20 questions. The final examination
questions shall be of such difficulty that the answer may not easily
be determined without completing the actual instruction. Provider-designated
persons who offer or provide instruction must not assist students
in answering the final examination questions but may facilitate alternative
testing. Students must not be given credit for the driving safety
course unless they score 70 percent or more on the final test. The
provider must identify alternative testing techniques to be used for
students with reading, hearing, or learning disabilities and policies
for retesting students who score less than 70 percent on the final
examination. The provider may choose not to provide alternative testing
techniques; however, students shall be advised whether the course
provides alternative testing prior to enrollment in the course. Test
questions may be short answer, multiple choice, essay, or a combination
of these forms.
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