Online Driver Education

Page 1 of 7 

Online Driver Education 

For Teens 15‐17 Years Old   

Aldine ISD Information Packet   

If you have questions about the course,  Randall – 817‐821‐0906 

[email protected]  

122 Port O Call, Amarillo, TX 79118  Course Provider #2636

32‐Hour Driver Education Course Overview 

Virtual Drive Management, LLC has received full TEA approval to offer the first and to‐date the only 32‐

hour,  online  driver  education  course  that  includes  an  online  instructor.    This  course  is  a  streamlined  version of our popular 56‐hour course offered thru TxVSN.  These two courses, combined with our Adult  Driver Education course, provide districts/high schools a driver education solution to meet the diverse  needs of their students, parents and community.   

As the State’s leader in Computer Based Training Driver Education, the Virtual Drive Management, LLC  courses  have  proven  to  be  highly  successful  in  deterring  teen  age  driving  accidents  and  moving  violations.  When it is all said and done, this is the most important statistic a driver education company  and course can tout.  Virtual Drive Management, LLC has verifiable surveys performed by an accredited  Texas  State  University  that  shows  students  who  successfully  complete  this  course  have  much  lower  accident and moving violation rates than other national driver education courses on the market today. 

Course Highlights: 

 This  online  course  meets  the  classroom  requirements  of  the  TEA  and  the  Texas  Department of Public Safety (DPS).  It consists of 10 modules and each module contains  multiple lessons, topics and support material. (See attached Course Outline) 

 Students can easily navigate through each module aided by graphic illustrations, graphic  animations,  video  clips,  photographs,  mouse  roll‐overs,  and  easy  to  understand  explanations of correct driving techniques. 

 An  online,  Texas  certified  driver  education  instructor  is  available  to  answer  a  student’s  technical and course material questions.  

 Once the student completes the entire course successfully, Virtual Drive Management will  mail  a  Certificate  of  Completion  for  each  student.    The  student  and  parent(s)  take  the  bottom section only of this certificate and other personal documents to the DPS office to  take the Learner’s Permit test. 

 After  obtaining  the  Learner’s  Permit,  students  will  receive  ‘in‐car’  training  with  either  their parents or a certified driving instructor.  NOTE:  Virtual Drive Management does not  provide the certified instructor for ‘in‐car’ training.  If parents choose not to perform the 

‘in‐car’ instruction with their child, then the cost to obtain a certified ‘in‐car’ instructor is  their responsibility.  

 After  the  parents  and/or  ‘in‐car’  driving  instructor  have  completed  the  34  hours  of 

Page 3 of 7 

Curriculum Outline 

Item     Topic           Qty of Lessons    

 Introduction                        

 Module 1   Knowing Texas Travel Laws           6 Lessons        

 Module 2   Preparing to Operate A Vehicle         4 Lessons          

 Module 3   Basic Maneuvering Tasks           4 Lessons          

 Module 4   Basic Maneuvering Tasks/Low         4 Lessons       

 Module 5   Driver Readiness            4 Lessons         

 Module 6   Highway Driving             4 Lessons         

 Module 7   Alcohol and Other Drugs           4 Lessons         

 Module 8   Driver Performance/Personal Factors    4 Lessons         

 Module 9   Adverse Conditions             4 Lessons         

 Module 10   Personal Responsibility             4 Lessons         

 Final Assessment    

Student Eligibility Requirements for Teen Course 

 The student must be enrolled in a Texas district or open enrollment charter school  serving grades 9‐12 

 The course is successfully completed during the fall, spring or summer semester.  

 The student is between the ages of 14 years, 9 months & 17 years, 3 months.  

 The student is otherwise eligible to take Driver Education. 

Course Website Address: 

To ‘log‐in’ to the course, students should go to the website, below. 

http://virtualdriveoftexas.com/schools/aldine/AldineISD.html

Important Items To Remember 

1) Enroll  &  pay  for  the  course,  online.    The  website  to  enroll  or  for  more  information  is: 

http://aldine.drivethefoundation.com. 

2) Make  sure  your  name,  email  address,  mailing  address,  phone  #  and  date  of  birth  are  correct  during enrollment. 

3) PARENTS/STUDENTS: You will create a Username and Password during the enrollment process.   

       *** You Must Remember Your ‘Username’ and ‘Password’. *** 

4) PARENTS:  If the parents are providing the ‘In‐Car’ instruction to their child, you must obtain a  copy of Form DL‐92 & mail it, with $20.00, to the State DPS office in Austin, as soon as possible.  

A copy of Form DL‐92 can be obtained by an Internet search or by clicking HERE. 

5) After enrolling, the website to log‐in to the course is: 

http://virtualdriveoftexas.com/schools/aldine/AldineISD.html 

6) STUDENTS:  This course is self‐paced; however, State law limits online classroom instruction to  a maximum of 2 hours per day.  The course may be completed in as few as 20 calendar days. 

7) PARENTS/STUDENTS:    After  successfully  completing  the  course,  Virtual  Drive  will  mail  a  Certificate  of  Completion  to  the  student’s  address  provided  during  Enrollment.  Once  again,  please make sure your name and address are correct. 

8) STUDENTS:  You must have a Learner’s Permit to drive.  The Learner’s Permit only allows you to  drive with a licensed driver who is 21 years old or older in the car. 

9) GETTING  THE  LEARNER’S  PERMIT:    A  Parent  and  their  child  will  need  to  take  the  following  documents to the local DPS office: 

a. ONLY  THE  BOTTOM  PORTION  of  the  Certificate  of  Completion  (It  is  labeled  FOR  INSTRUCTION PERMIT ONLY). 

b. VOE – Verification of Enrollment – (From High School Counselor)  c. Birth Certificate (Original) 

d. Social Security Card  

e. There will be a $16.00 fee to take the Learner Permit test and the eye examination.  

Page 5 of 7 

Important Items To Remember – (continued) 

10) PARENTS  WHO  PROVIDE  ‘IN‐CAR’  INSTRUCTION:    This  online  course  includes  a  section  for  you.  This portion of the course teaches you how to perform the ‘in‐car’ driving instruction with  your child.  You will need to print each driving lesson and take it with you when providing ‘in‐

car’ driving instruction and check‐off each task your child completes successfully.  

11) GETTING  YOUR  DRIVER’S  LICENSE:    After  the  parents  and  student  have  completed  the  34  hours  of  ‘In‐Car’  driving  instruction,  the  student  has  held  their  Learner’s  Permit  for  at  least  6  months and the student is 16 years of age or older, he/she may apply for their student driver  license at the DPS office.   

Parents/Students will need to schedule a Driving Test appointment with a DPS officer.  Parents  will need to accompany their child to the DPS office.  Please be sure to at least the following  documents: 

a) THE TOP PORTION of the Certificate of Completion (It is labeled FOR DRIVER’S LICENSE  ONLY). 

b) All of the Driving Logs that were printed from the course.  These logs must be completed  and signed by the Parent and the Student. 

c) Birth Certificate  d) Social Security Card  e) Learner’s Permit 

‘In‐Car’ / ‘Behind‐The‐Wheel’ Instruction Options 

Option #1 – Parent Taught ‘In‐Car’ Driver Training    

This option is available to all parents who meet the qualifications of the state of Texas. These  qualifications  are  very  simple  and  are  listed  on  the  DL‐92  form  that  you  will  need  to  send  to  Austin for registration. Most parents will choose this method because of the ease, flexibility and  its lower cost. 

How to sign up for Parent Taught ‘In‐Car’ or ‘Behind‐The‐Wheel’ Training: 

  Step 1 – Fill out the DL‐92 registration form.  This form is available in this package or at:  

        http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/InternetForms/Forms/DL‐92.pdf    

Step 2 ‐‐ Print & complete the form   

Step  3  ‐‐  Send  the  form,  along  with  a  $20  check,  to  the  address  on  the  top  left.  You  will  receive your Parent Packet from the DPS in approximately 3 weeks.  

Step  4  –  Review  all  of  the  sections  in  the  Parent  section  portion  of  the  course.    Print  out  each  driving  lesson  and  take  them  with  you  when  conducting  the  ‘behind‐the‐wheel’ 

instruction. 

REMEMBER:  Your child must be at least 15 years of age, and must have successfully completed  this  32‐hour  course  before  being  eligible  for  the  Learner’s  Permit.    He/She  will  then  have  to  hold the Learner’s Permit at least 6 months and be 16 years of age in order to be eligible for  their Driver License. During this 6‐month period, the parent or a certified driving instructor can  provide the ‘in‐car’ instruction. 

Option #2 – Professional Driving School or Certified Instructor   

If  you  live  in  a  community  where  a  professional  driving  school  or  a  Certified  Instructor  is  available,  this  is  certainly  an  option.  Most  professional  driving  schools  prefer  to  take  the  student through the entire program so you will have to check with them before you decide on  this method. The cost will be between $300 and $400.   

The driving school or the certified instructor will be responsible for a) 7 hours of direct behind  the  wheel  instruction  and  b)  7  hours  of  observation,  meaning  that  the  student  will  not  be  driving but in the back seat observing another student. The parent will still be responsible for  the additional 20 hours of supervised driving. 

If you choose this method, the driver training schedule is less flexible.  You will be provided the 

Page 7 of 7   

Computer Equipment & Technical Needs         WINDOWS 

 Pentium 133 processor 

 Windows 2000/XP 

 64 meg RAM 

 Video Card ‐ 800 x 600 display 

 Sound Card with speakers 

 Color Monitor 

 Internet Connection  

 Flash Player 

 Acrobat Reader 

 Printer 

MAC  

 OS X.1 or later 

 128 MB RAM for OS X.1 or later 

 800 x 600 – 256 color monitor 

 Internet Connection 

 Flash Player 

 Acrobat Reader

 Printer

The following settings and plug‐ins must be active in order to view this course:

  Shockwave

Adobe Acrobat Reader   Cookies must be enabled  Pop‐Up Blockers must be turned "Off" 

Mail request form and $20.00 fee to:

Texas Department of Public Safety PO Box 149008 Austin, TX 78714-9008

REQUEST FOR A PARENT TAUGHT DRIVER EDUCATION PACKET

DL-92 (Rev. 5/12) DO NOT MAIL CASH. Mail check or money order payable to: Texas Department of Public Safety. A separate request form and fee are required for each student who will participate in the Parent Taught Driver Education Program.

Program Eligibility Requirements

• Student must be 14 years of age prior to beginning the classroom portion, however they may not test for a learner license until their 15th birthday.

• Instructor must be the student’s parent, step-parent, grandparent, step-grandparent, foster parent or legal guardian appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction. A power of attorney is not legally sufficient.

• The instructor must have a valid driver license for the preceding three years; or if active military personnel or spouse, a valid driver license from state of permanent residency or last duty station for the preceding three years.

• The instructor cannot have a conviction (including a probated sentence) of criminally negligent homicide or driving while intoxicated. In addition, the instructor must not have had their driving privileges suspended, revoked or forfeited for traffic related violations in the past three years. The instructor is responsible for checking both their criminal or driver records prior to requesting the packet. The Department will verify the instructor’s record at the time of processing the student’s learner license and again at the time of processing the student’s provisional driver license. If at that time, we determine that the instructor does not meet the requirements, we will deny the learner license or provisional driver license along with any prior classroom instruction or behind the wheel/in car instruction provided by the ineligible instructor.

• The instructor may not be disabled due to mental illness. Questions as to mental stability will be forwarded to the Medical Advisory Board for determination.

The instructor may go to any local driver license office to have the student apply for the license and take the required test. (Some stations require an appointment or may allow online scheduling for the skills test.) NOTE: ALL INFORMATION AND REQUIRED FEE MUST BE SUBMITTED BEFORE A PARENT TAUGHT DRIVER EDUCATION PACKET WILL BE MAILED. PLEASE ALLOW 2-3 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY.

Please print or type in black ink. This form is read by machine; please print the numbers and letters as shown below:

Instructor’s Information (Parent or Legal Guardian). The Parent Taught Driver Education Packet will be mailed to the address below.

Student’s Information. Complete the legal name for the student.

First Name

First Name

Middle Name Last Name

Last Name Mailing Address

City State Zip Code

Daytime Telephone Number (include area code)

Instructor’s email address Check to have packet emailed

Important Instructions - Read Carefully

1. No instruction is permitted prior to receipt of the Parent Taught Driver Education Packet. Any instruction prior to that time will not be accepted toward the required instruction time.

2. A minimum of 66 hours of actual instruction time is required to instruct this course and it is estimated that an equal number of hours for preparation are required for an instructor to properly teach this course.

• The classroom thirty-two hours must not be completed in fewer than sixteen calendar days.

• The behind the wheel thirty-four hours must not be completed in fewer than twenty-seven calendar days.

• A student shall not be instructed more than two hours in one (1) day.

3. This course may or may not qualify for a discount for automobile insurance purposes due to Department of Insurance rules. You should consult with your insurance carrier concerning this matter.

4. No behind the wheel instruction or practice may be permitted until the student has been issued a learner license. Driving without a valid license on a public street or highway is a violation of state law. Any behind the wheel instruction prior to issuance of the learner license will not be accepted toward the required instruction or practice time.