Mr. Vincent's DE Policies and Procedures
General: There is a one time $150 fee to take Driver Education to cover the cost of fuel, maintenance and instructor time; also included in this cost is your road test and one retake of the road test (if needed), there is a fee of $25 for each attempt after that. If you choose to take the classroom portion outside of the regular school schedule there is an additional $25 for the summer on-campus course, or an additional $100 to take the online course.
If you have further questions please email Coach Vincent at dvincent@americanleadership.net. You may also reference our Driver Education program website which contains many useful links to program resources (most are current but some are under construction) as well as information provided by USBE and the Utah DLD. The website can be found by copying or typing this case-sensitive URL to your browser's search bar. The URL is https://goo.gl/nbUhC4
Step 1 - You should have your Learner Permit (or turning 15 by the end of the course). If you do not yet have it and have not gone to the DLD yet to take the written stop by and talk with an instructor and we can help you complete this written test.
Step 2 - Complete the online form (you are doing this now). This application collects important information needed for the reporting required by the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah Driver License Division.
Step 3 - Please read and understand my BTW policy and procedures (below).
Step 4 - Stop by my classroom (211) to schedule drive time. I am currently scheduling drive times for after school and occasional Fridays/Saturdays - times vary. My (read only) driving schedule can be found on my Driver Education website. It is posted for your planning and reference. Student must contact me personally to schedule drive time(s).
First of all please understand that I recognize that family and individual schedules are busy, so know that you do not have to finish all at once, in fact it is recommended to spread BTW out over 6 or more weeks. Secondly, I am not trying to sound like a jerk or anything but in truth it is not my (the instructor's) responsibility to teach you HOW to drive, that falls on your parents. It is my job to help you improve the skills that you have, prepare you for the road test, and practice/promote overall good driving habits.
You are required to do BTW with an instructor for 12 hours (6 driving and 6 observing), which is broken up into 6 - 2 hour sessions. During each session with me you will drive for one hour and observe for one hour. Once you have completed all six sessions we will discuss your readiness for the road test. If we both feel you are ready then we will schedule a date for it. Here is a breakdown of each of my 6 drive sessions.
Session 1 ~ Basic Driving: no pressure just wandering around so that you can get used to me as an instructor and I can get a feel for your confidence at the wheel and driving ability.
Session 2 ~ Road Test Maneuvers - part 1 (parallel parking, straight line backing, up/down hill parking, 3-point turns, and U-turns)
Session 3 ~ Road Test Maneuvers - part 2 (parallel parking, straight line backing, up/down hill parking, 3-point turns, and U-turns)
Session 4 ~ Interstate
Session 5 ~ Advanced Scenarios
Session 6 ~ Final Drive: what do you want to practice or review.
1. Students need to be on time. I do not plan on driving with only one student. If we have to sit there and wait for you to show up then we end later than planned and that can cut into other evening activities that I or your drive partner have have committed to. You are considered tardy after 5 minutes. I typically cancel the session if I do not have 2 drivers at the 10 minute mark. My suggestion...be 5-10 min early.
2. You must show me your valid permit in order to be in the vehicle as a student.
3. Use of cell phones while observing is not allowed and will invalidate the hour as it counts towards your 6 required hours of observation..
4. In the following scenarios a student will be removed from my drive schedule:
a. Not showing for a scheduled driving session.
b. 2 confirmed cancellations within 48 hours of the scheduled driving session.
c. 2 tardies (5+ minutes late)
d. Unsafe/unprepared driving due to perceived/actual lack of parent driving hours.
5. While there are two driving instructors (myself and Coach Vincent) at ALA driver training records are such that students are discouraged from switching between the two of us as it can delay your progress as we must coordinate the sharing of records. Once you start with an instructor you should finish with that instructor, it does not matter who you choose to drive with or who your DE class instructor is.
6. I value my life and the lives of my students. To this end it is strongly recommended that students have at least 8 of their 40 state required parent hours completed before they get in the car with me. As I have driven with students for the past 2 years it has been very apparent who has spent time with their parents and who has not. There is no official tracking in place for these hours so you are on your honor to "report" these hours accurately. See 4d above.
7. You will be eligible to take the "Road Skills Test" upon successful completion of the 6 2-hour drive sessions (12 hours). We will discuss your readiness and if we both feel confident that you can pass the road test, a date will be scheduled. The fee you paid to be in Driver Education includes all driving, the road test and one (1) retake of the road test. After two (2) unsuccessful attempts, each additional attempt will cost $25 (to cover the cost of instructor time and fuel/maintenance).
8. The state recommends that you complete BTW training within 3 months of finishing the classroom portion and requires that you complete BTW training within 4 months of finishing the classroom portion. If BTW is not completed you will need to repeat the classroom portion again. Please use this table for your reference and planning:
~If you take DE (classroom) in the Fall semester of the school year it ends in Dec. So you should finish BTW by the end of March but must finish by the end of April.
~If you take DE (classroom) in the Spring semester of the school year it ends in May. So you should finish BTW by the end of August but must finish by the end of September..
~If you take DE (classroom) in the Summer session (if offered) it typically ends in July. So you should finish BTW by the end of October but must finish by the end of November.
Finally as a side note please understand that I know that students (and parents) feel an urgency when it comes to getting a driver license or completing BTW. Each student has varying levels of driving confidence/skill and different amounts of time until you turning 16 or are eligible to get your license. If you choose to pursue your Behind the Wheel Training with me as your drive instructor, please be patient with me as we work through the drive schedule to fit everyone in. Each of you need to complete 6 observation/driving sessions and the more open your schedule is the easier it will be to complete. As some of you may know I assist with Boys/Girls Soccer and Track so my availability drops during the seasons so it might take a little longer to get all 6 drive sessions in.