Driver Education Licensure Program Overview
The Vermont Higher Education Collaborative has added the Driver Education Endorsement Program to its list of programs to allow Vermont educators interested in adding the license and/or the opportunity to take individual coursework. The endorsement requires the 12 credits offered by VT-HEC and additional coursework in Adolescent Psychology and Alcohol/Drug Education, Substance Abuse. See program course descriptions for more details on the coursework.
Driver Education instruction in Vermont schools provides its students with a life- long risk prevention education. Risk-prevention education, as compared to Driver Education, is teaching specific behavioral approach that promotes best practice for minimizing and reducing risk over a lifetime of driving. Students need to develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits that can serve them for a lifetime of crash-free driving; enabling them to become productive and responsible citizens committed to embracing a low risk driving style.
The latest state of the art risk-prevention curriculum guide has been implemented by VDTSEA (Vermont Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association) and the Office of Driver & Traffic Safety Education. With the risk prevention curriculum guide, which is specifically tied to the Vermont Framework of Standards, Vermont educators have a field in which they will provide lifelong skills and attitudes promoting safe highways users.
Traffic crashes are the No. 1 cause of death and injury for people ages 15 to 20. The high injury and fatality rates for teen drivers are grim indicators of how much varied, long-term training is required before safe driving skills are developed.