Watauga High School - Driver Education Overview

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Spring Semester Open House
Monday, January 30, 2012 (4:00-6:00)
Please have your student give you their teachers' names and room numbers; printed schedules will not be available.

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Driver Education

Instructor: Pam Maltba

Driving is the most dangerous thing we do. Each year 44,000 people die on our roadways. Today's traffic is more complex than ever. Every day new drivers and vehicles enter onto our already overcrowded highway system. With more traffic on the highways, laws have become tougher for the vehicle operator. Becoming a new member of North Carolina's licensed vehicle operator population is as serious as life and death.

Watauga High School's Driver Education program is designed and dedicated to help the student gain a basic understanding of how to operate a motor vehicle safely. It will help prepare the student for the behind-the-wheel instruction and eventually the North Carolina driver license exam requirements. But most of all, it will prepare the student for a lifetime skill that can enhance a quality of life.

Note: It is recommended that parents spend a minimum of 1000 hours working with their child during the learner's permit period.

Driver Education Fee Notification

Due to the Ratified House Bill 200, Section 28.37, Driver Education Reform, a fee will be charged for each participant in the Driver Education program offered through Watauga County Schools.

Effective July 1, 2011, all students participating in any phase of Driver Education must pay a fee of $45. Payment may be made by cash or check to WHS with “Driver Education” indicated in the memo portion of the check. Payment will be received at Watauga High School daily, but must be paid prior to testing/classwork/driving schedules. There will be no refunds for any reason, and Fee Waivers do not apply for this fee.

Department Announcements

DRIVER EDUCATION CLASS WORK

Driver Education Class Work
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1
WHS MEDIA CENTER
3:35 - 5:00

Class Work is only for those students who took and did not pass the proficiency exam on an earlier date. Students must sign up with Mary Poteat in student services to enroll. She has a list of eligible/paid and unpaid students. There are 48 seats in this class. Remember that you must pay the $45 fee for class work when you sign up unless that fee has been paid previously.

Sign up will begin Thursday, January 19 in the Student Services office.
STUDENTS MUST BRING FULLY CHARGED LAPTOP TO MEETING ON FEBRUARY 1, 2012

Driver Education Event Calendar

MARCH 28, 2012
Driver Education Proficiency Exam
3:30-6:30pm
WHS Auditorium
DMV Vision Check
Students planning to take the exam must pay $45 fee PRIOR to test date
Fees will NOT be accepted on test day. No exceptions.
In the event of inclement weather, test will be rescheduled.

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Guidelines

Students must be 14 1/2 years old on or before the starting date of independent study (Proficiency)/ class work AND must have successfully completed 8th grade. Students must also prepay the $45 fee before they can take the test, class or behind the wheel training.

All classes will be held after the close of the school day

All students taking Driver Education must be enrolled in a Watauga County public or private school. The revocation of a student's driving permit or license will result if a student is unable to maintain adequate academic progress or drops out of school. Adequate academic progress is defined as: passing 3 of 4 block classes each semester. Students must also meet attendance requirements and must not have any overdue fines and/or fees on file.

Students must arrange for their own transportation to and from designated location, must be present at the assigned time, and picked up following the completion of proficiency, class, or road work.

Students must take and pass a proficiency exam developed and designated by the NC Department of Public Instruction in order to waive classroom instruction. The proficiency exam will be offered at designated times during the year and in relation to blocks of time for class work and behind the wheel instruction. A grade of 80 is required on the test. There are 200 multiple choice questions. The exam has a 2-hour time limit. Students who do not pass the proficiency exam will be automatically added to the class work roll but it will be their responsibility to register for a particular class as istructed on WHS fusion. Driver education class work sessions will be limited to 48 PAID students.

Should a student fail Driver Education class work through either poor academic performance or lack of attendance, that student would be allowed to enroll in future class work if seating is available. This will only be allowed one time per student.

A Driver Education Schedule of Events will be posted on this website. It is the students' responsibility to find out what is going on and when!

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Instructions for Rising Freshmen/New Students/Transfers

WATAUGA HIGH SCHOOL

DRIVER EDUCATION

Pam Maltba, Coordinator

During registration, you and your parent/guardian completed the Restricted Instruction Permit, which is the only paperwork necessary to register for Driver Education. Students will be able to view the NC Driver's Handbook here. I would not advise printing the entire handbook. Hard copies have been given to counselors this January 2011.
Please review the Driver Education calendar for important dates. The guidelines listed above will provide you with the necessary information regarding eligibility.
Read the information regarding Graduated licensing.

Please review the Driver Education Calendar and choose a date to take the Proficiency Exam. Every student must take the Proficiency Exam. You are encouraged to take the exam during the summer or a minimum of three months prior to your 15th birthday. You will have only one opportunity to pass the exam and be exempted from class work. Please note that class work is only offered four times each year. It is your responsibility to study and attend the appropriate phase of Driver Education. Directions for Behind-the-Wheel Training will be discussed prior to the exam. Please remember that Driver Education is funded for 9th graders. If students do not participate as freshmen they are not guaranteed Driver Education in later years.

If you have questions that cannot be answered by following the instructions above, please email me at maltbap@watauga.k12.nc.us . Due to student driving schedules, I do not have regular office hours and will not be available for telephone consultation.

Department Contacts