Section 1060.180  Teen Accreditation

 

a)         Accreditation of the School – Each commercial driver training school that desires to offer driver training instruction to persons under the age of 18 must be accredited by the Secretary of State through the Department of Driver Services before instruction can be provided, offered or advertised.

 

1)         Upon receipt of proper application for teen accreditation, the Secretary of State will investigate the school and verify the application.  A Secretary of State employee will contact the school and make an appointment to visit the school's facilities.  The Secretary of State employee will verify that the school satisfies the requirements set forth for commercial driving schools in IVC Sections 6-401 through 6-418.  In addition, the school must satisfy the requirements for commercial driver school teen accreditation set forth in subsections (b) through (e), Section 1060.181, and all other applicable provisions of the IVC and Illinois Administrative Code. Upon request, these requirements will be furnished to the school by the Secretary of State.  If the school meets all of the qualifications, requirements, and standards in this Section, it will be accredited to offer instruction to students under the age of 18.

 

2)         The accreditation of each school is renewable upon the expiration date of the school license, provided the school meets all of the qualifications, requirements and standards and is in compliance with this Part.

 

3)         Only qualified instructors under subsection (c) may provide instruction to persons under the age of 18.  However, in an emergency situation in which the only available instructor terminates employment or takes a leave of absence while a course remains incomplete, other licensed instructors employed by the school may complete the course.  In all of those cases, the Department must approve the substitution before further instruction takes place.  Approval will not be given until the Department has verified the roster of instructors at the school and determined that no other qualified instructor is employed by the school.  No new courses may be started before properly qualified instructors are available.

 

4)         A teen accredited driving school must submit a permit cancellation request to the Secretary of State for any student under the age of 18 with an instruction permit who withdraws from, or fails to complete, the teen accredited driver education program.

 

b)         Required Facilities – All teen accredited driver training schools must provide all classroom facilities, vehicles, and equipment as prescribed by IVC Ch. 6, Art. IV (Commercial Driver Training Schools) and this Part.  The teaching facilities must provide adequate, comfortable seating for students. Lighting must be adequate and the maintenance (housekeeping) of the room orderly.  

 

c)         Instructor Qualifications

 

1)         Classroom Instructor Qualifications – Each teen accredited driver training school must employ at least one classroom instructor licensed by the Secretary of State to teach the classroom portion of driver education to persons under the age of 18.

 

A)        A classroom driver training instructor teaching the teen accredited program must comply with Sections 1060.120 and 1060.130.

 

B)        The instructor must satisfy one of the following requirements:

 

i)          Hold a valid professional educator license issued by the Illinois State Board of Education that is endorsed for safety and driver education pursuant to 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.100 (Teaching Endorsements on the Professional Educator License);

 

ii)         Hold a baccalaureate degree, have one year of teaching experience in primary, secondary or higher education, and complete a 48-hour course approved by the Director of the Department;

 

iii)        Complete the 48-hour course or an equivalent college or university course (a course, at least 48 hours in length, designed to provide individuals with the knowledge, methods, and procedures specific to conducting driver education instructional courses, that has been approved by the Director of the Department) and provide written documentation verifying 2 months of experience teaching the behind-the-wheel segment of driver education to persons age 18 or older; or

 

iv)        Hold a valid professional educator license and complete a 48-hour behind-the-wheel and classroom course approved by the Director of the Department.

 

2)         Behind-the-Wheel Instructor Qualifications – Each teen accredited driver training school must employ at least one behind-the-wheel instructor licensed by the Secretary of State to teach the behind-the-wheel portion of driver education to persons under the age of 18.

 

A)        A driver training instructor teaching the teen accredited behind-the-wheel program must comply with Sections 1060.120 and 1060.130.

 

B)        The instructor must satisfy one of the following requirements:

 

i)          Hold a valid professional educator license issued by the Illinois State Board of Education that is endorsed for safety and driver education pursuant to 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.100 (Teaching Endorsements on the Professional Educator License);

 

ii)         Hold a baccalaureate degree and have 2 months of experience in teaching the behind-the-wheel segment of driver education to persons age 18 and older;

 

iii)        Have 7 years of uninterrupted teaching experience in a commercial driver training school;

 

iv)        Be licensed by the Secretary of State, complete the 48-hour course (48-Hour Course – a course, at least 48-hours in length, designed to provide individuals with the knowledge, methods and procedures specific to conducting driver education instructional courses that has been approved by the Department Director) or an equivalent college or university course approved by the Director of the Department, and provide written documentation verifying 2 months of experience teaching the behind-the-wheel portion of driver education to persons age 18 and older; or

 

v)         Hold a valid State teaching certificate and complete a 48-hour course approved by the Director of Driver Services.

 

3)         Classroom and/or behind-the-wheel instructors must not be assigned more than 12 clock hours of instructional work daily.  No teen instruction, either classroom or behind-the-wheel, may take place between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

 

d)         Student Qualifications

 

1)         A driver training school or driver training instructor licensed by the Secretary of State must comply with all of the requirements of IVC Section 6-408.5 prior to requesting a certificate of completion from the Secretary of State.

 

2)         A superintendent or chief school administrator may waive the requirements contained within IVC Section 6-408.5 if that is in the best interests of the student or dropout.

 

3)         Before a driver training school or driver training school instructor requests a certificate of completion for a student, it must verify that the student is enrolled in school and has received a passing grade in at least 8 courses during the 2 previous semesters.  Verification of a student's eligibility to obtain a certificate of completion from the Secretary of State must be by one of the following methods:

 

A)        obtain written documentation on a form prepared or approved by the Secretary of State stating the student has received a passing grade in at least 8 courses during the previous 2 semesters;

 

B)        obtain a written waiver from a superintendent or school administrator on a form prepared or approved by the Secretary of State;

 

C)        obtain written verification on a form prepared or approved by the Secretary of State stating the student is enrolled in a home school; or

 

D)        obtain copies of the student's report card or transcript for the previous 2 semesters indicating a passing grade in at least 8 courses during the previous 2 semesters.

 

4)         To verify eligibility for any person who has dropped out of school and has not yet attained the age of 18 years, a driver training school or instructor must obtain one of the following:

 

A)        written documentation verifying the dropout's enrollment in a high school equivalency testing or alternative education program;

 

B)        a copy of the student’s State of Illinois High School Diploma;

 

C)        written verification that the student, prior to dropping out, had received a passing grade in at least 8 courses during the 2 previous semesters last ending prior to requesting a certificate of completion; or

 

D)        written consent on a form prepared or approved by the Secretary of State from the dropout's parents or guardian and the regional superintendent.  [625 ILCS 5/6-408.5(b)]

 

5)         At the time of registration, students enrolling in a driver training school must be informed in writing of the eligibility requirements of IVC Section 6-408.5.  That disclosure must be documented in the student's file.

 

6)         The driver training school or driver training school instructor must maintain a copy of, and make available for inspection, all written documentation required by this Section.

 

7)         The driver training school may not enroll any students who will not be at least 15 years of age before the end of the classroom portion of the course.

 

e)         Records

 

1)         Records must be maintained by the driver training schools documenting daily attendance, lesson time, and detailed descriptions of each lesson provided for each student, which must include each topic that was taught during the lesson, as well as any videos, DVDs, or other materials used during the lesson.  The beginning and ending dates of classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction must also be recorded.  Students must be identified by name and address.  The records must be kept on file in the office of the driver training school for 3 years.

 

2)         The teen accredited driving school must submit, in a manner prescribed by the Secretary of State, the names of those students who have satisfactorily completed the driver education course.

 

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 3506, effective February 27, 2023)