OAR 737-015-0030: Curriculum Requirements

(1) An approved program curriculum must include for each student: (a) A minimum of 30 hours of classroom instruction, which includes no more than 3 hours in a single day and no more than 6 hours total in any consecutive 7-day period that includes: (A) Instructing students about driving on all types of Oregon roads in a positive and courteous manner; (B) Driver responsibility; (C) Preparing and controlling the vehicle; (D) Identification and proper use of signs, signals, markings, and roadway types; (E) How to enter, use, and exit different types of intersections; (F) Automobile maneuvers and traffic flow; (G) Management of time and space using accepted and current practices, including targeting, line of sight/path of travel, model driving habits and reference point concepts; (H) Defensive driving; (I) Rules of the road; (J) How the laws of physics and natural laws affect driving; (K) How physical, emotional, and psychological conditions affect driving; (L) Impaired driving; and (M) Emergency situations. (b) A minimum of 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, which includes no more than 1.5 hours (90 minutes) of driving in a single day and no more than 2 hours total in any consecutive 7-day period. Behind-the-wheel instructional objectives must correspond with topics covered during classroom instruction described under (1)(a) of this rule. (c) A minimum of 6 hours of practice driving observation, which includes no more than 3 hours of observation in a single day and no more than 4 hours total in any consecutive 7-day period. (d) A written skill assessment for each student drive that covers all of the following skills, at a minimum: (A) Positioning a vehicle based on visual referencing skills, space management, fender judgment and road position control; (B) Procedures and sequencing for vehicle operations from the simple to the complex skill based on vehicle operation control, vehicle maneuvering, vehicle control options, and vehicle balance; (C) Processing traffic and vehicle information into speed and position changes based on visual skills, space management, vehicle speed control, and control of the road; and (D) Precision movements for maintaining vehicle control and balance in expected and unexpected situations based on vehicle speed control, vehicle balance, collision avoidance, traction control, response to mechanical failures and traction loss. (e) During any behind-the-wheel instruction session, the following safety requirements must be met: (A) Only the student driver operating the vehicle and the instructor shall be seated in the front seats of the vehicle; (B) All vehicle occupants must use safety belts at all times while operating a vehicle; and (C) Headlights must be turned on at all times during behind-the-wheel instruction. Because automatic headlights do not illuminate side and tail lights, headlights must be manually turned on even if an automatic switch is present and in use. (2) An approved program curriculum must include parent, legal guardian, or supervising adult involvement that includes: (a) A parent meeting; and (b) A log or other means to demonstrate that a minimum of five hours supervised home practice was conducted during the course. Documentation must be maintained by the provider. Supervised home practice is not counted as part of the classroom, behind-the-wheel, or practice driving observation. (3) The traffic safety education curriculum guide must be approved by ODOT-TSO prior to program implementation. The provider must review and update the guide every three years thereafter, maintaining a full current master copy. The guide must be available for review by ODOT-TSO on request. The following elements are required: (a) A written lesson plan for each classroom and each behind-the-wheel session. A provider who has fully adopted the ORPC Playbook is not required to provide additional documentation of classroom lesson plans. The requirement to develop written behind-the-wheel lesson plans remains in effect whether or not the program has adopted the ORPC Playbook. A lesson plan must include: (A) The title of the lesson or module to be taught; (B) Prerequisites; (C) Overall objectives; (D) Performance objectives; (E) Materials and resources; (F) Instructor and student activities; (G) Time breakdown; (H) Methods of assessment; and (I) Assignments. (b) A flow chart that shows the program’s integration between classroom and behind-the-wheel lessons. (c) A written drive route that supports each behind-the-wheel lesson plan. The drive route cannot duplicate the DMV drive test route. (d) The final drive route. Every final drive route in use must be pre-approved by ODOT-TSO, along with the associated formal written score assessment form. Any change to a final route or score assessment form must also be pre-approved. (4) Classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction and practice driving observation must be provided concurrently. (a) Concurrently means the integration of classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel instruction. For each student, no fewer than 4 and no more than 10 hours of classroom instruction shall be completed before beginning behind-the-wheel instruction. Classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction must be well organized and coordinated. (b) Behind-the-wheel instruction and practice driving observation of a particular skill or behavior may not precede the classroom instruction of that same skill or behavior. (5) A course may not be completed in fewer than 35 days and no more than 180 days. An extension beyond 180 days may be provided if there is compelling reason dealing with school, family or medical circumstances and has been agreed upon between the provider and parent before completion of the course. Documentation of the agreement must be maintained. (6) Within five business days after a student completed and passed the course and final drive assessment, the provider must enter into DMV2U the driver education completion notation signifying that the student passed and the date the student passed the course and final drive assessment. A student must obtain a minimum score of 80% on the final skills assessment to receive a passing notation. (7) Within five business days after a student has completed and failed the course, the provider must enter into DMV2U the driver education completion notation signifying that the student failed the course. (8) Summer Exception — The maximum number of classroom hours permitted during any consecutive 7-day period changes during the summer months. When offered from June to August, the classroom portion of a driver education program required under section (1)(a) of this rule, may contain classroom instruction for up to 3 hours in a single day and 10 hours total in any consecutive 7-day period. Requirements for the behind-the-wheel portion of the course are unaffected by this exception. A course may not be completed in fewer than 35 days. (9) With agreement between a parent, legal guardian or supervising adult and the provider, behind-the-wheel instruction may be provided hour for hour in place of practice driving observation. In no case shall behind-the-wheel instruction hours be fewer than 6, and in no case shall the behind-the-wheel instruction hours and practice driving observation hours, combined, be fewer than 12. Time must be accurately documented by date, activity, and the amount of time of each session.