Teacher Endorsement Program

The Illinois High School & College Driver Education Association (IHSCDEA) Driver Education Certification Endorsement Program has been designed and written for teachers to add a Safety and Driver Education endorsement to their Professional Educators License (PEL). The IHSCDEA Driver Education courses will be offered throughout the entire year and will lead candidates towards the successful completion of the Illinois State Board of Education Safety and Driver Education endorsement. Details

The IHSCDEA has partnered with University of St. Francis, College of Education  to provide Driver Education courses for educators interested in pursuing a Driver Education endorsement. Candidates benefit from a combination of asynchronus online learning and the face-to-face instructional support of an experienced educator/mentor in the area where they teach or live.

This program has a hybrid instructional format including traditional face-to-face classroom instruction, laboratory instruction, field studies, and behind-the-wheel (BTW) teaching instruction. Online distance education components, Driving Simulation and Multiple Car Driving Range instruction, and teaching evasive driving techniques will also be included in the coursework.

NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS

Illinois Public High School Driver Education Teacher Requirements:

To receive an endorsement in Safety and Driver Education, the following criteria must be met:
An applicant must hold a Professional Educators License (PEL) and the meet the additional requirements listed below:

An endorsement in safety and driver education shall be issued when the applicant provides evidence of having completed 18 semester hours of college credit in the field, as posted on the individual's official transcript defined by the institution offering the coursework, distributed as follows:

1. 3 semester hours in injury prevention or general safety;

2. 9 semester hours in driver education that include:
       A.   Driving task analysis (introduction to driver education);
       B.   Teaching driver education in the classroom;
       C.   Teaching the laboratory portion of the driver education course,
              including on-street teaching under the supervision of a qualified driver education teacher,
              advanced driver education, and emergency evasive driving maneuvers; and

3. 6 semester hours chosen from at least (2) of the following areas:
       A.    First aid
       B.    Psychology of adolescents or young adults;
       C.    Any safety-related issue relevant to driver education;
       D.    Advanced driver education in the use of simulation and multiple car programs;
       E.    Health and wellness;
       F.    Care and prevention of injuries;
       G.    Issues related to alcohol or drug abuse; or
       H.    Driver education for students with disabilities.

Required Courses

Injury Prevention & Safety EEND 615
Injury Prevention and Safety exams the history, philosophy, and procedures of safety and accident prevention with emphasis on areas related to physical activity, athletics, household, industrial, workplace, school and traffic safety. This course is taught entirely on line with mentor support.

Driver Task Analysis EEND 616
Driver Task Analysis forms the backbone of the curriculum, administration, legal, organizational, financial and procedural aspects of Driver Education. This course will prepare prospective Driver Education teachers to develop, maintain and evaluate existing as well as new program designs.
This course is taught entirely on line with mentor support.

Methods of Teaching Driver Education: Classroom EEND617
This classroom methods course contains two major objectives: one concentration of the clinical aspects and methods of teaching Driver Education in the classroom, and the development of strategies, content and materials, using a variety of instructional methods. This course is taught on line with 3 required classroom observations with cooperating Driver Education teachers.

Methods of Teaching Driver Education: Behind the Wheel EEND618
This course examines methods for delivering a sequential in-vehicle phase of a Driver Education program. Includes program organization, route and lesson design, instructional delivery methods, verbal cues, and assessment of behind-the-wheel lessons in a dual controlled vehicle. In addition, Emergency and Evasive Manuevers and Procedures are included in this class. This course will require the Teacher Endorsement candidate to be present for 3 in-car observations under the direct supervision of a ISBE Certified Driver Education teacher.

Elective Courses
Methods of Teaching Advanced, Evasive, Simulation and Range EEND 619
This course examines the methods for delivering the Simulation and Range phase of Driver Education. Includes Simulation and Range program organization, development, design, scheduling and teaching strategies and techniques. This course will also require the Teacher Endorsement candidate to be present for field experience at a high school that provides these phases of instruction.

Teaching Driver Education to Students with Disabilities EEND 620
This course examines effective methods to teach driver education to students with disabilities in both the classroom and behind the wheel phase.  Eligibility of students, legal issues, outside placement of services, and case studies in special education as they relate to driver education are also covered in this course. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE