Eligibility date and Assignment of Road Drives
Eligibility date is the LAST of these 3 dates to happen: end of the Dr. Ed. class quarter, 16th birthday, and 6 months from permit issue date. The one exception is if a student turns 18, then the 6 month waiting period does not apply. Birthdays are only one part of the eligibility date picture. For many students, their 16th birthday is NOT their eligibility date.
The students currently assigned to road teachers have eligibility dates before the students waiting to be assigned.
We assign students to road teachers based first on these two factors: 1) eligibility date and 2) availability of teachers. There are times during the calendar year when we have fewer teachers who are driving. Sometimes we are weeks ahead and sometimes we get a little behind. We do as much as we reasonably can and still maintain our sanity and personal lives.
When a student is assigned, that road teacher will contact the student directly to schedule the first road drive when he has openings. Being assigned to a teacher and being contacted and/or scheduled for your first drive may be two separate events. I do not schedule road driving for individual road teachers.
There are MANY variables that determine when a student will be contacted and schedule their first drive (teacher's schedule, date you are assigned, # of students a particular teacher is working with, when a teacher will have openings to contact you, skill level, etc.). Comparisons of students' individual driving situations are not realistic. I honestly cannot tell anyone when they are going to drive or be finished--there are too many variables involved.
While waiting to be assigned for road driving, students should focus on getting better and being well prepared by: 1) improving skill and confidence with emphasis on The 5 Head Checks, 2) practicing the test maneuvers in Road #1, 3) studying and using The Practice Booklet, and 4) using Commentary Driving with your parents to lower their stress and improve your IPDE & SEE skills. Prepared students are able to progress more quickly through their road drives, which are scheduled one at a time based on some of the previously listed variables.
Thanks for your patience, we're doing the best we can--we drive 12 months per year.
Class Dates based on birthdays. 1st Qtr: 6/1/25-12/1/25
2nd Qtr:12/2/25- 2/20/26
3rd Qtr: 2/21/26-5/25/26
4th Qtr: 5/26/26-8/31/26