School Policy

Burien/Seattle Driving Academy Teen policy  Approved on Sep 20/2022
Teen drivers Ed. The course will be a minimum of 35 days long. Students must be 15 years of age by the first classroom session. Students may not enroll any later than the third scheduled class of any given course session. Students are not allowed to miss more than three class sessions in total
per the Washington DOL mandate.

On Parents Night, a parent/guardian must join the student for the first hour of the first scheduled class session.
Classroom Policies
1. WA Laws - Students are required to attend all class sessions. Washington State requires:
• A total of 30 hours of classroom instruction, with a maximum of 2 hours per day.
• A minimum of 5 hours of behind-the-wheel lessons, with a maximum of 1 hour per day.
• 4 hours of classroom DIP (Driver Improvement Program). training in lieu of a 6th drive Behind-the-wheel lesson
• A minimum of 1 hour of behind-the-wheel observation.
• The course takes a minimum of 5 weeks and must be completed within a 12 - week period.
2. Attendance - If a student misses a class session due to illness and/or a family emergency, all classes/hours must be made up to qualify for successful course completion. If a student misses more than three class sessions he/she will be dropped from the course with no refund of tuition. Students wishing to earn a Driving Certificate must pay new fees and repeat the course from the beginning.
3. Expulsion - If a student is removed from any class session for behavior problems, cheating, drug and/or alcohol use, the student will be immediately dropped with no
tuition refund and will not be allowed to enroll in Seattle Driving Academy.
4. Withdrawals - There are no tuition refunds after the first class session begins. All refunds are subject to a $50 application, office, and processing fee
5. Assessment - Passing grades for both the classroom portion of the course and behind the wheel are 80%. Scores less than 80% are considered failing and not meeting competent standards.
6. Course Failure and Course Repeat- If Classroom instruction and Behind The Wheel drives are completed with a score of Less than 80% competency level, it is considered to be a course failure. Students who failed the classroom instruction section of the course can study the course materials and retake the exam one more time. If the student fails the second time, he /she needs to retake the entire course. The student must pay the full tuition fee prior to retaking the course. Students who didn’t pass the BTW drive section of the course, must retake the BTW drive section of the course and pass in order to report course completion information to DOL.
7. Certificates - Course completion certificates are no longer issued. When classroom and BTW drives are completed at the 80% and above competency level, and all course fees and applicable late fees are paid in full, Seattle Driving Academy (per DOL mandates) will report Course Completion information to the DOL. The driving license will then be issued by DOL once all requirements have been met.

8. Payment - Course fees are to be paid in full at the time of registration. Seattle Driving Academy accepts all major credit cards. NSF checks are charged a $50 administrative fee. NSF fee and any NO-SHOW fees must be paid in cash in full before the student can resume classes.
9. Behavior - Electronic media such as Cell phones, Radios, MPS players, iPods, or any other devices that can distract from the learning environment are not allowed. Cell phones must be turned off during all class sessions and BTW drives. Students are responsible for any damage to supplies, materials, and/or equipment caused by misuse, abuse, and/or careless behavior. Vandalism is grounds for dismissal without a refund.
10. Burien/Seattle Driving School reserves the right to make changes to dates and times of courses due to unforeseen, rare circumstances. Notification of any changes will be communicated as soon as possible in order to cause the least amount of inconvenience to customers.
BTW Drive Policies/Guidelines (BTW= Behind The Wheel)
1. The parent and student need to go to any driver's license office and get Learner’s permit within the first week of class sessions. Drive one must be completed during the second or third week of the course with the remaining 4 drives scheduled consecutively one week apart. You must carry a driving permit to drive with an instructor or a family member. Showing up without a photo Id and Instruction permit is considered a NO-SHOW.
(No picture on your phone is accepted).
2. All BTW Lessons must be taken within 3 months of payment. They will expire in 3
months. If a student doesn’t complete the course in 3 months, we will notify DOL that the student failed to complete the course OR is “Incomplete”
3. Missed BTW (driving lesson) appointments are considered NO-SHOW and a fee of $75 will be assessed to your account. If you need to cancel or reschedule a driving
appointment, you must notify the school ahead of 48 hours to reschedule your appointment or login into your account on our website and cancel the drives online. All
NO-SHOW fees must be paid in cash and must be paid before you schedule another BTW drive lesson.

4. If you are more than 10 minutes late for BTW driving lessons, you will be charged a NO-SHOW fee. However, with that “Grace period,” the instructor may be up to 15 minutes late with a previous student. You must remain at the pickup location during that time for adjusted scheduling.
5. Students appearing drunk and/or under the influence will be dropped from the class without a tuition refund.
6. Washington State requires only 5 one-hour drive sessions and a 4-hours driver improvement program. Extra drive sessions are available for those needing additional
instruction/practice for $75.00 per hour.

7. Driving skills are assessed using the following rubric, 4=substantially mastery, 3=Adequate Mastery, 2=Partial Mastery, and 1=Inadequate Mastery. Students must meet the 3 adequate Mastery levels for course credit. Students are encouraged to practice the skills taught during the classroom lessons with parents each week. You may need to practice 3-5 hours prior to your driving practice with our instructors since we are taking you to the main road to train and assess how you do on each driving level.
8. Upon request, Burien/Seattle Driving Academy will provide parents with a course outline.
9. Cell phones: Cell phone use is prohibited during classes and BTW lessons.
10. Cameras: instructional vehicles may be equipped with video cameras for safety and training purposes only. Images from the cameras will never be used for public display of any type. Videos will only be retained for up to 30 days unless the instructor fills out an accident/incident report. By signing this form, you give Seattle Driving Academy permission to videotape all drives.
11. Graphic content: Our course curriculum includes some video content that is graphic. It’s not intended to scare the students, but rather to instill respect for the dangers involved with driving.
12. Photos: We take class photos for classroom decoration and promotion purposes to
appear on Seattle driving academy’s website, Google places, Facebook, etc. Photos will not be used for any other reason or given to any other person or company. Please let us know if you do not wish to have your teen included in these photos.
To be issued an intermediate driver's license, you must:
• Be between the ages of 16 and 18 years old and get the consent of a parent or guardian.
• Show proof that you have passed an approved Teen drivers training course. The course
needs to include a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction and a minimum of 5 hours of
behind-the-wheel lessons.
• Pass the medical and vision screenings, the knowledge test, and the driving test.
• Have had an instruction permit for at least six months.
• Show that a parent or guardian certifies you have had at least 50 hours of driving experience, including 10 hours at night, which you gained while a licensed driver with at least five years of licensed driving experience supervised you.
• Not have been issued a traffic ticket that is pending when you apply for your license
• Not have been convicted and found to have committed a traffic violation within the last six months before the day you apply for your license.
• Not have been convicted and found to have committed an offense involving the use of alcohol or drugs while you had an instruction permit.
• Provide your Social Security number, which we will verify when you apply for a driver's license (42 USC 405 and 666(a) (13), RCW 26.23.150). If you have not been issued a number, you can sign a Social Security Number Declaration.

An intermediate license comes with these driving restrictions:
• You cannot drive between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless you are with a parent, a guardian, or a licensed driver who is at least 25 years old.
• For the first six months, no passenger under the age of 20 may be with you while you drive unless that person is a member of your immediate family. For the remaining time, no more than three passengers under the age of 20 may be with you while you drive unless they are members of your immediate family.
• Teen drivers may not use a cell phone or other wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle unless the holder is using the device to report illegal activity, summon medical or other emergency help, or prevent injury to a person or property.
There are tough penalties in the first year:
• First violation –The passenger and nighttime restrictions are extended until age 18 and a warning letter is sent to you and your parent or guardian. If you receive a ticket for violating the restrictions or any other traffic law or you are involved in a collision where you receive a ticket, you are determined to have caused the collision, no one involved in the collision receives a ticket, no one was found to cause the collision, and only your car was involved in the collision.
• Second violation – you are suspended for six months (or until age 18 if that comes first).
• Third violation – you are suspended until age 18. You and your parent, or guardian, are notified before any suspension action is taken. On your 18th birthday, your license will become a basic driver's license without the intermediate license restrictions. You do not need to visit a driver licensing office to make this change.
Parents, please acknowledge you have received information about the WA State Intermediate Licensing Requirements, restrictions, and sanctions against violations of the restrictions or any traffic violations.

As a contractor for the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL), we comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination. We will not deny or exclude any person from any program, activity, or facility based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, low income, or limited English proficiency. If you feel like you have been discriminated against, please contact Burien/Seattle driving Academy at Buriendriving@gmail.com. Please feel free to fill out a Discrimination Complaint form which can be found at the front desk when requested.

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