Office Of ReseaRch and educatiOn accOuntability
dRiveR educatiOn in tennessee
JasOn e. MuMpOweR
Comptroller of the Treasury
deceMbeR 2022
dana spOOnMORe
Legislative Research Analyst
Introduction
Safety and nancial benets of driver education
Driver education programs in Tennessee public schools
District funding for driver education
Other potential funding sources for driver education
Private driver education companies are popular alternatives to public school programs
Policy options
Appendix A: Tennessee graduated driver license program
Appendix B: State requirements for driver education
Appendix C: Litigation privilege taxes that are partly allocated to promoting driver education and
expanding highway safety
Appendix D: Full distribution of litigation privilege tax revenue
Appendix E: Driver education student count and allocation per district
Appendix F: Litigation privilege tax allocations for driver education | 2017-2022
Appendix G: Tennessee Title I schools serving students of driving age
Appendix H: Requirements for commercial driver training schools and instructor licenses
Endnotes
Contents
3
4
7
15
19
24
25
27
28
30
31
32
33
34
39
40
3
Introduction
In 2022, the 112th General Assembly passed Public Chapter 1090, requiring the Comptroller’s Oce of
Research and Education Accountability (OREA) to collaborate with multiple state agencies to perform a
comprehensive study on the availability and aordability of driver education in Tennessee, including:
• the number of Title I public high schools that oer driver education courses to students, and of that
number, the average cost to each Title I public high school to provide a driver education course to students;
• the aordability of driver education provided by private companies;
• the benets of students receiving driver education courses in high school, including safety benets and
any insurance savings;
• the eectiveness of driver education in reducing automobile accidents involving teen drivers and in
reducing teen motor vehicle fatalities;
• the possibility of using a dual enrollment grant to cover all or a portion of the cost of a driver education
class for students in Title I public high schools, if community colleges were to oer driver education; and
• sources of funding to provide driver education to students in Title I public high schools at low or no cost.
Driver education in public schools, once a rite of passage for novice drivers preparing for the open road, has
diminished in popularity over the past few years. In 2021-22, 60 school districts in Tennessee received state
funding for the 12,660 students enrolled in their driver education classes. is is a decline from the 2017-18
enrollment of 15,429 in 65 districts that oered driver education. e decline in oerings and enrollment
may be due to a number of factors, including a lack of funding, lack of certied instructors, and competition
from private driver education agencies. In spite of these factors, driver education is still oered in many
districts across Tennessee.
Exhibit 1: Driver education is offered in many Tennessee school districts
Source: Tennessee Department of Education.
Methodology
PC 1090 asked OREA to collaborate with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), the Tennessee
Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC), the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
(TDLWD), and the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS). Additionally, OREA worked with
the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDSHS) and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP).
Districts shaded red
received funding for
driver education in
2021-22.
4
In July of 2022, OREA distributed a survey about driver education to all of the 141 Tennessee school district
superintendents. Over three-quarters of district superintendents or their representatives
A
(representing 109
districts) responded to the survey.
In September of 2022, OREA distributed a survey to the principals of all 2021-22 Title I schools serving
students of driving age (i.e., students in grades 10-12). Over a third of the principals (representing 62 schools)
completed the survey.
Safety and nancial benets of driver education
Many factors may keep teenagers from signing up for a driver education course, including busy schedules,
nancial concerns, or a general lack of interest. Understanding the potential benets of completing driver
education may encourage some teenagers and their parents to dedicate time and resources to driver education
either through the school system or a private agency.
Past studies vary in their conclusions about the effectiveness of
driver education on the safety of teen drivers
Driver education has been used to train new drivers for decades, giving them a chance to gain valuable on-
the-road experience under the direction of an instructor as well as instruction in the basic rules of the road in
a classroom setting. While parental training is also a traditional method of teaching teenagers how to drive, it
may not be as comprehensive as a full driver education course conducted by a certied instructor.
e eectiveness of driver education, however, has been debated for as long as it has existed, and there is a
shortage of thorough studies on the topic. Methodological aws in early studies resulted in a lack of reliable
data, and better-controlled studies yielded conicting conclusions. A small 1982 study found no signicant
eect of driver education on crash reduction,
1
and another study of data from the United Kingdom and New
Zealand showed an increase in crashes for teens who have completed a driver education course.
2
Teens who
take driver education often get their driver licenses earlier than those who do not, and earlier licensure is
linked with increased crash risk because of the increased opportunity to drive.
Graduated driver license (GDL) programs, such as the one implemented by Tennessee in 2001, are designed
to address the risks that often accompany young drivers. GDL programs are multi-tiered programs designed
to ease young novice drivers into full driving privileges as they become more mature and develop their driving
skills. A 2007 study concluded that GDL programs have reduced the occurrence of fatal trac crashes among
drivers age 15-17. See Appendix A for more information on the Tennessee GDL program.
More recent studies have linked driver education to fewer trac crashes. In 2015, researchers at the Nebraska
Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse analyzed the driving data of 151,880 Nebraska teenagers
who received their Provisional Operator’s Permit between 2003 and 2010.
B
e study compared trac
records of crashes and violations between drivers who had completed a driver education course and those who
had completed 50 hours of supervised driving only. While acknowledging data limitations (e.g., the study
analyzed drivers in a small, rural state without indicators of the quality of driver education courses), researchers
concluded that teens who had completed driver education courses had fewer crashes, including those resulting
in injury or fatality, than those who had accrued 50 hours of supervised driving (submitted in a driving log
certied by a parent or guardian) without a classroom course. e study results suggest that driver education is a
“meaningfully eective approach to reducing trac crashes and especially injury or fatal crashes among teens.”
3
A
Superintendents were asked to either respond to the survey themselves or share the survey with the person in the district who knows the most about driver education.
B
e Provisional Operator’s Permit is a restricted driver license given to drivers who have had a learner’s permit for at least six months and have successfully
completed a driver safety course or completed 50 hours of supervised driving, certied by a parent or guardian. e permit is part of Nebraska’s graduated driver
license program. For information on Tennessee’s graduated driver license programs, see Appendix A.
5
In 2017, two studies examined whether driver education programs approved by the Oregon Department
of Education eectively reduced collisions and convictions among teen drivers. e rst study sampled a
relatively small number of teens via an online survey and found that driver education did not signicantly
aect driver safety. In a much larger second sample, however, driver education status was associated with a
lower incidence of collisions and convictions.
4
Even though the eectiveness of driver education is disputed,
many Americans believe that it is a vital step in a student
driver’s path to full licensure. In May 2019, Volvo Car USA
administered an online survey of 2,000 adults ages 18 and
over who possessed driver licenses. Ninety percent of survey
respondents believed that driver education should be a part
of public education today. Additionally, nearly half of those
participating in the survey expressed belief that a minimum of
50 behind-the-wheel practice hours, either as part of a driver
education course or completed with a parent or guardian,
should be required before taking a driving test.
5
Teen drivers are involved in an average of 21 percent of Tennessee trac crashes each year
e rst few years on the road for new drivers tend to be the most dangerous due to inexperience and
maturity levels. A 2012 study of teen road safety in North Carolina suggested that certain teen driver behavior
associated with crashes (e.g., lack of attention, failure to yield, overcorrection, exceeding the speed limit, etc.)
could be due in part to a lack of knowledge on how to handle a full range of driving situations.
6
Regardless
of the cause, state and national data show a correlation between a driver’s age and their likelihood of being
involved in an accident.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), an average of 186,721 trac crashes occurred in
Tennessee each year between 2010 and 2021. An average of 21 percent of those crashes involved a driver who
was under the age of 21.
C
ere has been a slight decrease in the percentage of crashes involving young teen
drivers, with incidents decreasing gradually from 24 percent in 2010 to 20 percent in 2021.
Exhibit 2: Since 2010, an average of 21 percent of trafc crashes in Tennessee per year
involved a driver under the age of 21
Note: Includes driver-operated vehicles only. Excludes parking lot and private property crashes as well as crashes with less than $400 damage.
Source: Tennessee Highway Patrol.
C
THP uses a category for drivers under 21 when aggregating trac crash data and a teen driver category for trac fatalities.
OREA did not identify any existing
studies of the eectiveness of driver
education programs in Tennessee. A
study of eectiveness would require
data on the number of teen drivers who
have completed a driver education
course. Driver license applications in
Tennessee do not ask applicants if
they have completed a driver education
course, and the state does not collect
this information in any other way.
23.96%
23.02%
22.63%
21.73%
21.52%
21.61%
21.42%
21.07%
20.13%
20.01%
20.06%
19.99%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
21 & up 20 & under % of all crashes that involve ages 20 & under
6
While the percentage of youth-involved crashes has decreased over the past decade, the number of trac
fatalities involving teen drivers has increased in recent years, as well as the overall number of trac fatalities
in Tennessee. ere were 1,024 trac fatalities in the state in 2017, involving 86 teen drivers. In 2021, 1,327
trac fatalities occurred, with 147 involving teen drivers, increases of nearly 30 and 71 percent, respectively.
Eleven percent of all Tennessee trac fatalities involved teen drivers in 2021, compared to just over 8 percent
in 2017.
Exhibit 3: The overall number of trafc fatalities has risen almost every year since 2017, as
well as the number of fatalities involving teen drivers
Source: Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Many car insurance companies incentivize driver education by
offering discounts to teen drivers who complete a course
Many factors can aect the cost of car insurance, including the driver’s safety history, vehicle type, credit score,
and location. Because teen drivers are more likely to be in an accident due to their lack of experience, they are
the most expensive group of drivers to insure. e national average car insurance rate for all drivers is $1,553 per
year. As of June 2022, the average annual rate for 17-year-old drivers is $4,962 for females and $5,661 for males.
7
Tennessee does not statutorily require car insurance companies to oer discounts to help oset the cost
of insuring teen drivers, but many car insurance providers oer discounts to teens who complete a driver
education course. e discount varies by company and the multiple other factors that determine a driver’s rate.
For example, State Farm’s Driving Training Discount is for young drivers who have completed an acceptable
driver education course, which must be conducted by a licensed or certied instructor and include classroom
instruction in basic trac and safety rules, plus on-the-road driving experience. For unmarried individuals
who are 18 years or younger, the Driver Training Discount ranges from 3 to 10 percent on bodily injury and
property damage liability, medical payments, and comprehensive and collision coverage premiums.
86
84
124
130
147
8.40%
8.27%
10.92%
10.68%
11.08%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
No teen driver Traffic fatalities involving teen drivers % traffic fatalties involving teen drivers
7
Driver education programs in Tennessee
public schools
As of March 2020, 32 states required students 18 and younger to complete a driver education program
before obtaining a driver license (see Appendix B for the driver education requirements in other states).
Driver education programs are less prevalent than they once were in American public schools. According
to the American Driver and Trac Safety Education Association
(ADTSEA), 95 percent of students had access to public driver
education in the 1970s. At the time, most states had one to ve sta
members supervising driver education programs.
8
In 2019, ADTSEA
reported that 10 states included driver education in the state’s public
school curriculum, and most of those 10 states had one person
managing the state’s driver education program.
9
Tennessee does not require teenagers to complete a driver
education course before obtaining a license, and most driver
education programs aliated with the Tennessee public
school system are governed at the local level.
D
TDOE does
not employ a sta member who oversees these programs
and the State Board of Education does not authorize course
standards. OREA was unable to verify if education standards
have ever existed.
School-based driver education programs are available in many Tennessee school districts across the state, and
these programs vary in their implementation from district to district. On OREA’s July 2022 survey of Tennessee
school district superintendents, nearly half of respondents (47.7 percent or 51 superintendents) stated that their
districts have oered driver education in at least one of
the past ve school years and plan to oer it again in the
2022-23 school year. Around 37 percent of respondents
indicated that their districts do not oer the course. Four
districts have oered driver education in at least one of
the past ve years but do not plan to oer it in 2022-
23, while three districts plan to add the course after not
oering it for at least ve years.
D
ough Tennessee does not require a driver education course, the state does require 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice with a parent, guardian, or driving
instructor before graduating from a learner’s permit to a driver license. See Appendix A for more information on Tennessee’s graduated driver license program.
We do not have the numbers that
we used to have taking the driver ed
course, but we are still very happy to
oer it to our students.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
I think it would be extremely benecial for
our students to be able to receive driver
education in our schools but at this point
we are using our resources to sta our
academic programs and do not have extra
for a driver education program.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
[We] used to oer driver ed many years ago; it
ceased when the teacher retired and the cost
of the vehicle changed. We are oering this
course [again] as we believe it will be highly
impactful for our students to be taught safe
driving by an educator licensed to do so.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
8
Exhibit 3: Driver education availability (n=108)
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
The overall number of districts offering driver education courses
has decreased slightly over the past few school years
Fifty-one districts oered driver education courses in the 2017-18 and the 2018-19 school years. at number
decreased to 48 for the next two school years and decreased again, to 46 districts, in 2021-22. Superintendents
cited a lack of qualied teachers, decline in student interest, and eects of the COVID-19 pandemic as
reasons for not oering the course in certain years. According to survey responses, the decision of whether to
oer driver education is usually made at the district level.
Exhibit 4: The number of districts offering driver education has decreased slightly since 2017-18
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
In most districts (77.6 percent of survey respondents), driver education courses are available to all students
who live in the district and are enrolled in the school where the course is oered. Other districts oer driver
education to all students in the district from one central location
such as a virtual academy, career and technical center, or a single high
school that hosts driver education for the entire district. Most survey
respondents (67.9 percent or 36 superintendents) indicated that a driver
education course is oered at a single high school in the district. (Several
respondents represented districts that have only one high school.)
51 51
48 48
46
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22
We are a large district, but we
only oer the program at a single
location serving multiple schools.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
47.7%, 51
36.7%, 40
6.4%, 7
3.7%, 4
2.8%, 3 2.8%, 3
Offers driver ed Does not offer driver
ed
District does not
serve students of
driving age
Has offered driver ed
in at least one of the
past five years but
does not plan to offer
it in 2022-23
Unsure if driver ed is
offered
Has not offered
driver ed in any of
the past five years
but does plan to offer
it in 2022-23
9
Exhibit 5: Availability of driver education to students
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents whose districts oer driver education (32 superintendents or 65.3
percent) indicated that their districts oer the course during the school year only. e districts of 26.5 percent
of respondents (13 superintendents) oer driver education in both the school year and the summer.
Exhibit 6: Most districts offer driver education during the school year only
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
Student participation in driver education varies by district
Because driver education is not a required course for high school
students in Tennessee, the limited number of students who complete
their district’s driver education course do so as an elective or summer
school option. e rate of student participation varies from district to
district. Almost a quarter of survey respondents (24.1 percent or 13
superintendents) estimated that 11-20 percent of eligible students in
their district (i.e., students who are 15-18 years old) participate in driver
education oered by schools in the district each year. e majority of respondents indicated that 10 percent
or fewer eligible students in their districts elect to participate in the course, with 18.5 percent estimating 0-5
percent participation and 20.4 percent estimating 6-10 percent participation. Two respondents, however,
commented that all or almost all students in their district complete a driver education course during their
77.6%, 38
10.2%, 5
6.1%, 3 6.1%, 3
Available to all students who
live in the district and are
enrolled in the school where the
course is offered
Available to all students who
live in the district and are
enrolled in any school in the
district
Available to all students,
regardless of enrollment or
district residency
Other
65%, 32
27%, 13
6%, 3
2%, 1
School year only
Both school year and summer
Not sure
Summer only
With [academic] requirements
and dual [enrollment] college
courses, most students opt not
to take [driver education].
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
10
sophomore year. In one of these districts, driver
education is taught as a component of the required
wellness and physical education courses. In the
other district, students who choose College and
Career Readiness as their graduation pathway have
the option to take driver education to fulll a
required elective credit during their sophomore year.
Exhibit 6: Almost a quarter of survey respondents estimated that 11-20 percent of their
district’s students take driver education through the district
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
Most driver education courses in Tennessee provide 30 hours of
classroom instruction and six hours of behind-the-wheel training
Currently, there are few specic requirements for driver education courses specied in state law or rule.
10
TCA
49-1-204, last amended in 1985, directs TDOE to promote and expand driver education and training courses
throughout state public schools. e law species only that these courses include instruction dealing with
the eects of the consumption of alcoholic beverages on driving abilities. e law also mandates an annual
appropriation of state funds for the driver education program, in addition to earmarking funds to TDOE and
TDSHS from litigation privilege taxes for the purpose of expanding driver education and promoting highway
safety.
11
(See p. 16 for more information on litigation privilege taxes.)
TCA 55-19-101 authorizes TDSHS to issue licenses for commercial driver training schools and licenses for
instructors in the schools. Under this authority, TDSHS operates the Driver Training and Testing Program
(DTTP), through which it establishes the terms and conditions required of driving schools and certied
instructors. In order for instructors that are certied under DTTP to administer the Tennessee road skills test,
the DTTP student must complete 30 hours of classroom instruction utilizing the current Tennessee Driver
License Manual and six hours of behind-the-wheel training (two hours may be completed using a simulator).
E
Public schools and instructors that are certied under DTTP are regulatated by TDSHS for their driver
education courses.
E
Behind-the-wheel training involves a student driver practicing skills on the road with a supervised instructor in the passenger seat.
[Enrollment in my district’s driver education course is]
fully maxed out in our school year option (paired with
Personal Fitness) and our summer oering. We have
added an additional teacher this year who is certied
and will double our summer enrollment next year.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
10, 18.5%
11, 20.4%
13, 24.1%
11, 20.4%
5, 9.3%
4, 7.4%
0-5% 6-10% 11-20% 21-50% 51-75% Over 75%
11
Most courses in Tennessee oer a combination of classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training as
part of their driver education curriculum. e majority of private driver education agencies in Tennessee oer
courses that include 30 hours of classroom instruction combined with six hours of behind-the-wheel training,
in addition to a variety of other combinations.
F,12
According to the OREA survey of superintendents, most driver education courses oered by Tennessee school
districts (42.9 percent) include 30 hours of classroom instruction. Twenty percent of districts provide over
40 hours of classroom instruction. More classroom instruction may occur in districts where driver education
courses are taught during the school year over the course of a full semester as opposed to more condensed
summer courses.
Exhibit 7: Most school-based driver education courses consist of 30 hours of classroom
instruction
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
Most districts (43 percent) include six hours of behind-the-wheel training in their driver education courses.
Some districts (according to 22.4 percent of respondents) include over 10 hours of behind-the-wheel training
in their driver education courses.
Exhibit 8: Most school-based driver education courses consist of six hours of behind-the-
wheel training
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
F
TDSHS has jurisdiction over any entity that charges a fee for driver training. TDSHS Rules, Chapter 1340-03-07-.02(3) states that a driver education course shall
include classroom or online driver safety training of no less than four hours, which has been determined to meet or exceed the standards of the AAA, National Safety
Council, or other such nationally recognized curriculum approved by TDSHS. e American Driver and Trac Safety Education Association (ADTSEA) increased
the requirements for its driver education curriculum in 2017 to include 45 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of behind-the-wheel training, along with
12 hours of observation time. ADTSEA denes observation time as instructional time during which teen drivers observe a behind-the-wheel lesson and receive
perceptual practice in how to manage time and space for risk-reduction outcomes.
2.0%, 1
4.1%, 2
10.2%, 5
42.9%, 21
4.1%, 2
20.4%, 10
8.2%, 4
8.2%, 4
0 hours: behind-the-wheel training only
1-10 hours
11-29 hours
30 hours
31-40 hours
Over 40 hours
Unknown
Other
4.1%, 2
4.1%, 2
42.9%, 21
10.2%, 5
22.4%, 11
12.2%, 6
4.1%, 2
0 hours: classroom instruction only
1-5 hours
6 hours
7-10 hours
Over 10 hours
Unknown
Other
12
In nearly three-quarters of districts with driver education (73.5 percent or 36 survey respondents), the
course is taught by a district employee who also has additional responsibilities, such as teaching other classes,
coaching sports, or working in an administrative role. Eight superintendents (16.3 percent of respondents)
indicated that their districts employ teachers who are responsible for driver education only. In most districts,
driver education teachers use a curriculum provided by the district.
Exhibit 9: Driver education is usually taught by employees with other responsibilities
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
Most district superintendents think that their driver education
programs are effective
e majority of superintendent survey respondents (nearly
40 percent) felt that their district’s driver education program
is very eective at reducing trac accidents and fatalities
involving teen drivers, based on their observations. Another
31 percent rated their programs as extremely eective at doing
so. Superintendents referenced positive feedback from parents,
the ability of instructors to prepare students for the road, and a
perceived decrease in accidents among students as reasons for their positive ratings.
Exhibit 10: Most survey respondents rated their district’s driver education programs as
extremely or very effective
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
We have seen a decrease in accidents by
our students, and we hope to continue this
trend by educating students to be safe,
attentive, defensive drivers.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
31.3%, 15
39.6%, 19
25.0%, 12
2.1%, 1
2.1%, 1
Extremely effective
Very effective
Moderately effective
Slightly effective
Not at all effective
73.5%, 36
16.3%, 8
10.2%, 5
School/district employee with
other responsibilities (e.g.,
teacher, coach, administrative
assistant, etc.)
School/district employee
responsible only for driver
education
Other
73.5%, 36
16.3%, 8
10.2%, 5
School/district employee with
other responsibilities (e.g.,
teacher, coach, administrative
assistant, etc.)
School/district employee
responsible only for driver
education
Other
73.5%, 36
16.3%, 8
10.2%, 5
School/district employee with
other responsibilities (e.g.,
teacher, coach, administrative
assistant, etc.)
School/district employee
responsible only for driver
education
Other
13
While most survey respondents felt condent in their
program’s eectiveness, not all students may have access to
driver education due to certain barriers. Almost 37 percent
of respondents cited a lack of funding and 33 percent cited
a lack of eligible or willing instructors as barriers in their
districts. Others cited barriers such as a lack of interest from
students and/or parents, a lack of eective curriculum options, or a lack of a reliable vehicle.
Exhibit 11: Superintendents cited a lack of funding and lack of instructors as their main
barriers to providing adequate driver education
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
Most districts that do not offer driver education cite a lack of
funding as the main impediment
Nearly 40 percent of survey respondents (43 superintendents)
stated on the OREA survey that their districts have not oered
driver education in any of the past ve school years. ree of
those districts indicated that their districts do plan to oer the
course during the 2022-23 school year. Over 79 percent of the
districts that did not oer driver education at the time of the
survey have oered it at some point in the past, but it was longer than ve years ago.
Exhibit 12: Most districts that do not currently offer driver education have offered it in the past
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
Additional vehicles are needed along with
another instructor to serve the number of
requests from students for this course.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
If the state wants to fully fund a position
for [driver education], we will be more than
happy to add it.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
36.7%, 11
33.3%, 10
13.3%, 4
10.0%, 3
6.7%, 2
Lack of funding to help make courses more affordable for
students and districts
Lack of eligible and/or willing instructors
Other (e.g., lack of reliable vehicle)
Lack of interest from students and/or parents
Lack of effective curriculum options
79.1%, 34
11.6%, 5
9.3%, 4
Schools in my district do not currently
offer driver education but have in the
past (longer than five years ago).
Schools in my district have never
offered driver education.
Schools in my district do not currently
offer driver education and I am not
sure if driver education has ever been
offered in my district.
79.1%, 34
11.6%, 5
9.3%, 4
Schools in my district do not currently
offer driver education but have in the
past (longer than five years ago).
Schools in my district have never
offered driver education.
Schools in my district do not currently
offer driver education and I am not
sure if driver education has ever been
offered in my district.
79.1%, 34
11.6%, 5
9.3%, 4
Schools in my district do not currently
offer driver education but have in the
past (longer than five years ago).
Schools in my district have never
offered driver education.
Schools in my district do not currently
offer driver education and I am not
sure if driver education has ever been
offered in my district.
14
Funding concerns was the most common reason cited by survey
respondents (29 of 43 superintendents) for why their districts
do not oer driver education (e.g., costs of paying an instructor,
insurance, vehicle maintenance, etc.). Some said that they
have chosen to prioritize their funding for areas they view as of
greater importance, particularly those related to academics and
graduation requirements.
Fourteen survey respondents cited a lack of certied sta as the
reason driver education courses are not oered by their districts. Two
respondents commented that their districts stopped oering the course
after the teacher in their district certied to teach driver education
retired and there was no one else available. Some commented that it
is dicult to nd teachers certied to teach it, and one mentioned
that the certication process is costly and extensive. SBE policy 5.502
requires driver education teachers to hold a valid Tennessee educator license and complete at least 10 semester
hours of driver and trac safety education that includes basic and advanced driver and trac safety education
and rst aid and emergency medical service.
Other reasons mentioned by survey respondents included a lack
of student interest, issues with insurance liability on districts and
schools, logistical problems (e.g., scheduling, no one to monitor
students in the classroom while others are doing on-the-road
training, etc.), academic priorities (e.g., no room in schedule for
driver education due to other required courses), and the availability
of courses from external private agencies.
Exhibit 13: Superintendents cited a number of reasons for not offering driver education in
their districts
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
When asked if their districts had plans to oer driver education in
the future, over half of survey respondents (24 of 43 superintendents)
answered that their districts might oer it. e remaining respondents
indicated their districts do not plan to oer driver education in the
future. Ten superintendents commented that they would consider
adding the course if adequate funding were made available.
The already mandated requirements
for coursework in high school are
priority areas. Recurring cost is also
a consideration.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
We lost our teacher for driver
education and couldn’t get a
certied teacher, so we had to
stop the program.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
[Reasons for not oering driver
education include] cost of vehicles,
cost of insurance, [and the]
complexity of the structure of class.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
We pursued a lot of options, but the
challenges we met did not seem to
be worth the process [of oering a
driver education program].
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
15
Exhibit 14: Over half of districts that do not currently offer driver education indicated that
they may do so in the future
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
District funding for driver education
Several factors feed into how much a driver education course
may cost a district to oer, including the costs of paying an
instructor, insurance, vehicle maintenance, and more. OREA
asked superintendents to estimate the total costs to their district
per year for driver education courses. irty-eight survey
respondents provided a broad range of estimates from $0 to
$453,807 in annual costs. Eleven superintendents were unsure
about costs.
Survey respondents were also asked to estimate the cost of driver education for their district per student.
irty-three superintendents estimated that it costs their districts anywhere from $0 to $2,000 per student to
provide driver education. Sixteen superintendents were not sure how much driver education costs per student.
Because the range of estimates provided on the superintendent survey was so broad, it is possible that the
respondents were unclear about how much driver education costs their districts.
Most districts with driver education offer courses to students free
of charge
Over three-quarters of survey respondents from districts that oer
driver education (38 of 49 superintendents) reported that their
districts oer the course free of charge to all students. In these cases,
any costs associated with the course are likely covered by the district
through its state or local funding. Five respondents’ districts charge
students $1-100, and two districts charge students $201-300.
ree respondents stated that driver education is oered as a free
elective during the regular school year, but students are charged a fee (ranging from $50-$150) for summer
courses to help oset the cost of teachers. One superintendent shared that while the district charges a fee for
driver education, no one is required to pay, which is the policy for all student fees in the district.
G
G
State Board of Education Rule 0520-01-02-.16 (a) prohibits requiring students to pay fees “as a condition of attending a public school or using its equipment while
receiving educational training.”
44.2%, 19
55.8%, 24
No – my district does not plan to offer
driver education in the future.
Maybe – my district might offer driver
education in the future.
We only subsidize the program through
local revenue. Students have an
opportunity to participate in the program
during the school year free of charge.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
The course is oered as an elective
within the available courses at the
high school. There are no fees
associated with this class and the
instructor is a licensed teacher with
the driver education endorsement.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
44.2%, 19
55.8%, 24
No – my district does not plan to offer
driver education in the future.
Maybe – my district might offer driver
education in the future.
16
According to State Board of Education Rules, Chapter 0520-01-
02-.16, districts may adopt a policy requesting, but not requiring,
certain school fees of students for activities that occur during
regular school days or in the summer.
13
Based on this rule, districts
cannot require students to pay a fee for driver education. In two
districts, an optional fee is assessed ($5 in one district and $20 in
another), but since few students pay the fee, the course is free to
the majority of students.
Exhibit 15: Most districts with driver education offer courses to students free of charge (n=49)
Source: OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
A portion of litigation privilege tax revenue is earmarked for
driver education
Driver education is not specically mentioned in Tennessee’s current BEP funding formula or the recently
passed TISA plan, but districts may choose to allocate K-12 funding formula resources toward driver
education. Additionally, a portion of litigation privilege tax revenue is earmarked for driver education.
Tennessee imposes privilege taxes on litigation instituted in all criminal and civil cases in the state, with the
amount dependent on the court and type of case.
14
See Appendix C for details on what courts and cases are
subject to litigation privilege taxes.
Tennessee state law allocates a percentage of litigation privilege tax revenue to 14 dierent funds, grants,
and programs.
H
e dedication of a portion of such revenues toward driver education was rst established in
1981 with the passage of Public Chapter 488. At that time, 11.31 percent of litigation privilege tax revenues
were allocated to driver education, with 75 percent of the amount allocated to TDOE and the remaining
25 percent allocated to TDSHS.
15
e General Assembly reduced the percentage of litigation privilege tax
revenues earmarked for driver education through subsequent amendments to the law before the current
percentage allocation was set in 2005.
16
Current law mandates that 4.4430 percent of litigation privilege tax revenue be credited to a separate reserve
account to be split between TDOE (75 percent) and TDSHS (25 percent) to promote and expand driver
education through Tennessee public schools and to promote safety on the highways.
17
Additionally, 2.7747
H
See Appendix D for a breakdown of all litigation privilege tax allocations.
During the school year, the fees are
minimal; however, when driver ed is
taken during the summer, a fee of
$150 is assessed.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
77.6%, 38
10.2%, 5
0.0%, 0
4.1%, 2
2.0%, 1
0.0%, 0
6.1%, 3
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
$0 - Driver
education is
offered free to
all students
$1-100 $101-200 $201-300 $301-400 Over $400 The cost varies
by school
17
percent of the litigation privilege tax proceeds are credited to a separate general fund reserved for use only by
TDOE to promote and expand driver education.
18
In FY 2022, TDOE received an average of $87,511.34 per month through litigation privilege taxes for
an annual total of $1,050,136.10. TDSHS received an average of $15,916.82 per month for a total of
$191,001.84.
Exhibit 16: Distribution of litigation privilege tax proceeds designated to promote and
expand driver education and/or to promote highway safety | FY 2022
Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue.
e law does not specify how these funds must be used to promote and expand driver education and promote
highway safety. TDSHS uses its allocated funds to promote safety education in schools and promote highway
safety by purchasing promotional materials and paying for salaries and benets of employees that assist in
these areas.
TDOE distributes litigation privilege tax revenue to districts that oer driver education to use at their
discretion. To determine how funds will be dispersed, TDOE divides the total amount of revenue the
department receives ($1,050,136.10 in FY 2022) by the total number of students enrolled in driver education
courses across the state, as reported by districts through the department’s Education Information System
(EIS). e resulting amount is used to distribute funding to districts based on the number of students enrolled
in the districts’ driver education courses.
For example, the per-student allocation for all students enrolled in driver education in Tennessee during the
2021-22 school year was $86.89. Four students were enrolled in Union County driver education in 2021-22,
so the district received a total of $347.56 from the state. In Rutherford County that year, 3,141 students were
enrolled in driver education, resulting in $272,921.49 for the district. See Appendix E for a complete list of
districts receiving funding from litigation privilege taxes for driver education.
TDOE TDSHS
Collection month 67-4-606(a)(14)
100% of the 2.7747% of privilege
tax proceeds credited to separate
general fund reserve to be used
only by TDOE to promote and
expand driver education
67-4-606(a)(2)(A)
75% of the 4.4430% of privilege tax
proceeds designated to promote
and expand driver education and
highway safety
67-4-606(a)(2)(B)
25% of the 4.4430% of privilege tax
proceeds designated to promote
and expand driver education and
highway safety
July 2021 $43,936.56 $52,765.20 $17,588.40
August 2021 $39,710.77 $47,690.27 $15,896.76
September 2021 $41,951.34 $50,381.07 $16,793.69
October 2021 $39,018.59 $46,859.01 $15,619.67
November 2021 $39,335.81 $47,239.98 $15,746.66
December 2021 $40,378.45 $48,492.12 $16,164.04
January 2022 $33,572.28 $40,318.32 $13,439.44
February 2022 $35,154.09 $42,217.98 $14,072.66
March 2022 $39,096.61 $46,952.71 $15,650.90
April 2022 $48,530.61 $58,282.38 $19,427.46
May 2022 $35,261.80 $42,347.32 $14,115.77
June 2022 $41,183.68 $49,459.15 $16,486.38
$477,130.59 $573,005.51
FY 2022 total $1,050,136.10 $191,001.84
18
Exhibit 17: Ten districts with highest number of students participating in driver education |
2021-22
Source: Tennessee Department of Education.
Districts that do not oer driver education do not receive such revenues. Most of the survey respondents
whose districts do not oer driver education indicated that they do not receive dedicated state funding for
it.
I
Because the driver education funds allocated through litigation privilege taxes are dependent on student
enrollment, these districts would not receive funding without oering the course.
Two respondents to the superintendent survey indicated that their districts oer driver education, but they
were not on the list of districts receiving funding from litigation privilege taxes. According to TDOE, if a
district uses an incorrect course code for driver education in the EIS (e.g., using the course code for study
hall instead), their students would not be counted for funding. It is not clear if this error applies to these two
survey respondents.
Because these funds are dependent on litigation privilege tax revenue (which changes from year to year) and
are allocated on a per student basis among all districts oering driver education, district allocations uctuate.
J
An increase in the number of students enrolled in driver education in a year when litigation privilege tax
revenues remained the same or decreased would lower the amount of funding received by districts.
Districts also use other funding sources to offset the cost of
driver education
In districts where the allocations received from litigation privilege
taxes do not fully fund the driver education program, other funding
sources must be utilized. As with other programs, districts may
allocate local funding such as local tax revenue or city or county
allocations to cover any additional costs of driver education. In some
cases, the cost of driver education may be supplemented in other
ways, such as charging fees to students or acquiring a donated vehicle
through a local dealership.
Additional funding may also be available to students or districts in the form of private grants. For example, the
Hagerty Drivers Foundation, launched by the Hagerty Insurance Agency and Drivers Club in 2021, provides
programs and nancial support in car culture, education, and innovation. e foundation’s License to the
Future program oers grants of up to $500 to young drivers to cover the cost of driver education. e grant is
I
Seven superintendents indicated that they were unsure if their districts received state funding earmarked for driver education. None of the seven districts appeared
on the list of districts that received a portion of the litigation privilege tax revenue.
J
See Appendix F for the estimated annual litigation privilege tax revenue for each year since 2017, as projected in Tennessee state budget documents.
District Student count Allocation
Rutherford County 3,141 $272,921.49
Knox County 858 $74,551.62
Sevier County 571 $49,614.19
Washington County 438 $38,057.82
Bradley County 370 $32,149.30
Cocke County 317 $27,544.13
Greene County 281 $24,416.09
Bristol City 279 $24,242.31
Bedford County 277 $24,068.53
Dyer County 266 $23,112.74
Our district receives a car for
temporary use during the driver
education course. The vehicle is
donated by a local dealership.
The district supplies the gasoline
and oil change.
OREA survey of superintendents, July 2022.
19
open to students ages 14-18 who apply through an online form in which they submit either a 300-word essay
or a one-minute video answering the question, “Why are you excited to drive?” e program provided 175
grants in 2020 and approximately 200 grants in 2021 to students across the United States and Canada.
Other potential funding sources for driver education
Title I
One alternative source of funding that has been proposed by lawmakers to help cover or oset the cost
of driver education is Title I funds. Title I was originally passed as part of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, last reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. e program
provides nancial assistance to districts for children from low-income households to help ensure that all
children meet challenging state academic standards and receive fair, equitable, high-quality education. Title
I allocations are determined by combining four formulas to allocate funds to districts with more signicant
numbers and higher concentrations of students in poverty.
All school districts in Tennessee receive Title I funding. In FY 2021, the state’s school districts were allocated
$304 million from Title I. School districts have some discretion in how their Title I funds are distributed,
operating either as targeted assistance or schoolwide programs. Targeted assistance schools identify students
who are at risk of not meeting the state’s content and performance standards and provide individualized
instructional programs to the identied students to assist them in meeting the state’s standards. In a Title I
Targeted Assistance Program, funds may be spent on allowable Title I activities for participating, targeted Title
I students, their teachers, and families. Activities and interventions must be aligned with the program plan for
providing services to eligible students based on educational needs.
Schools in which children from low-income families make up at least 40 percent of enrollment are eligible to
use Title I funds to operate schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school to raise the achievement
of the lowest-achieving students. In a Title I Schoolwide Program, funds may be spent on allowable Title I
activities for any student, teacher, and family of students enrolled in the school. Activities and interventions
must be aligned with the schoolwide plan, strategies, and interventions based on a comprehensive needs
assessment.
Driver education availability and participation in Tennessee Title I schools
As of July 2022, there were 183 designated Title I schools serving students of driving age (i.e., students in
grades 10-12) in 67 Tennessee school districts.
K
TDOE does not collect data on which schools oer driver
education, only districts, so an accurate number of Title I schools that oer driver education is unavailable.
On the OREA survey of superintendents, 26.5 percent of respondents stated that driver education is oered
in Title I schools in their districts.
On OREA’s survey of Title I school principals, 41 percent
of respondents (representing 25 schools) indicated that their
schools have oered driver education in at least one of the past
ve school years and are oering it in the 2022-23 school year.
L
All but one of those principals stated that their school oers
the course during the school year only, not in the summer. Just
over half of respondents (55.7 percent or 34 schools) shared that
their schools have not oered driver education in any of the past
ve school years and they are not oering it in 2022-23.
K
See Appendix G for a list of all Title I schools in Tennessee that serve students of driving age (i.e., students in grades 10-12).
L
OREA distributed the survey to principals of Title I schools that serve students of driving age (i.e., grades 10-12).
Although we have a driver education
program in our school, the school
system does not oer it. We partner
with a local program and allow them to
use our facility to hold classes.
OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
20
Exhibit 18: Over half of the Title I schools represented by respondents on the OREA survey
do not offer driver education
Source: OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
e number of Title I schools that oer driver education has remained steady since 2017-18, when 23 of
the survey respondents said their schools oered the program. Twenty-ve Title I schools are oering driver
education during the 2022-23 school year. Two principals shared that their schools did not oer the course
during one or both of the 2019-20 or 2020-21 school years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Exhibit 19: Driver education availability has remained steady in Title I schools since 2017-18
Source: OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
Nearly one-third of the principals whose schools oer driver education indicated that 11-20 percent of their
eligible students (i.e., students age 15-18) participate. Almost a quarter of respondents (six principals or 24
percent) stated that 21-50 percent of their students participate
in driver education. Two principals shared that driver education
is a requirement at their schools, so their participation rate is
high. Several respondents stated that their participation rate
would likely be higher, but availability is limited due to lack of
sta or schedule conicts.
41.0%, 25
55.7%, 34
1.6%, 1 1.6%, 1
Offers driver ed Does not offer driver ed Has offered driver ed in at least
one of the past five years but
not in 2022-23
Has not offered driver ed in any
of the past five years but does
offer it in 2022-23
23
25
24
23
25 25
2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
We are a small school whose primary
mission is to graduate students on time,
and they may not be able to t [driver
education] into their schedules.
OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
21
Exhibit 20: Most Title I principals estimated an 11-20 percent participation rate for driver
education at their schools
Source: OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
Six principals whose Title I schools oer driver
education shared that they have encountered some
barriers to providing adequate driver education to
students. Four of these respondents cited a lack of
eligible and/or willing instructors as a barrier, with
one echoing the thoughts of a superintendent who
described the certication process for driver education
as costly and extensive.
Possibility of using Title I funds for driver education
According to TDOE, a school may use Title I “to support any reasonable activity designed to improve its
educational program as long as it is consistent with the school’s needs and plan.” A school’s planning team
prioritizes identied needs and determines where funds are best utilized. A TDOE representative stated that if
driver education is identied as a priority need, it is allowable to le that expense under Title I. e department
does not recommend, however, referring to an automobile used for driver education as education materials,
instead recommending budgeting the expense in the same way it does for other regular instructional equipment.
On the OREA survey of superintendents, nearly 94 percent of respondents (46 superintendents) whose
districts oer driver education said that their districts
do not currently use Title I funds to cover or oset the
cost of the course. e remaining three respondents
were not sure if their district used these funds. On
the survey of Title I principals, nearly 57 percent of
respondents whose schools oer driver education (13
principals) stated that their schools do not use federal
Title I funds to cover or oset the cost of driver education for their students. e remaining respondents (43.5
percent or 10 principals) were unsure if their schools did.
12.5%, 3 12.5%, 3
33.3%, 8
25.0%, 6
8.3%, 2 8.3%, 2
0.0%, 0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0-5% 6-10% 11-20% 21-50% 51-75% 76-99% 100% (Driver
education is
required for all
students)
The teacher who teaches driver education
is also the P.E. teacher. We cannot provide
adequate sections of driver education due to the
teacher also teaching other classes. The solution
would be for the [state] to fund a position for
driver education.
OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
Our schools are providing every other service
(counseling, enrichment, remediation, care
closets, food pantries, etc.). [Driver education]
is a liability that should be addressed in the
community, not the school.
OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
22
Several respondents on the Title I principals survey were unsure of the cost of driver education for their
school, likely because the funding is allocated from multiple funding sources at the district level. Eighteen
principals said that they paid for the program using funding allocated by the district that is earmarked
specically for driver education. Another four said that they use local donations or resources such as cars
donated by a local dealership or oil changes performed by a CTE class.
Regardless of what funding is being used, the Title I principals survey echoed the responses on the survey of
superintendents regarding the cost of driver
education to their students. Most Title I school
principals whose schools oer driver education
(87 percent or 20 respondents) shared on the
survey that their schools do not charge students
to take the course. ree principals indicated
that their school charges a $1-100 fee for the
course, which two said was $5 at their schools.
M
Title I schools without driver education
irty-four Title I school principals shared on the survey that their school does not currently oer driver
education and has not oered it in any of the past ve school years. Of those respondents, 14 of their schools
(41.2 percent) have oered the course in the past, but longer than ve years ago. Eleven principals (32.4
percent) stated that their schools have never oered driver education.
Similar to responses on the survey of district superintendents,
most principals whose Title I schools do not oer driver
education cited a lack of funding as a reason for not oering
the course. Twelve respondents stated that they do not have
enough eligible and/or willing instructors to sta the program,
and ve said that their district as a whole does not oer driver
education.
Exhibit 21: Lack of funding was the top reason cited by Title I principals for not offering
driver education at their schools
Source: OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
M
No respondents indicated that their schools charge higher fees. Respondents could have also selected $101-200, $201-300, $301-400, $401-500, and over $500
from the list of answer choices. No respondents indicated that their schools charge over $100.
Driver education is needed at our school. We are in a
very low socio-economic area and some of the parents
do not provide training for their kids. In order for these
kids to become a success in life, they need to know how
to drive and we are glad to provide the training for them.
OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
We would love to oer driver education
and other services like this. Funding is an
issue, but if we can overcome this hurdle
we would oer it in a heartbeat.
OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
,
23
Most principals whose schools do not currently oer driver education (20 respondents or 58.8 percent)
indicated that their schools do not plan to oer driver education in the future. Almost a third of respondents
(11 principals) stated that their schools might oer the course someday.
Exhibit 22: Most Title I schools that do not currently offer driver education do not plan to
offer it in the future
Source: OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
Nearly three-quarters of survey respondents (73.5 percent
or 25 principals) whose Title I schools do not oer driver
education stated that the course is not oered anywhere in
their districts. Six principals were not sure if it was oered
anywhere in the district, and three indicated that other schools
in their districts oer driver education but only to students
enrolled in those schools.
Exhibit 23: Most Title I schools that do not offer driver education are in districts that do not
offer the course
Source: OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
8.8%, 3
58.8%, 20
32.4%, 11
Yes – my school has plans to
offer driver education in the
future.
No – my school does not plan to
offer driver education in the
future.
Maybe – my school might offer
driver education in the future.
We would not use any of our current sta
or resources [for driver education]. If the
state wanted to fund the equipment and
stang, we’d be willing to oer it.
OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
73.5%, 25
17.6%, 6
8.8%, 3
No driver education is offered
anywhere in my district.
I’m not sure if driver education is
offered anywhere in my district.
Other schools in my district offer
driver education but only to
students enrolled in those
schools.
73.5%, 25
17.6%, 6
8.8%, 3
No driver education is offered
anywhere in my district.
I’m not sure if driver education is
offered anywhere in my district.
Other schools in my district offer
driver education but only to
students enrolled in those
schools.
8.8%, 3
58.8%, 20
32.4%, 11
Yes – my school has plans to
offer driver education in the
future.
No – my school does not plan to
offer driver education in the
future.
Maybe – my school might offer
driver education in the future.
73.5%, 25
17.6%, 6
8.8%, 3
No driver education is offered
anywhere in my district.
I’m not sure if driver education is
offered anywhere in my district.
Other schools in my district offer
driver education but only to
students enrolled in those
schools.
73.5%, 25
17.6%, 6
8.8%, 3
No driver education is offered
anywhere in my district.
I’m not sure if driver education is
offered anywhere in my district.
Other schools in my district offer
driver education but only to
students enrolled in those
schools.
24
Dual enrollment grants
OREA was also asked to explore the possibility of using dual enrollment grants to cover the cost of driver
education courses if oered by postsecondary institutions. Dual enrollment courses are postsecondary courses
open to high school students who may enroll and earn college-level credits while still in high school. Dual
enrollment courses are either oered at a college or university or taught by a member of a college faculty at
a high school or online. Upon completion of a dual enrollment course, students can earn college credits that
can be used toward a postsecondary credential. High school credit is awarded based on local policy. However,
districts must accept dual enrollment courses aligned with high school graduation requirements according to
SBE’s high school policy.
e dual enrollment grant is one of the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarships, and the grant provides
funding for dual enrollment tuition and fees. Students receive funding for one dual enrollment course per
semester, with funding for an additional course per semester if they meet the minimum HOPE Scholarship
academic requirements at the time of dual enrollment.
TDOE is unaware of any dual enrollment driver education programs being oered at Tennessee postsecondary
institutions, and TBR is unaware of any institutions oering driver education courses. If a postsecondary
institution were to begin oering driver education courses eligible for dual enrollment grants, then students
could choose driver education within their limit of 10 dual enrollment courses. Students would also have to
meet certain academic requirements to use dual enrollment grant funding for a driver education course.
In the fall semester of 2021, the most common dual enrollment courses included English, communication,
math, history, and other general education or non-general education academic courses, all of which align with
postsecondary degree requirements. Driver education courses do not align with any postsecondary degree
requirement, and representatives from TDOE do not believe dual enrollment grants can currently be applied
toward the cost of a driver education course, should one be oered through a postsecondary institution in the
future. A representative from TBR stated that if an institution were to oer driver education, it would be possible
to pay for it with dual enrollment grants, but community colleges are unlikely to oer driver education courses
because the course does not currently meet the requirements of any postsecondary degree program.
According to the OREA survey of superintendents, there have been no known instances to date of a school
district working with a local college or university for driver education. ree respondents indicated that they
have plans to consider such a partnership in the future.
Private driver education companies are popular
alternatives to public school programs
TDSHS operates the Driver Training and Testing Program (DTTP), through which it establishes the terms
and conditions required to operate as a licensed driver training enterprise or driver testing program and/
or a driving instructor’s certication.
N
As of May 2022, there were 18 approved driver training and testing
programs operating in 10 Tennessee counties. ese programs
provide classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training for
students of all ages, but they predominantly serve teenage drivers
preparing to test for their driver license. State law
19
species
requirements for the operation of commercial driver training
schools and licenses for instructors in these schools.
O
See Appendix
H for more information on these requirements.
N
For more information on the DTTP, see p.10.
O
According to TCA 55-19-109, commercial driver training schools do not include any person giving driving lessons free of charge, employers maintaining driver
training courses for their employees only, or to schools or classes conducted by colleges, universities, or high schools for regularly enrolled full-time students as part of
the normal program of those institutions.
Students in this area receive driver
education with private companies. We
do not have the stang at this time to
be able to support this initiative.
OREA survey of Title I principals, September 2022.
25
e average minimum fee for these programs (typically including 30 hours of classroom instructional time
and six hours of behind-the-wheel training) is $462.67.
Exhibit 24: TDSHS-approved driver training and testing programs
Notes: *Students from other counties may attend these programs. ^Additional fees may apply.
Source: Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
Most respondents to the OREA superintendent survey stated that their districts have never partnered with a
private driver education company and do not plan to in the future. e district of one respondent has worked
with a private company in the past but does not currently work with one.
Policy options
The General Assembly may wish to consider asking TDSHS to add
a question to rst-time driver license applications asking if the
applicant had completed a voluntary driver education program.
OREA did not identify any existing studies of the eectiveness of driver education programs in Tennessee.
A study of eectiveness would require data on the number of teen drivers who have completed a driver
education course. Driver license applications do not ask applicants if they have completed a driver education
course, and the state does not collect this information in any other way. If the department added a question
to applications to gather this information, it would enable the state to track the percentage of teen drivers
who are participating in these programs and give a better idea of the correlation between driver education and
improved driver safety.
School name County Student fees*
A.B. Driving School Shelby $650
Behind the Wheel Driving Academy Hamilton $420-620
Brentwood Driving Training Wilson & Davidson $525
Caswell Group Driving School Shelby $525-625
Drive 4 Life Academy, Inc. Knox $455-2,000
Drive-Rite Driving School Knox $374
Expert Driving School Davidson $500
Go Driving Academy Montgomery $300-450
Haman’s New Drivers Hamilton $439-639
Maxwell Motorsport & Driving School Shelby $625-825
Pitner Driving School Shelby $595-725
Ready 2 Drive LLC Sumner & Wilson $495-695
Safe Driving, Inc. Anderson $375
Spanky’s Driving Academy Wilson $550
Teen Driver Academy Madison $450
The Driving Center Anderson $375
Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency Putnam $300
Workforce Essentials, Inc. Montgomery $375
26
The General Assembly may wish to consider increasing the
percentage of litigation privilege tax revenue that goes toward
driver education in order to increase access and improve
affordability for all students and school districts.
Tennessee state law allocates a percentage of litigation privilege tax revenue to 14 dierent funds, grants, and
programs.
P
Current law
20
mandates that 4.4430 percent of revenue collected from litigation privilege tax
revenue be credited to a reserve account to be split between TDOE (75 percent) and TDSHS (25 percent)
to promote and expand driver education through Tennessee public schools and to promote safety on the
highways.
Q
Prior to 2005, the percentage of litigation privilege tax revenues earmarked for such purposes was higher. In
1981, when a portion of the revenues was rst earmarked for such purposes, the General Assembly set the
percentage at 11.31 percent. e General Assembly reduced the percentage through subsequent amendments
to the law before the current percentage allocation was set in 2005.
21
If the percentage were increased, more funding would become available for school districts to use for driver
education. However, assuming no change to the litigation privilege tax, increasing the percentage directed
to TDOE for driver education would mean a reduction in funding available for the other funds, grants, and
programs that receive a portion of litigation privilege tax revenues.
TDOE may wish to gather more information regarding driver
education, including availability and cost of courses at individual
high schools.
TDOE collects the number of students enrolled in driver education in each district so that it can distribute
funds from litigation privilege taxes as required by law.
R
e department does not collect information
regarding the cost of driver education for students or the district nor does it track the individual high schools
that oer it. Increased data collection would provide a greater ability to track the availability and aordability
to all students, including those enrolled in Title I schools.
TDOE may wish to consider giving districts the chance to review
driver education numbers before distributing funds.
On the OREA survey of superintendents, two respondents indicated that their districts oer driver education,
but the districts were not on the list of those that received funding from the state’s allocation of litigation
privilege tax revenue. TDOE pulls the number of students enrolled in driver education in each district by the
course code specic to driver education in EIS, the department’s student system of record. If a district uses a
dierent code (e.g., study hall), students are not recorded as enrolled in driver education and thus the district
does not receive funding. TDOE might consider sending a list of driver education student counts to the
districts for their review prior to allocating funding each year. Districts would have the opportunity to make
corrections and receive any funding that might otherwise be missed.
P
See Appendix D for a full breakdown of litigation privilege tax allocations.
Q
Additionally, state law at TCA 67-4-606(a)(14) mandates that 2.7747 percent of revenue collected from litigation privilege tax proceeds is reserved in the general
fund for use only by TDOE to promote and expand driver education.
R
See p. 16 for more information on litigation privilege taxes.
27
Appendix A: Tennessee graduated driver
license program
Since 2001, the state has implemented the graduated driver license (GDL) program, a multi-tiered program
designed to ease young novice drivers into full driving privileges as they become more mature and develop
their driving skills. GDL programs rst became popular across the United States in the 1990s. Under
Tennessee’s GDL program, drivers must be at least 15 years old and pass a written examination on basic
driving laws in order to receive a learner permit. ose with a learner permit may drive with a licensed driver
over the age of 21 in the front seat and may not drive between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
In order to receive an intermediate restricted license, young drivers:
• must be 16 years old;
• must pass a driving test at a driver testing center run by TDSHS or through an approved driver
education program;
• cannot have more than six points on their driving record during the immediate 180 days preceding their
application; and
• must have verication from a parent, legal guardian, or driving instructor stating that they have at least
50 hours of driving experience, including 10 hours acquired driving at night.
ose with an intermediate restricted license may have one passenger in the car only and may not drive
between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Once drivers have turned 17 years old and have held an intermediate restricted license for one year, they are
eligible for an intermediate unrestricted license. No additional tests are required, but drivers cannot have
accumulated more than six points on their driving record or have two seatbelt violations.
Tennessee’s age requirements for driver licenses and privileges are comparable to most states. e average
minimum age requirement for learner permits in the United States is 15. e average minimum age for a
restricted driver license is 16, and most states lift restrictions once a driver turns 17 years old.
Effectiveness of graduated driver license programs
A 2001 Connecticut study found that the occurrence of fatal/injury crashes involving 16-18-year-old drivers
declined by 22 percent during the rst year after the state’s GDL program was implemented in 1997.
22
A 2007
study concluded that GDL programs have reduced the occurrence of fatal trac crashes among drivers age 15-17.
23
28
Appendix B: State requirements for driver education
State Requirements
California Students under age 17.5 must complete 30-hour course approved by DMV
Colorado Students age 15-21 must complete driver education course
Connecticut Eight-hour safe driving course required for all drivers
Delaware Students under 18 must complete driver education course to get a Level 1 learner’s permit
Florida
Trac Law and Substance Abuse Education course must be completed before receiving
learner’s license
Hawaii Students under 18 must nish state-approved course and behind-the-wheel training
Idaho Driver education course required for age 17 and under
Illinois High school driver education course required for drivers under age 18
Indiana All minors required to complete course approved by the IN Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Iowa All underage drivers required to complete 30-hour course and six hours of in-car instruction
Kansas Students age 15 must complete course to get a learner’s permit
Louisiana Students age 15-17 must complete 30-hour course and eight hours behind-the-wheel training
Maine Students under 18 must have driver education completion certicate to get a license
Maryland
All new drivers of any age must complete 30-hour course and six hours behind-the-wheel
training
Massachusetts Students under 18 must complete driver education program before scheduling road test
Michigan
Students under 18 must complete 24 hours of instruction, six hours behind-the-wheel
training, and four hours of instruction in a training vehicle
Minnesota
Students under 18 must complete DPS-approved 30-hour course and six hours behind-the-
wheel training
Mississippi
Students must prove enrollment in school driver education program to get learner’s permit at
age 14
Montana
Students must complete state-approved trac education program to get learner’s permit at
age 14.5
Nebraska
Students must take DMV-approved course to get provisional operator’s permit or school
permit at age 16
Nevada Most students under 18 must pass driver education course to get instruction permit
New Hampshire
Students under 18 must complete 30-hour course and 40 hours of practice driving to get
license
New Jersey Must be enrolled in driver education to get learner’s permit at age 16
New Mexico
Students under 18 must complete 30-hour course; new drivers age 18-24 must take a DWI
awareness course
New York Must complete ve-hour pre-licensing course before scheduling road test
North Carolina Students age 14.5 can enroll in driver education to be eligible for learner’s permit
North Dakota Students age 14-15 must complete approved driver training program
Ohio Students under 18 must complete 24-hour course and eight hours of driving instruction
Oklahoma Driver education only required to get a learner’s permit under the age of 15.5
Pennsylvania Driver education required to move from junior to senior license before the age of 18
Rhode Island Students under 18 must complete 33-hour course to get limited instruction permit
South Carolina Students age 15-16 must complete driver education course to get license
Tennessee Students under 18 must complete 50 hours of behind-the-wheel training
29
State Requirements
Texas
Students age 14-17 must complete 32-hour course; applicants age 18-25 must complete six-
hour adult driver education course
Utah
Students under 18 must complete course consisting of 18-30 hours of instruction, six hours
of behind-the-wheel training, and six hours of supervised driving
Vermont
Teen drivers must complete 30 hours of instruction, six hours of behind-the-wheel training,
and six hours of supervised driving
Virginia
Students under 18 must complete state-approved driver education course to receive a
license
Washington Students under 18 must complete 30-hour course to get a license
Source: DriversEd.com
30
Appendix C: Litigation privilege taxes that are
partly allocated to promoting driver education and
expanding highway safety
Source: Tennessee Code Annotated; Tennessee’s Court Fees and Taxes: Funding the Courts Fairly, Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations,
June 2017.
TCA statute
Criminal or civil? Purpose Collecting court Rates
16-18-305(a) Both Municipal court cases Municipal courts $13.75
16-18-305(b) Criminal Municipal parking
violation
Municipal courts $1.00
39-13-708(b) Criminal Sex oense conviction Not specied Up to $3,000
40-24-107(a)(1)(A) Criminal Conviction except
those for which the
maximum possible
punishment is ne of
less than $500 and no
imprisonment
Circuit courts or any
court of record
$26.50 (crimes
for which the law
imposes a maximum
possible ne of less
than $500.00 and no
imprisonment) or
$50.00 (crimes
against person)
40-24-107(a)(1)(B) Criminal Crime against a minor
conviction
Circuit courts or any
court of record
$500.00
40-24-107(a)(2) Criminal Criminal conviction General sessions or
comparable court
with jurisdiction over
criminal matters
$26.50 (crimes
for which the law
imposes a maximum
possible ne of less
than $500.00 and no
imprisonment) or
$50.00 (crimes
against person)
67-4-602(a) Criminal Criminal conviction or
order
Not specied $29.50
67-4-602(b) Civil Civil case Chancery, circuit,
probate, general
sessions when
exercising state
court jurisdiction,
or any other court
exercising state court
jurisdiction, except
Supreme Court and
courts of appeals
$23.75 and an
additional tax of
$1.00 on general
sessions court cases
exercising state court
jurisdiction, except
juvenile
67-4-602(c) Civil Civil case General sessions
courts when not
exercising state court
jurisdiction
$17.75
67-4-602(d) Civil Civil case Supreme Court and
courts of appeals
$13.75
67-4-602(g) Criminal Criminal conviction
or order in a trac or
parking violation case
State and county
courts
$1.00
31
Appendix D: Full distribution of litigation privilege
tax revenue
Source: TCA 67-4-606.
4.430%
is allocated to TDOE
(75%) and TDSHS (25%) to
promote and expand driver
education and highway safety.
2.7747% is allocated to TDOE
for driver education.
Other litigation privilege tax distributions
32.1502% General Fund
24.0020% Criminal Injuries Compensation
Fund
19.2902% Public Defender Program
7.4701% Civil Legal Representation of
Indigents Fun
3.7653% Indigent Defendants Services
2.3056% Grants for Electronic Fingerprint
Imaging Systems
1.3755% Victims of Drunk Drivers
Compensation Fund
0.8406% Crime Victims Assistance Fund
0.6553% State Court Clerks’ Conference
0.5529% General Sessions Courts & Judges’
Conference
0.3426% Sex Offender Treatment Fund
0.0320% Tennessee Corrections Institute Fund
32
Appendix E: Driver education student count and
allocation per district
Note: In FY 2022, TDOE distributed about $50,000 more to districts for driver education than was allocated to them from litigation privilege tax revenue. Because
notication of the revenue lags several months each year, the department estimates how much will be available when determining the amount to distribute to each
district and keeps a reserve of funds to guard against unforeseen shortfalls in revenue.
Source: Tennessee Department of Education.
School District
Count
Allocation
Count
Allocation
Count
Allocation
Count
Allocation
Count
Allocation
$71.29 per student $95.92 per student $98.28 per student $72.51 per student $86.89 per student
Alcoa 59 4,206.36$ 57 5,467.63$ 54 5,307.33$ 56 4,060.39$ 49 4,257.61$
Bedford County 323 23,028.06$ 363 34,820.14$ 373 36,659.86$ 306 22,187.15$ 277 24,068.53$
Bradley County 461 32,866.68$ 447 42,877.70$ 429 42,163.76$ 365 26,465.07$ 370 32,149.30$
Bristol 358 25,523.37$ 304 29,160.67$ 252 24,767.52$ 270 19,576.90$ 279 24,242.31$
Campbell County 207 14,757.92$ 189 18,129.50$ 121 11,892.34$ 110 7,975.77$ 129 11,208.81$
Cannon County - - 29 2,781.77$ 46 4,521.06$ 84 6,090.59$ 111 9,644.79$
Carter County 32 2,281.42$ 174 16,690.65$ 158 15,528.84$ 94 6,815.66$ 39 3,388.71$
Chester County 237 16,896.75$ 172 16,498.80$ 142 13,956.30$ 118 8,555.83$ 130 11,295.70$
Cocke County 337 24,026.18$ 319 30,599.52$ 323 31,745.67$ 244 17,691.72$ 317 27,544.13$
Coffee County 191 13,617.21$ 233 22,350.12$ 228 22,408.71$ 232 16,821.63$ 253 21,983.17$
Crockett County 180 12,832.98$ 227 21,774.58$ 194 19,067.06$ 176 12,761.24$ 195 16,943.55$
Dyer County 172 12,262.62$ 194 18,609.11$ 204 20,049.90$ 196 14,211.38$ 266 23,112.74$
Dyersburg 142 10,123.79$ 62 5,947.24$ 62 6,093.60$ 77 5,583.04$ 76 6,603.64$
Elizabethton 115 8,198.85$ 149 14,292.57$ 123 12,088.91$ 100 7,250.70$ 108 9,384.12$
Fayetteville 76 5,418.37$ 83 7,961.63$ 73 7,174.72$ 62 4,495.44$ 75 6,516.75$
Fentress County 26 1,853.65$ 25 2,398.08$ 29 2,850.23$ - -- -
Giles County 238 16,968.05$ 224 21,486.81$ 244 23,981.25$ 231 16,749.13$ 219 19,028.91$
Grainger County 158 11,264.50$ 127 12,182.25$ 133 13,071.75$ 110 7,975.77$ 146 12,685.94$
Greene County 367 26,165.01$ 367 35,203.84$ 370 36,365.01$ 278 20,156.96$ 281 24,416.09$
Hamilton County 56 3,992.48$ - -
- - 79 5,728.05$ 79 6,864.31$
Hancock County 22 1,568.47$ 48 4,604.32$ - -- -- -
Hardeman County Schools 161 11,478.38$ 137 13,141.49$ 139 13,661.45$ - - 105 9,123.45$
Hardin County 204 14,544.04$ 247 23,693.05$ 221 21,720.72$ 139 10,078.48$ 188 16,335.32$
Hawkins County 146 10,408.97$ 181 17,362.11$ 187 18,379.07$ 146 10,586.03$ 207 17,986.23$
Haywood County 65 4,634.13$ 37 3,549.16$ - -- -- -
Henderson County 255 18,180.05$ 227 21,774.58$ 79 7,764.42$ 53 3,842.87$ 59 5,126.51$
Henry County 150 10,694.15$ 146 14,004.80$ 146 14,349.44$ 134 9,715.94$ 124 10,774.36$
Hickman County 84 5,988.72$ 86 8,249.40$ 50 4,914.19$ 28 2,030.20$ 5 434.45$
Humphreys County 68 4,848.01$ 69 6,618.71$ 49 4,815.91$ 51 3,697.86$ 66 5,734.74$
Huntingdon Special School District 54 3,849.89$ 56 5,371.70$ 75 7,371.29$ 69 5,002.99$ 83 7,211.87$
Johnson City 52 3,707.30$ 85 8,153.48$ 86 8,452.41$ 72 5,220.50$ 117 10,166.13$
Kingsport 467 33,294.45$ - -- -- -- -
Knox County 1405 100,168.51$ 1183 113,477.22$ 958 94,155.89$ 673 48,797.24$ 858 74,551.62$
Lake County 26 1,853.65$ 7 671.46$ 7 687.99$ 8 580.06$ 10 868.90$
Lauderdale County 94 6,701.67$ - -- -- -- -
Lawrence County 351 25,024.30$ 275 26,378.90$ 254 24,964.09$ 212 15,371.49$ 231 20,071.59$
Lenoir City 47 3,350.83$ 43 4,124.70$ 47 4,619.34$ - - 39 3,388.71$
Lewis County 59 4,206.36$ 40 3,836.93$ 49 4,815.91$ 25 1,812.68$ 56 4,865.84$
Lincoln County 199 14,187.57$ 224 21,486.81$ 194 19,067.06$ 222 16,096.56$ 190 16,509.10$
Macon County 159 11,335.80$ 146 14,004.80$ 127 12,482.04$ 103 7,468.22$ 117 10,166.13$
Marion County 120
8,555.32$ 127 12,182.25$ 38 3,734.78$ 55 3,987.89$ 39 3,388.71$
Marshall County 207 14,757.92$ 187 17,937.65$ 156 15,332.27$ 216 15,661.52$ 256 22,243.84$
Maryville 280 19,962.41$ 220 21,103.12$ 221 21,720.72$ 207 15,008.96$ 238 20,679.82$
McKenzie 73 5,204.49$ 69 6,618.71$ 46 4,521.06$ 70 5,075.49$ 54 4,692.06$
McMinn County 182 12,975.57$ 236 22,637.89$ 221 21,720.72$ 195 14,138.87$ 214 18,594.46$
McNairy County 182 12,975.57$ 194 18,609.11$ 195 19,165.34$ 151 10,948.56$ 149 12,946.61$
Meigs County 123 8,769.20$ 125 11,990.41$ 117 11,499.21$ 91 6,598.14$ 103 8,949.67$
Milan 125 8,911.79$ 89 8,537.17$ 91 8,943.83$ 62 4,495.44$ 58 5,039.62$
Monroe County 185 13,189.45$ 188 18,033.57$ - -- -- -
Morgan County 94 6,701.67$ 71 6,810.55$ 33 3,243.37$ 19 1,377.63$ 26 2,259.14$
Obion County 118 8,412.73$ 157 15,059.95$ 140 13,759.73$ 142 10,296.00$ 138 11,990.82$
Overton County 158 11,264.50$ 182 17,458.03$ 173 17,003.10$ 150 10,876.06$
130 11,295.70$
Polk County 121 8,626.61$ 120 11,510.79$ 105 10,319.80$ 75 5,438.03$ 93 8,080.77$
Putnam County - -- -- -- - 12 1,042.68$
Rhea County 134 9,553.44$ 229 21,966.43$ 206 20,246.47$ 216 15,661.52$ - -
Richard City 51 3,636.01$ 17 1,630.70$ 20 1,965.68$ - -- -
Rutherford County 3246 231,421.35$ 3214 308,297.36$ 3229 317,358.43$ 3287 238,330.63$ 3141 272,921.49$
Scott County 189 13,474.63$ 202 19,376.50$ 195 19,165.34$ 163 11,818.65$ 179 15,553.31$
Sequatchie County 49 3,493.42$ 50 4,796.16$ 28 2,751.95$ 32 2,320.23$ 45 3,910.05$
Sevier County 605 43,133.06$ 642 61,582.73$ 601 59,068.57$ 475 34,440.84$ 571 49,614.19$
Shelby County -
- 57 5,467.63$ 55 5,405.61$ 1 72.51$ 23 1,998.47$
Smith County 149 10,622.85$ 189 18,129.50$ 148 14,546.00$ 112 8,120.79$ 150 13,033.50$
Trenton 95 6,772.96$ - -- - 29 2,102.70$ - -
Union County 100 7,129.43$ 130 12,470.02$ 72 7,076.43$ 53 3,842.87$ 4 347.56$
Warren County 291 20,746.65$ 276 26,474.82$ 185 18,182.51$ 185 13,413.80$ 229 19,897.81$
Washington County 437 31,155.62$ 447 42,877.70$ 418 41,082.63$ 420 30,452.96$ 438 38,057.82$
Wayne County 169 12,048.74$ 183 17,553.96$ 148 14,546.00$ 69 5,002.99$ 161 13,989.29$
Weakley County 143 10,195.09$ 12 1,151.08$ 160 15,725.41$ 125 9,063.38$ 141 12,251.49$
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
33
Appendix F: Litigation privilege tax allocations for
driver education | 2017-2022
*Note: e litigation privilege tax allocations for 2021-22 are the exact totals distributed to TDOE and TDSHS; all other gures are rounded numbers from
Tennessee state budget documents.
Source: Tennessee State Budgets.
Fiscal Year TDOE TDSHS
2016-17 $1,440,600 $261,300
2017-18 $1,090,800 $272,300
2018-19 $1,400,000 $168,200
2019-20 $1,300,000 $152,900
2020-21 $850,000 $162,200
2021-22* $1,050,136.10 $191,001.84
34
Appendix G: Tennessee Title I schools serving
students of driving age
District School
Grades
served
Achievement School District Fairley HS 9-12
Achievement School District Hillcrest HS 9-12
Achievement School District Martin Luther King Preparatory HS 9-12
Achievement School District Pathways in Education – Frayser 9-12
Achievement School District Pathways in Education – Whitehaven 9-12
Alvin C. York Institute Alvin C. York Institute 9-12
Arlington Arlington HS 9-12
Benton County Big Sandy School K-12
Bradford Special Bradford HS 7-12
Campbell County Campbell County Comprehensive HS 9-12
Campbell County Jellico HS 9-12
Carter County Cloudland HS 7-12
Carter County Hampton HS 9-12
Carter County Happy Valley HS 9-12
Carter County Unaka HS 9-12
Cheatham County Cheatham County Central HS 9-12
Chester County Chester County HS 9-12
Claiborne County Claiborne HS 9-12
Cocke County Cocke County HS 9-12
Cocke County Cosby HS 9-12
Collierville Collierville HS 9-12
Cumberland County The Phoenix School 9-12
Davidson County Antioch HS 9-12
Davidson County Cane Ridge HS 9-12
Davidson County Cora Howe School K-12
Davidson County East Nashville Magnet HS 9-12
Davidson County Glencli HS 9-12
Davidson County Harris-Hillman Special Education K-12
Davidson County Hillsboro HS 9-12
Davidson County Hillwood HS 9-12
Davidson County Hunters Lane HS 9-12
Davidson County John Overton HS 9-12
Davidson County Johnson Alternative Learning Center 5-12
Davidson County KIPP Nashville Collegiate HS 9-12
Davidson County Knowledge Academies HS 9-12
Davidson County Lead Academy 9-12
Davidson County Maplewood HS 9-12
Davidson County McGavock HS 9-12
Davidson County Middle College HS 9-12
Davidson County Nashville Big Picture HS 9-12
Davidson County Pearl-Cohn HS 9-12
Davidson County RePublic HS 9-12
35
District School
Grades
served
Davidson County STEM Prep HS 9-12
Davidson County Stratford STEM Magnet 5-12
Davidson County The Academy at Hickory Hollow 11-12
Davidson County The Academy at Old Cockrill 9-12
Davidson County The Academy at Opry Mills 9-12
Davidson County Transitions at Bass 9-12
Davidson County W.A. Bass Alternative Learning Center 9-12
Davidson County Whites Creek HS 9-12
Decatur County Riverside HS 9-12
DeKalb County DeKalb County HS 9-12
Dyersburg Dyersburg HS 9-12
Fayette County Fayette Ware Comprehensive HS 9-12
Fentress County Clarkrange HS 9-12
Germantown Houston HS 9-12
Grainger County Washburn School PreK-12
Greene County Chuckey Doak HS 9-12
Greene County North Greene HS 9-12
Greene County South Greene HS 9-12
Greene County West Greene HS 9-12
Greeneville Greeneville HS 9-12
Hamilton County Brainerd HS 9-12
Hamilton County Central HS 9-12
Hamilton County Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy 6-12
Hamilton County Chattanooga Preparatory School 6-12
Hamilton County East Ridge HS 9-12
Hamilton County Red Bank HS 9-12
Hamilton County Sequoyah HS 9-12
Hamilton County The Howard School 9-12
Hamilton County Tyner Academy 9-12
Hancock County Hancock HS 6-12
Hardeman County Central HS 9-12
Hawkins County Clinch School K-12
Haywood County Haywood HS 9-12
Henry County Henry County Virtual Academy K-12
Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central HS 6-12
Houston County Houston County HS 9-12
Humboldt City Humboldt Jr/Sr HS 7-12
Jackson County Jackson County HS 9-12
Knox County Austin East High/Magnet 9-12
Knox County Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy 9-12
Knox County Fulton HS 9-12
Knox County Richard Yoakley School 6-12
Knox County Ridgedale Alternative 6-12
Knox County South Doyle HS 9-12
Lake County Lake County HS 9-12
36
District School
Grades
served
Lauderdale County Ripley HS 9-12
Lawrence County Lawrence County HS 9-12
Lawrence County Loretto HS 9-12
Lawrence County Summertown HS 7-12
Loudon County Greenback School PreK-12
Madison County Jackson Academic Success Academy K-12
Madison County Jackson Central-Merry HS 9-12
Madison County Jackson Central-Merry Early College 9-12
Madison County Liberty Technology Magnet HS 9-12
Madison County North Side HS 9-12
Madison County South Side HS 9-12
McKenzie McKenzie HS 9-12
Millington Municipal Millington Central Middle and HS 7-12
Montgomery County Kenwood High 9-12
Montgomery County Montgomery Central HS 9-12
Montgomery County Northeast HS 9-12
Montgomery County Northwest HS 9-12
Montgomery County West Creek HS 9-12
Morgan County Coaleld School PreK-12
Morgan County Oakdale School PreK-12
Morgan County Sunbright School PreK-12
Obion County Obion County Central HS 9-12
Oneida Oneida HS 9-12
Overton County Livingston Academy 9-12
Pickett County Pickett County HS 9-12
Polk County Copper Basin HS 7-12
Polk County Polk County HS 9-12
Putnam County White Plains Academy K-12
Richard City Richard Hardy Memorial School PreK-12
Rutherford County Holloway HS 9-12
Rutherford County Lavergne HS 9-12
Scott County Scott HS 9-12
Sequatchie County Sequatchie Co. HS 9-12
Shelby County B. T. Washington HS 6-12
Shelby County Bolton HS 9-12
Shelby County Central HS 9-12
Shelby County City University School of Independence 9-12
Shelby County City University School of Liberal Arts 9-12
Shelby County Compass Community School – Midtown 7-12
Shelby County Cordova HS 9-12
Shelby County Craigmont HS 9-12
Shelby County Crosstown HS 9-12
Shelby County Douglass HS 9-12
Shelby County East HS 9-12
Shelby County Freedom Preparatory Academy 6-12
37
District School
Grades
served
Shelby County Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools 6-12
Shelby County Germantown HS 9-12
Shelby County Hamilton HS 9-12
Shelby County Hollis F. Price Middle College 9-12
Shelby County Kingsbury HS 9-12
Shelby County KIPP Memphis Collegiate HS 9-12
Shelby County Kirby HS 9-12
Shelby County Manassas HS 9-12
Shelby County Melrose HS 9-12
Shelby County Memphis Academy of Health Sciences 9-12
Shelby County Memphis Academy of Science Engineering 6-12
Shelby County Memphis Business Academy HS 9-12
Shelby County Memphis Rise Academy 6-12
Shelby County Memphis School of Excellence 6-12
Shelby County Memphis Virtual School 9-12
Shelby County Middle College HS 9-12
Shelby County Mitchell HS 9-12
Shelby County Northwest Prep Academy 8-12
Shelby County Oakhaven HS 9-12
Shelby County Overton HS 9-12
Shelby County Power Center Academy HS 9-12
Shelby County Raleigh-Egypt HS 6-12
Shelby County Ridgeway HS 9-12
Shelby County Sheeld HS 9-12
Shelby County Soulsville Charter 6-12
Shelby County Southwind HS 9-12
Shelby County Trezevant HS 9-12
Shelby County Westwood HS 9-12
Shelby County White Station HS 9-12
Shelby County Whitehaven HS 9-12
Shelby County Wooddale HS 9-12
South Carroll Clarksburg School PreK-12
Sullivan County Sullivan East HS 9-12
Tennessee Public Charter School
Commission
Blu City HS 9-12
Tennessee School for the Blind TN School for Blind PreK-12
Tennessee School for the Deaf TN School for Deaf – Upper School 7-12
Tipton County Covington HS 9-12
Trenton Peabody HS 9-12
Union County Union County HS 9-12
Washington County David Crockett HS 9-12
Wayne County Frank Hughes School PreK-12
Weakley County Dresden HS 9-12
Weakley County Gleason School PreK-12
Weakley County Greeneld School PreK-12
38
Source: Tennessee Department of Education.
District School
Grades
served
Weakley County Westview HS 9-12
West Carroll West Carroll Jr/Sr HS 7-12
Williamson County Fairview HS 9-12
39
Appendix H: Requirements for commercial driver
training schools and instructor licenses
State law directs the commissioner of safety to issue licenses for the operation of commercial driver training
schools and licenses for instructors in these schools.
24
TDSHS rules regulate private commercial driver training
agencies, which apply to any person, rm, partnership, association, or corporation which oers a course of
driver training for which a fee or tuition is charged.
S
Any entity wishing to oer a driver education course
must submit an application and $150 fee to the department’s safety education unit of the Tennessee Highway
Patrol.
25
Rules cover many aspects of business operation, including:
• application requirements for agencies (e.g., evidence of insurance coverage);
• requirements for liability insurance;
• requirements for course instructors (e.g., must be age 21 or over, a high school graduate, have good
driving habits, etc.);
• advertising regulations (e.g., shall not imply that it is recommended by TDSHS);
• annual inspection requirements for vehicles used for instruction (e.g., vehicles must have a dual brake
pedal and “Student Driver” signage);
• instructions for keeping permanent student records; and
• oenses that would result in revocation of the agency’s operational licenses.
26
S
According to TCA 55-19-109, commercial driver training schools do not include any person giving driving lessons free of charge, employers maintaining driver
training courses for their employees only, or schools or classes conducted by colleges, universities, or high schools for regularly enrolled full-time students as part of
the normal program of those institutions.
40
Endnotes
1
Lawrence Lonero and Dan Mayhew, Teen Driver Safety: Large-Scale Evaluation
of Driver Education Review of the Literature on Driver Education Evaluation, AAA
Foundation for Trac Safety, 2010, p. 13, www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/les/
reviewoitdriveredueval2010.pdf.
2
Ian G. Roberts and Irene Kwan, “School-based driver education for the
prevention of trac crashes,” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2001,
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003201/full.
3
Duane F. Shell, Ian M. Newman, Ana Lucía Córdova-Cazar, and Jill M. Heese,
“Driver education and teen crashes and trac violations in the rst two years of
driving in a graduated licensing system,” Accident Analysis & Prevention, Volume
82, September 2015, pp. 45-52, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/
pii/S0001457515001943.
4
Dan Mayhew, Ward Vanlaar, Larry Lonero, Robyn Robertson, Kyla Marcoux,
Katherine Wood, Kathryn Clinton, and Herb Simpson, Evaluation of Beginner
Driver Education in Oregon, AAA Foundation for Trac Safety, 2017, p. 1,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314250569_Evaluation_of_Beginner_
Driver_Education_in_Oregon.
5
Volvo Car USA, Volvo Reports: e State of Driver Education, 2019, p. 3,
https://www.media.volvocars.com/us/en-us/media/documentle/255013/volvo-
reports-the-state-of-driver-education.
6
North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force, Teen Road Safety in North Carolina:
Putting Best Practice into Action, 2012, p. 4, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/
collection/p249901coll22/id/700612.
7
Cherise reewitt and Karen Warren, “Average Cost of Car Insurance in the
U.S. for 2022,” U.S. News & World Report, June 3, 2022, https://www.usnews.
com/insurance/auto/average-cost-of-car-insurance.
8
American Driver and Trac Safety Education Association, National
Overview of Driver Education, 2008, p. 1, www.anstse.info/Resources%20
PDF's/Document%20reloads/11%20-%20NHTSA%20-%20National%20
Overview%20of%20Driver%20Education.pdf.
9
Volvo Car USA, Volvo Reports: e State of Driver Education, p. 3.
10
Public Chapter 248, 2019.
11
TCA 49-1-204(a-b).
12
American Driver and Trac Education Association, Novice Driver Education
Curriculum Standards, 2017, pp. 7-10, http://www.anstse.info/Resources%20
PDF's/Feb%202017/002%20Attachment%20A%20ADTSEA%20Standards.
pdf.
13
Tennessee Board of Education Rule 0520-01-02-.16 (b).
14
TCA 67-4-602(a-d).
15
Public Chapter 488, 1981.
16
Public Chapter 429, 2005.
17
TCA 67-4-606(a)(2)(A-B).
18
TCA 67-4-606(a)(14).
19
TCA 55-19-109.
20
TCA 67-4-606(a)(2)(A-B).
21
Public Chapter 429, 2005.
22
Robert G. Ulmer, Susan A. Ferguson, Allan F. Williams, and David F. Preusser,
“Teenage crash reduction associated with delayed licensure in Connecticut,”
Journal of Safety Research, Volume 32, March 2001, pp. 31-41, https://www.
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022437500000499?via%3Dihub.
23
Shell et al., p. 2.
24
TCA 55-19-101.
25
TDSHS Rules Chapter 1340-03-07-.03 (1).
26
TDSHS Rules Chapter 1340-01-06.
41
Oce of Research and Education Accountability Sta
Director
♦ Russell Moore
Assistant Director
♦ Linda Wesson
Principal Legislative Research Analysts
♦ Kim Potts
Lauren Spires
Associate Legislative Research Analysts
♦ Carley Bowers
Erin Brown
Lance Iverson
Robert Quittmeyer
♦ Dana Spoonmore
♦ Cassie Stinson
Publication Specialist
♦ Paige Donaldson
Program Coordinator
♦ Caitlin Kaufman
♦ Indicates sta who assisted with this project
Oce of Research and Education Accountability
Russell Moore | Director
425 Rep. John Lewis Way N.
Nashville, Tennessee 37243
615.401.7866
www.comptroller.tn.gov/OREA/
