Why More Students Choose Parent Taught Drivers Education in Texas
According to the current licensing law, if you want to get your drivers license, you have to complete a state-approved drivers education course. Fitting a drivers education program into a busy schedule can be somewhat difficult and Texas Education Agency (TEA) recognizes this problem. This is why all Texas residents have a number or convenient option for completing the class - you can take drivers ed at your high school, complete a drivers education through a commercial driving school or simply sign up for one the of the Texas parent taught drivers education courses.
Things to Know About Parent Taught Drivers Ed
Although home study Texas drivers education programs become more popular around the country with every passing year, most of the first time drivers license applicants don't know much about them and don't know how to start one of these classes. The first common misconception about the Texas parent taught driver education classes is that the classroom portion of the course can be completed by the student without any parental involvement. This is not right and according to the program rules, the instructing parent must be present at every classroom session, whether the student is taking the course online at the Internet or through one of the book course. The instructing parent must be actively participating in all study sessions and help the drivers license applicant with all problematic areas.
Another common mistake many students make is signing up for one of the parent taught courses prior to receiving approval from the Department of Public Safety. You have to remember that any progress made before you are approved for this type of drivers education will not be accepted and thus you're just wasting your time. Always make sure to apply for the parent taught drivers education package before you start the classes.
Parent Taught Course 101
At the moment, there are 8 certified classes, all numbered from Course 102 to Course 109. The TEA used to offer parent taught course 101, but the practice was discontinued in 2009, so right now you are stuck with one of the courses offered by commercial driving schools.
Choosing The Right Texas Parent Taught Drivers Ed
Finally, making the choice between different parent taught drivers education courses can't be easy. You can choose between taking the course online, reading a book or doing an interactive course offered on CD-Roms. There are also block and concurrent methods of instruction you need to consider prior to making the choice.
When it comes down to buying the course, you should probably consider the following factors:
- The price for the course. Parent taught drivers education in Texas isn't cheap, but you can usually save more than a few bucks by choosing the right school. Drivers ed classes start at about $80 and can be as expensive as $300.
- Book, Internet or CD? Once again, it depends on what you're used to, but we find online drivers education classes to be more interactive and usually cheaper than their counterparts that are offered on CDs, so we would probably go for one of the Internet classes.
- Block vs Concurrent. There is no definitive answer here. If you choose the concurrent course, you will have your Texas drivers permit quicker, but then you would have to use outside study materials to get prepared for the Texas permit test. If you take the block course, you will get your permit a little later, but then you will cover everything you need to know for your permit exam.
When you are shopping for the parent taught drivers ed course, make sure to check what extras are offered with the program. Many driving schools include practice permit tests in the package and those will come in handy when you will be getting ready for your permit exam.
Parent Taught Course Advantages
One of the best things about taking a parent taught course and not one of the regular drivers education courses is the fact that you can stick to your own schedule. Parent taught courses are available to you 24 hour a day, 7 days a week so you can study whenever you and your instructing parent have time. You don't waste any time on traveling, you do not have to observe the schedule that was set by the driving school - the course is there whenever you need it. You can also go back and review any course materials whenever you feel the need to, something you won't be able to do in the real class.
The most important thing you have to remember is that although the DPS and TEA make it as convenient as possible for you to fulfill your drivers education requirements, you still have to study, no matter which course you choose. Skipping through course materials and not paying attention will see you failing your permit and driving tests quite easily, so be smart and study hard.
