Driving Conversation - Defining Driver Education in Florida

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Driving Conversation Roundtable Recap – May 14, 2025

ADTSEA‑FL hosted our latest Driving Conversation virtual roundtable on May 14. Educators and traffic‑safety professionals reviewed the “Defining Driver & Traffic Safety Education in Florida” slide deck and exchanged ideas for elevating programs statewide.

Highlights from the Presentation

• Definitions clarified. Driver Education was framed as K‑12 novice‑driver instruction under FLDOE course codes 1900300/1900310, while Traffic Safety Education spans lifelong driver‑improvement and public‑safety programs.
• Provider landscape mapped. Participants compared public‑school programs, commercial driving schools, state‑college driver‑improvement courses, and law‑enforcement initiatives.
• Instructor certification gap. Florida lacks a unified, affordable pathway for certifying teachers and commercial‑school instructors — a top priority for the group.

Key Discussion Takeaways

• Standardization & quality. Attendees endorsed creating model standards (NTDETAS aligned) and quality‑management metrics for all providers.
• Public‑private collaboration. Partnerships between school districts and commercial schools can expand behind‑the‑wheel capacity and share resources. The ultimate goal would be a unified training model for Driver Education and Traffic Safety Professionals.

Action Items

• Stand‑up two committees: Instructor Certification and Government Outreach.
• Recruit district and industry champions to lead task forces/committees.
• Explore morning and afternoon meeting slots to broaden participation.

Next Steps

• ADTSEA‑FL will circulate a follow‑up survey and call for volunteers.
• Findings will feed the CEO Report and upcoming board presentation.
• Draft framework for a cost‑effective teacher‑certification program will be shared at a future roundtable.

Missed a session? View past recaps in our news archive or email info@adtsea-fl.org to join the conversation.

Together we can strengthen Driver Education and Traffic Safety across Florida.