The professional education program has a clearly articulated program that provides evidence that candidates for the Driver/Safety Education certificate have a bachelor's degree, current driver's license, and have demonstrated their knowledge of and competence in providing instruction in highway safety regulations and automotive driving to eligible secondary school students (7-12) indluding:

A. Safety and Driver Education Curriculum including: safety areas of home, work, recreation, highway, and current trends in public safety, highway transportation systems and Pennsylvania motor vehicle laws and regulations natural laws affecting vehicle operator performance, vehicle familiarization, vehicle maintenance, basic and advanced control tasks, preception and driving strategies, driving environments, driver fitness, and driver responsibility

B. Traffic and Safety Regulations including: national, state, and local legislation, adjudication, enforcement, engineering pertinent to traffic safety education and the standards of the Highway Safety Act, occupational safety and health acts, environmental protection acts, product safety, agricultural regulations and product controls, and local ordinances and codes, problems of alcohol and other drugs, handicapped drivers, motorcycle driver education, active and passive passenger restraint systems, energy conservation and driver rehabilitation

C. Policies and administrative procedures for driver education programs including: budgeting, record-keeping, planning, and funding sources, scheduling, national and state guidelines, learning modes, the use of classroom and laboratory scheduling, curriculum planning, assessing student needs, current trends, task analysis, outside resources, and selecting and developing driving routes

D. Classroom and laboratory equipment and information materials utilization including: simulation equipment, multiple-car range, and on-street driving, textbooks and other printed materials, audiovisual aids and psychophysical equipment, sources of information and research, new and proposed legislation, printed materials, software and hardware

The professional education program provides evidence of the candidates' participation in field experiences, under the supervision of college personnel and cooperating teachers, who have demonstrated competence in teaching driver/safety education. (Candidates that possess an initial Instructional certificate shall be required to participate in an internship for a minimum of 100 hours in lieu of student teaching.) The program also provides evidence that the criteria and competencies for exit from the program are assessed in coursework, field experiences and student teaching and require the candidates to demonstrate their knowledge and competence in fostering student learning through multiple instructional methodologies including:

A. Planning of instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community and Pennsylvania Highway Safety regulations which promote problem analysis, creativity and decision-making skills including: effective use of simulation, and transfer of classroom knowledge to road situations, multiple-car range and on-street driving, student-centered learning activities

B. Managing the instructional environment in order to: create a climate that promotes fairness, establish and maintain rapport with students, communicate challenging learning expectations to each student, establish and maintain consistent standards of classroom behavior, make the physical environment safe and conducive to learning

C. Implementing, adapting and assimilating effective instructional strategies, curriculum resources and technologies in collaboration with other educators

D. Selecting, analyzing and modifying instructional materials to meet the learning needs and reading levels of diverse learners

E. Monitoring students' understanding of content through a variety of assessments, providing feedback to students to assist learning, and adjusting instructional strategies

The professional education program provides evidence that Driver/Safety Education certification candidates demonstrate knowledge and competencies that foster professionalism in school and community settings including:

A. Professional organizations and publications

B. Managing the instructional environment in order to: create a climate that promotes fairness, establish and maintain rapport with students, communicate challenging learning expectations to each student, establish and maintain consistent standards of classroom behavior, make the physical environment safe and conducive to learning

C. Integrity and ethical behavior, professional conduct as stated in Pennsylvania's Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators; and local, state, and federal laws and regulations

D. Communicating with parents/guardians and other agencies and the community at large to support learning by all students