A college preparatory charter high school with a focus on the arts
Drivers Education
Teen Drivers and the State of North Carolina Law
Did you know that the State of North Carolina has legislation in place that requires schools to monitor a student’s academic progress as it relates to driving privileges? North Carolina law requires that students under the age of 18 make “adequate progress” toward graduation in order to obtain and keep a driving permit or driver’s license. Adequate progress is defined as passing 70% of attempted coursework. At Longleaf, a student must pass at least five out of seven courses to meet the 70% passing requirement. This determination is done twice annually, once following the end of the first semester, and again at the end of the second semester. Semester grades and final grades, respectively, will be used to determine a student’s eligibility.
Students under the age of 18 who have a permit or license and who are not making adequate progress at the end of the first term (January) or at the end of the second term (June) are reported to DMV. DMV will then notify the student and parent or guardian by mail that the student’s permit or license has been revoked. The permit or license remains revoked until the next determination is made (end of the first term or end of the second term). When the student is again eligible (passing 5 out of 7) he/she may request another DEC from the school and apply to DMV to have his/her permit or license reinstated. Please note that the only grades referred to are the semester report card grades in January and the final report card grades in June. Students who do not already have a driver’s permit or license will not be allowed to obtain one until their grades are satisfactory. That determination only takes place twice each year (end of the first term or end of the second term).
Driver Education - Classroom and Behind-the-Wheel
Driver Education is a two part process for teens. One part is in the classroom, the second part is in the car. The student will receive a Driver Education Certificate (DEC) after completing behind-the-wheel driving. This certificate has no expiration date and should be put it in a safe place as it is one of the required documents needed by the DMV to get a permit.
Jordan Driving School provides driver education to any student living in Wake County, hosted at area schools. Students interested in signing up for Driver Education should visit Jordan Driving School's website to register.*** Be sure to carefully read and complete the application exactly as directed. Completed applications should be faxed directly to Jordan Driving School or scanned and emailed to them.
*** Longleaf is included in the virtual classes offered by Jordan Driving School. Click on "Private and Charter School Classes," then "Additional Private/Charter/Select Schools" to sign up. ***
Driver Eligibility
The next step after receiving the Driver Education Certificate (DEC) is to request a Driver ELIGIBILITY Certificate (DEC) from the front office. Please Email Mrs. Benjamin at office@longleafschoool.com to set up a time to pick up.
The student’s most recent semester grades will be reviewed to confirm that the student has met the state’s requirement. Summer DECs will refer to students’ final report card grades. DECs submitted in the spring semester will refer to the student’s 1st semester report card grades. If the student has met the criteria, the school will certify the DEC by signing and applying a school seal. If the student has not met the criteria, the certificate will not be issued and the student will not be able to obtain his/her permit/license.
The Driver Eligibility Certificate issued from the school has an expiration date of 30 days. A school-issued DEC expires 30 days from the date on the form. The DMV does not accept expired forms. If a form expires, another form will need to be completed and processed.
Need more info? Check out the “Your First License” section of the NC DMV web site for more info.