(a) In order to qualify
as an approved sponsoring agency pursuant to this subchapter, an entity shall:
1. Request approval from the Chief Administrator,
on official letterhead signed by the chief executive officer or designee of the
entity;
2. Demonstrate its course's
effectiveness in terms of either reduced moving violation convictions or accident
involvement or both by licensees who have satisfactorily completed its motor vehicle
defensive driving course;
3. Provide the
Chief Administrator with the name and title of the official of the sponsoring agency
designated as the liaison between the sponsoring agency and the
Commission;
4. For defensive driving
courses provided in a traditional classroom setting, demonstrate by written
operating procedures and/or on-site visitation by the Chief Administrator or
designee, that its instructors are qualified to conduct its motor vehicle defensive
driving course;
5. For DVD/video or
online, computer-assisted, courses, provide sufficient demonstration through written
operating procedures and by providing a gratis test of a representative course in
its entirety for review by the Chief Administrator or designee and shall further:
i. Provide a description of the technology to be
used to present the course, technical specifications, a DVD/video, or an online
course description document, and a verbatim transcript of the DVD/video or online
course including all module completion quizzes, proficiency examinations, and answer
keys to be presented;
ii. Provide a
description of the security mechanisms the sponsoring agency will employ, at random
intervals, in administering the course, the module completion quizzes, and the
proficiency examinations and shall include:
(1) At
a minimum, sufficient technology to ensure and verify the identity of the individual
taking the course throughout the duration of the course and the proficiency
examination, which may include the use of computer mounted cameras or available
biometric technology;
(2) Security
mechanisms employing the use of, at least, personal validation questions, course
environment questions, and third party verification of personnel information
questions and which may include the use of e-mail or telephonic verification
processes; and
(3) If, due to advances
in technology, additional security mechanisms become available, the Commission, upon
notice and review, may approve changes to the course delivery. Changes to course
technology and/or security mechanisms, must be at least as secure as those
originally approved by the Commission;
iii. Provide appropriate technology to capture
student responses and additional information including:
(1) Electronic time logs for each informational
module to ensure temporal duration requirements are met; and
(2) Student responses to all questions including
answers to proficiency examinations, module completion quizzes, personal validation
questions, course environment questions, and third party verification of personal
information questions; and
iv. Require as a condition of satisfactory course
completion the licensee's passage, with a minimum passing grade of 80 percent, of a
course content proficiency examination administered using approved security
mechanisms. The course provider may permit the licensee, if they do not meet the
minimum passing grade, to retake the proficiency examination up to two times after
sufficient course review; and
6. For DVD/video courses, the provider must
include an explanation of the process that will be used for updating all DVD/video
course curricula.