Welcome to the A. Rafail Driving School!
My name is Alan Rafail, I am the owner of the A. Rafail Driving School. I am retired from the Jefferson-Morgan School District where I taught for 33 years. I taught Driver's Education for 26 years at JM, I also taught Driver's Education as an after-school program in the Bentworth School District for four years. Nearly one thousand high school students have been taught the basic driving skills needed to be a successful low risk driver.
My driving school opened in 2013 and is located in Greene County, Pennsylvania about 20 miles south of Washington , PA and 30 miles west of Uniontown, PA. If you live in southwestern Pennsylvania and know someone who needs professional driving instruction, please contact me at 724-833-0057 or 724-852-3112 to discuss my school's program and the fees attached for each service.
This website is designed to help students complete the thirty hours of theory instruction required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Upon completion of this theory course and the minimum six hours of Behind-the-Wheel instruction, students will receive a certificate from the A. Rafail Driving School, may qualify for low insurance premiums, and may apply early for their regular driver's license.
If you are an enrolled student, please begin your theory course by clicking on to MODULE 1 and printing and completing the assignments. To find the videos, click on MORE and then click on REQUIRED VIDEOS and follow all instructions under the videos.
1. OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE:
A. To teach new drivers to be a proactive, safe and a responsible participant in the Highway Transportation System (HTS).
B. To teach new drivers how to understand the driving task and the decision-making process that the HTS commands.
C. To teach new drivers how to assess and manage risk while applying and understanding the SPIDE Process and The Smith System.
D. To teach new drivers how to handle distracted driving, social pressures and to understand the emotional and physical developments as they become a "low risk" and mature driver.
E. To teach new drivers the recognition of the various signs, signals, markings and rules of the road that are a part of the driving task.
F. To teach new drivers the vehicle systems, controls, and become familiar with general maintenance.
G. To teach new drivers basic driving skills such as planning a trip, starting, steering, stopping turning, entering, exiting and parking on city, country, and highway roads.
H. To teach new drivers how to respond to different driving environments, light and weather conditions, and how natural laws affect driving.
I. To teach new drivers how to respond to emergencies and share the road with other HTS participants including, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, school buses, trucks, trains and others.
J. To teach new drivers basic concepts on how to purchase, finance and insure a vehicle as required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
K. To teach new drivers how to prepare for all tests, forms, and fees which are required for the Graduated Driver Licensing program maintained by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
2. PROCEDURES FOR ACCOMPLISHING THESE OBJECTIVES:
For three consecutive weeks, a student will be given a textbook (Responsible Driving), Pennsylvania Driving Manual, a research packet for six chapters, and a video/videos for review. The student will be required to read the assigned chapters, complete the research packet, view the assigned video/videos, and will be tested by the instructor with a weekly formal assessment.
3. STUDENT REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLETION OF THE COURSE:
Each student will be required to complete thirty-one and one half (31½) hours of assignments from the book and three (3) hours of video assignments. This will give each student a total of thirty-four and one half (34½) instructional hours for the theory.
All students will be graded as follows:
Three scheduled quizzes 30%
Three video reports 15%
Three research packets 15%
Final Examination 40%
TOTAL 100%
5. TEXTBOOKS:
Kenel, Dr. Francis C. et al., Responsible Driving. Woodland Hills: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2000 (by the American Automobile Association).
Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pub 95 (Online Version).
6. AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS TO BE USED:
7. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION:
The instructor will collect and grade all assignments in a timely and professional manner. The videos may be observed on the internet via YouTube or other media supported websites. Other videos
may be substituted at the discretion of the instructor. Students may contact the instructor during designated seasonal hours. The theory course will run concurrent with the Behind-the-Wheel instruction.
My name is Alan Rafail, I am the owner of the A. Rafail Driving School. I am retired from the Jefferson-Morgan School District where I taught for 33 years. I taught Driver's Education for 26 years at JM, I also taught Driver's Education as an after-school program in the Bentworth School District for four years. Nearly one thousand high school students have been taught the basic driving skills needed to be a successful low risk driver.
My driving school opened in 2013 and is located in Greene County, Pennsylvania about 20 miles south of Washington , PA and 30 miles west of Uniontown, PA. If you live in southwestern Pennsylvania and know someone who needs professional driving instruction, please contact me at 724-833-0057 or 724-852-3112 to discuss my school's program and the fees attached for each service.
This website is designed to help students complete the thirty hours of theory instruction required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Upon completion of this theory course and the minimum six hours of Behind-the-Wheel instruction, students will receive a certificate from the A. Rafail Driving School, may qualify for low insurance premiums, and may apply early for their regular driver's license.
If you are an enrolled student, please begin your theory course by clicking on to MODULE 1 and printing and completing the assignments. To find the videos, click on MORE and then click on REQUIRED VIDEOS and follow all instructions under the videos.
1. OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE:
A. To teach new drivers to be a proactive, safe and a responsible participant in the Highway Transportation System (HTS).
B. To teach new drivers how to understand the driving task and the decision-making process that the HTS commands.
C. To teach new drivers how to assess and manage risk while applying and understanding the SPIDE Process and The Smith System.
D. To teach new drivers how to handle distracted driving, social pressures and to understand the emotional and physical developments as they become a "low risk" and mature driver.
E. To teach new drivers the recognition of the various signs, signals, markings and rules of the road that are a part of the driving task.
F. To teach new drivers the vehicle systems, controls, and become familiar with general maintenance.
G. To teach new drivers basic driving skills such as planning a trip, starting, steering, stopping turning, entering, exiting and parking on city, country, and highway roads.
H. To teach new drivers how to respond to different driving environments, light and weather conditions, and how natural laws affect driving.
I. To teach new drivers how to respond to emergencies and share the road with other HTS participants including, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, school buses, trucks, trains and others.
J. To teach new drivers basic concepts on how to purchase, finance and insure a vehicle as required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
K. To teach new drivers how to prepare for all tests, forms, and fees which are required for the Graduated Driver Licensing program maintained by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
2. PROCEDURES FOR ACCOMPLISHING THESE OBJECTIVES:
For three consecutive weeks, a student will be given a textbook (Responsible Driving), Pennsylvania Driving Manual, a research packet for six chapters, and a video/videos for review. The student will be required to read the assigned chapters, complete the research packet, view the assigned video/videos, and will be tested by the instructor with a weekly formal assessment.
3. STUDENT REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLETION OF THE COURSE:
Each student will be required to complete thirty-one and one half (31½) hours of assignments from the book and three (3) hours of video assignments. This will give each student a total of thirty-four and one half (34½) instructional hours for the theory.
- Schedule a set time of 10½ hours per week for book (theory) obligations.
- Schedule an additional 3 hours for video assignments.
- Read the eighteen (18) assigned chapters in the textbook.
- Complete weekly quizzes.
- View and critique all videos.
- Complete all assignments and the final examination within three weeks.
- Return all material that belongs to the A. Rafail Driving School.
All students will be graded as follows:
Three scheduled quizzes 30%
Three video reports 15%
Three research packets 15%
Final Examination 40%
TOTAL 100%
5. TEXTBOOKS:
Kenel, Dr. Francis C. et al., Responsible Driving. Woodland Hills: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2000 (by the American Automobile Association).
Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pub 95 (Online Version).
6. AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS TO BE USED:
- Understanding Car Crashes: It’s Basic Physics, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 2000. Videocassette/YouTube.
- National Driving Test II, AIMS Multimedia, 1991. Videocassette/YouTube.
- Smashed: Toxic Tales of Teens and Alcohol, HBO Family, 2004. DVD/YouTube.
- Red Asphalt III, California Highway Patrol,1989. DVD/YouTube.
7. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION:
The instructor will collect and grade all assignments in a timely and professional manner. The videos may be observed on the internet via YouTube or other media supported websites. Other videos
may be substituted at the discretion of the instructor. Students may contact the instructor during designated seasonal hours. The theory course will run concurrent with the Behind-the-Wheel instruction.