April 1, 2003
Electronic Documentation of Required Training
During the past several years, the California Department of Education (CDE) has been approached by school districts, school bus contractors, and private software manufacturers regarding the CDE's position on electronically produced training records for training conducted in accordance with Education Code sections 40080-40090. Historically, dating back to the early 1980's many organizations from within California's school bus industry have either purchased or created their own software programs to record and track the training of school bus, school pupil activity bus (SPAB), and farm labor drivers. Each year new companies enter into this arena, attempting to create products that will assist carriers with the time-intensive task of training documentation. The CDE's position is that of neither endorsing nor prohibiting the use of such training documentation software.
The CDE has recently placed on the Office of School Transportation (OST) Web site a PDF version of the latest edition (Rev 01-02) of the CDE's Training Certificate Form T-01. This is the official State of California document printed by CDE and distributed by the California Highway Patrol. It is the only form approved for use in the documentation of the training required in Education Code sections 40080-40090. Any other form created by any other source is not approved nor recognized by CDE. It will be the CDE position to recommend to the California Highway Patrol that their school bus officers and coordinators not accept documentation of required training on any other form other than the CDE approved Training Certificate Form T-01.
Questions regarding this instructor bulletin can be directed to the Department of Education's Office of School Transportation at 916-375-7100.