NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Education Wednesday launched its COVID-19 tracking dashboard that tracks and provides weekly updates on the virus for schools and districts across the state.
You can find the dashboard at this link.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the dashboard was not reporting data on many districts and schools in Tennessee -- including Knox County Schools. TDOE said Tuesday it needed to delay the launch due to technical issues with reporting for numerous schools, but on Wednesday decided to launch it since more than half of districts had submitted information to it.
TDOE expects the dashboard to be up and running in full by September 22.
The dashboard displays information reported by districts about the number of weekly positive COVID-19 cases by district, and whether or how the number of positive cases will impact schools and instruction.
The department said the sharing of student information is stringently protected, so schools with fewer than 50 students will not be reported on the dashboard.
“Tennessee has led the way in supporting districts for a safe return to school, opening classrooms for the new school year, and now providing the public with information around how COVID-19 may be impacting their school communities through a district-populated dashboard,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “This dashboard strikes an important balance in protecting student privacy while providing parents, educators, and community members with information they need to make the best possible decisions for their families.”
Schwinn said the department is "working closely with districts to support their reporting and encourage them to update information on a weekly basis."
The department also offers several other resources to help students and families adjust to the new school year, including many online learning materials. Administrators can also use toolkits to make sure schools are safe as they reopen.
Officials said they also faced several difficulties balancing privacy laws while providing information about COVID-19 in schools.
Several school districts in East Tennessee have reported cases of COVID-19 as the school year starts. You can follow which schools report cases here.