The Louisiana Department of Education is making it easier to keep up with important reopening information for school systems across the state. The LDOE launched its school reopening dashboard this week at louisianabelieves.com. Users can access the dashboard with the Google Chrome browser. The online tool allows families, educators and other stakeholders to easily view student learning environments and connectivity data for public and nonpublic school systems.
"This dashboard is a transparent way to share key reopening information with families, educators and anyone else with a stake in our schools," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. "School has always looked different in Louisiana from parish to parish. That's especially true now as systems work to maintain high expectations for students during the pandemic."
The tool includes statewide and school system views of the following data points as submitted by school systems:
- Student enrollment
- Number of students participating in in-person, hybrid and virtual instruction
- Devices Available and Issued
- Home Internet Connectivity
The school reopening dashboard is available at louisianabelieves.com in the "School Reopening Resources" section of the Strong Start page. The LDOE is encouraging school systems to update their data multiple times throughout the school year. As school systems submit data, the dashboard automatically populates with the most current information. The tool includes information from participating traditional school systems, charter school systems and nonpublic school systems. School systems that provided data are included in this dashboard. Totals and percentages are based only off of systems that have submitted data.
The tool will help the Department and systems identify additional needs, such as student connectivity. It will provide critical data so that the Department can advocate for resources to ensure all Louisiana students have the necessary technology to compete and succeed.
Early data submitted to the system shows that the majority of school systems submitting data rely on Chromebooks for school-issued devices, just over 30 percent of students are without confirmed home internet connectivity and school systems are providing over 33,000 Louisiana students with internet connectivity assistance.
While early data submitted to the dashboard shows 43 percent of students in in-person learning, much of the initial data was entered in September before systems began their transition to Phase 3 plans. LDOE contacted school systems for an update on their transition to Phase 3 plans. Of the systems that responded to that inquiry, 92 percent will have completed their transition to Phase 3 plans by the end of October. The remaining systems plan to complete their transition to Phase 3 plans either later this year, in early 2021 or do not know due to damage from Hurricane Laura. This information is subject to change as school systems adjust their plans and as the Department continues to collect up-to-date information.