Tennessee Department of Education sets June 2 deadline for school-directory authorizations, explains submission rules

Ruth Christopher, school directory coordinator at the Tennessee Department of Education, told webinar attendees that the Tennessee School Directory (TNSD) is the central data repository for schools and districts and that accurate entries are critical because directory data flow into systems such as EIS and affect assessment provisioning, accountability results and funding allocations.

"The Tennessee school directory, TNSD, serves as a central data repository containing essential identifying information for schools and districts," Christopher said, adding that incorrect information can have downstream effects on accountability and funding. She said submissions are processed in the order they are received: "first come, 1st serve."

Christopher outlined which changes require department authorization, including school name changes, school- or program-type changes, school grade-configuration changes, school openings and school closures. She said all authorization requests must be submitted to TNSD by 5 p.m. CST on June 2 so department staff can process and activate approved changes by July 1 in EIS.

The webinar reiterated who may submit changes: only the district's authorized TNSD contact or the director of schools. "We will not accept submissions from principals or any other office personnel," Christopher said. She also described how incomplete requests are handled: the department will request missing information and will close the ticket after three unanswered contacts, requiring the district to resubmit.

For contact updates, districts must use the electronic submission form. If a district needs more than ten contact updates, it must complete the form, indicate it will send a separate spreadsheet, populate the spreadsheet with the required fields (for example, a principal's name and email are both required) and email the spreadsheet to school.directory@tn.gov.

Christopher noted federal reporting requirements limit grade-configuration changes to three grades or fewer in a single year; larger reconfigurations require closing the existing school and opening a new school, which will receive a new school number. She said new-school openings require evidence of local board approval or the director of schools' signature on the program and school authorization form.

Nontraditional school types (for example, charter or virtual schools) require individual program approval, a process Christopher said can take 30 to 90 days. Once authorized, the department will add a new school to the Tennessee School Directory with a pending status; statuses update to active on July 1 and inactivated schools are marked inactive on June 30.

Christopher urged districts to consult the submission guidance document for details on mergers, required documentation and forms and provided the department email for questions: school.directory@tn.gov.