The national center for education statistics (nces) within the institute of education sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of education (ED) has the following mission: (1) to collect and analyze…

The Education Statistics Support Institute Network (ESSIN) is a multiple-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract vehicle established by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) within the U.S. Department of Education to provide specialized statistical support services exclusively to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Awarded on December 15, 2011, with an ultimate completion date of December 31, 2021, this civilian contract was issued with no small business set-aside. The contract operates under the broader National Cooperative Education Statistics Systems (NCESS) framework and consolidates support previously provided through separate Education Statistics Services Institute (ESSI) and National Education Statistics Services Institute (NESSI) contracts. The ESSIN vehicle enables NCES to fulfill its federal statistical agency mission of collecting, analyzing, and reporting objective, secular, and policy-relevant education information and statistics through large-scale surveys, assessments, and other data collection modes.

Under the ESSIN contract vehicle, Westat, Inc.—a Rockville, Maryland-based research and professional services firm—was awarded a delivery order valued at approximately $12.0 million with a completion date of November 30, 2022. This fixed-price, level-of-effort delivery order covers fielding, analysis, reporting, and training support for four recurring education surveys: the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), collected every four years; the Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS); the Principal Follow-up Survey (PFS); and the Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study (BTLS), conducted annually. The contract requires Westat to manage data collection coordination with the U.S. Census Bureau, plan and release data files, produce special analyses and reports for policymakers, provide training on survey data analysis, and serve as subject matter expertise on emerging topics including teacher quality, school staffing, teacher working conditions, school climate, and teacher and principal attrition and mobility. Performance occurred in Potomac, Maryland.

The national center for education statistics (nces) within the institute of education sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of education (ED) has the following mission: (1) to collect and analyze education information and statistics in a manner that meets the highest methodological standards; (2) to report education information and statistics in a timely manner; and (3) to collect, analyze, and report education information and statistics in a manner that: (a) is objective, secular, neutral, and non-ideological and is free of partisan political influence and racial, cultural, gender, or regional bias; and (b) is relevant and useful to practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and the public. P.L. 107-279, part c, SEC. 151(b); H.R. 3801, part c, SEC. 151(b), 2002. As a federal statistical agency charged with providing our nation s education information and statistics based on large-scale surveys, assessments, and other modes of data collection, nces has the responsibility to report its findings accurately and in a timely manner. Further, the statistics should be relevant to practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and the public. Nces supports a wide range of policy relevant data collection activities for many different types of data consumers and user groups. Changes in the nation s policymakers conception of the importance of education and the role of data in educational improvement has required nces to expand both the amount and types of information IT collects, analyzes, and reports. ED will continue its requirement to support nces within IES with its mission that includes providing our nation s education information and statistics based on large-scale surveys, assessments, and other modes of data collection. The education statistics support institute network (essin) formed under this contract will conduct specialized statistical support solely for nces, formally provided by the essi and nessi contracts. The essin established under this solicitation as a multiple award, IDIQ contract with firm-fixed price (FFP), firm-fixed price level of effort (FFP/LOE), or cost reimbursement (CR) task orders. The education statistics support institute network (essin) formed under this contract will conduct work solely for nces. No group other than nces will award task orders under this contract. The essin will enable nces to continue its effort to respond to the government-wide requirements for greater accountability in contract management effectively and efficiently.