The Master Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle titled "Evaluating Programs And Strategies To Accelerate School Improvement" is designed to support the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) in conducting comprehensive research and evaluation services focused on improving student outcomes, particularly in low-performing schools. The vehicle supports multiple evaluation initiatives encompassing impact studies on math learning acceleration, research on state accountability systems, and assessments of programs and strategies targeting Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The contract vehicle functions as an indefinite delivery mechanism with a shared ceiling of $50,000,000 and a last date to order of July 28, 2026, allowing IES to issue multiple delivery orders to prime contractors for specialized research, program evaluation, data analysis, and technical assistance services across education improvement initiatives nationwide.
Recent task orders issued under this vehicle range from approximately $702,000 to $7,510,000 in ceiling value, with periods of performance typically spanning one to two years. The prime contractors winning task orders under this vehicle include Mdrc and the American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences (AIR), both established nonprofit research organizations with substantial expertise in education program evaluation. All awarded task orders to date utilize Cost Plus Fixed Fee pricing structures with no set-aside designations, and are issued directly by IES, a civilian agency within the Department of Education. Task order scopes have included Phase II through Phase IV activities for impact studies on math learning strategies, research on state accountability systems and CSI identification factors, and support services for implementing Title I and Title II-A program initiatives studies. Mdrc and AIR frequently subcontract portions of work to research organizations such as Westat, Inc., Public Strategies, Inc., and small disadvantaged businesses, with work performance occurring primarily in Washington, D.C. and participating school districts across the nation.