21Q0012_JNA_NNSTOY_Redacted_032321.pdf

FAR Part 13.5 Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition

Source Selection Information - See FAR 2.101 AND 3.104 - FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Teacher Leader Model Standards

(TLMS) Coaching and Professional Learning for DoDEA Teachers of the Year and Selected Staff

1. Agency/Contracting Activity: Department of Defense Education Activity, 4800 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22350-1400

2. Description of Action: A firm fixed price contract is planned with a total estimated value of $329,061.00.

The period of performance is a 12-month base period and a 12-month option period. FY21 Operating and Maintenance (O&M) funds are available for the estimated amount of $164,418.00 with proposed award to the National Network of State Teachers of the Year.

3. Description of Supplies and Services: DoDEA requires coaching and professional learning for teacher leaders, i.e., teachers of the year, and above-school-level staff at five face-to-face events in each year of the contract. The coaching requirement is for the annual meeting and three regional academies. The professional learning requirement is for the building sustainability meeting. The focus of all five events in the base year is Teacher Leader Model Standards (TLMS), Module 1. The exact focus of all five events in the option year will be determined post-award but will be on the TLMS. DoDEA expects to make one award for a base year and one option year.

4. Authority: FAR 13.106-1(b)(2), Only one responsible source will satisfy agency requirement, 41 U.S.C.3304(a)(1)

5. Demonstration of Contractor’s Unique Qualifications: Upon the basis of the following justification, I, as the Contracting Officer, approve this justification for the proposed contract action pursuant to the authority cited above because the Teacher Leader Model Standards (TLMS), which were created by a national consortium, learning courses were designed by and are the proprietary property of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) and because NNSTOY is the only authorized entity that has developed and can provide TLMS coaching and professional learning. In addition, the coaching and professional learning requirements build directly on the TLMS professional learning provided by NNSTOY through contract, HE125416P00106, which was awarded as a sole source without protest. This contract finalizes the implementation of teacher leadership in DoDEA and is expected to lead to sustainability of teacher leadership for the agency. Therefore, the continuity of instruction/coaching is a critical factor to the success of this program.

Based on the rationale above, the Contracting Office has made the determination to issue a sole source solicitation to the New Venture Fund, the for-profit arm of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year as the only authorized seller of the required resources.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: As stated above, DoDEA has done extensive market research. DoDEA will publicize a notes as required by FAR Subpart 5.2.

7. Fair and Reasonable Determination: The contracting officer has determined the anticipated costs will be fair and reasonable based on the information below:

8. Market Research http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml;jsessionid=114A3287C7B3359E597506A31FC855B3 http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml;jsessionid=114A3287C7B3359E597506A31FC855B3

Incumbent: New Venture Fund, Washington, DC. Bob Williams, Acting CEO, bob@nnstoy.org, 907- 315-4230 – Not a small business, per the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) – CAGE code 5ZQ66 – NAICS code 611430

There are no other national organizations that showcase state teachers of the year and use their expertise to promote educational excellence at the national, state, and local levels. The entities below do not meet DoDEA’s requirements, primarily because, as their descriptions show, they are aimed at teachers and administrators, not teachers of the year.

1) Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI), TLI@NEA.org - Paraphrased from its website: TLI, formerly called the Teacher Leadership Initiative, is a comprehensive effort to recruit, prepare, activate, and support the next generation of teachers to lead a transformed teaching profession. TLI is a project of the National Education Association (NEA) and is supported by the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

2) Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ), Carboro, NC - Paraphrased from its website: For 20 years CTQ has led efforts to improve public education. CTQ works with thousands of teachers, administrators, and system leaders nationwide, listening to and learning from their experiences, then collaborating with them to create solutions to make public schools better in order to help teachers grow as leaders. CTQ partners with administrators and district officials to reimagine how schools work. CTQ’s mission is to serve as a catalyst for teachers and administrators to collectively drive needed change in education, from the classroom level to the system level.

3) National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), Arlington, VA - Paraphrased from its website: Since 1987 NBPTS’s mission has been to advance the quality of teaching and learning through a voluntary advanced certification. Teachers, administrators and others who work to support best practice in our schools should embrace that vision to rethink the trajectory people follow to become accomplished teachers. Getting that path right and making sure all teachers follow it strengthen our shared understanding of the body of knowledge and skills teachers need; that in turn can lead to a level of consistent quality that is the hallmark of all true professions.

4) Internet research revealed other organizations and institutions that deal with teachers and teacher leadership but, as mentioned, they are aimed at teachers, not teachers of the year.

Review of Government and/or commercial databases for relevant information. Summary: Using the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) and Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) for the current contract’s NAICS code 611430 (Professional and Management Development Training) and the keywords, teacher of the year, teacher effectiveness, and TLMS (Teacher Leader Model Standards), yielded the following results:

Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS)

Under teacher of the year and TLMS were no results.

Under teacher effectiveness was one match: Zen ai, Inc. (Union Station, CA), which develops and delivers digital content for cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, etc.

Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS)

Under teacher of the year and teacher effectiveness were no results.

http://www.nea.org/ http://www.teachingquality.org/ http://www.teachingquality.org/ http://www.nbpts.org/

Under TLMS was one result: Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University with a 2014 contract with the US Department of Treasury. It appears to refer to either the Targeted Local Market Supplement or the Treasury Learning Management System, not Teacher Leader Model Standards.

9. Other Supporting Facts: No

10. Interested Sources: New Venture Fund

11. Effort to remove barriers to/increase competition: DoDEA subject-matter experts continually monitor developments in student information system software. DoDEA will perform market research prior to each option exercise to determine whether new sources may result in competition. If a new gifted COTS online registration system that meets DoDEA’s requirements comes on the market, DoDEA will ensure that full and open competition occurs.

Teacher Leader Model Standards

(TLMS) Coaching and Professional Learning for DoDEA Teachers of the Year and Selected Staff

CERTIFICATION

Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance and which forms a basis for this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Digital Signature/Date: ___________________________________________

Jennifer Green, Contracting Officer’s Representative

COORDINATION

Legal Review: (required > $250K/SAT): Based on the foregoing, this Justification is legally sufficient.

Digital Signature/Date: _____________________________________________ John Cho, Attorney Advisor, Office of General Counsel

APPROVAL

Approval is granted subject to the availability of funds and provided that the products/services described herein have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Contracting Officer: I certify that the justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief, and hereby determine the anticipated costs to the Government for this requirement will be fair and reasonable.

Digital Signature/Date: _______________________________________ Alim Koroma, Contracting Officer, Procurement