25MACISMB1 Attachment A - Final.docx

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Attachment A Early Literacy Tutoring Departmental Master Agreement

Alternate ID #: 25MACISMB1 COMMBUYS Bid #:BD-25-1026-DOE02-DOE01-105096

Background:

This BID seeks early literacy tutoring vendors to serve students in grades K-3 in Massachusetts as part of a Departmental Master Agreement (MA). Early literacy tutoring supports DESE's overarching vision for educational excellence and a commitment to provide equitable opportunities for all students. Early literacy tutoring supports students, particularly those from historically underserved groups, in building prerequisite and foundational skills through high dosage tutoring services.

Achieving proficiency in reading by grade 3 is considered a milestone for long-term success in school and in life because of its correlation to a range of positive educational and life outcomes. This BID identifies tutoring as a route to supporting accelerated literacy growth because of this strategy’s demonstrated effectiveness with diverse populations, recognizing the individual strengths, needs, and diverse backgrounds of the students.

For the purposes of this BID, early literacy tutoring refers to individual or small group models (four students or fewer) for children in grades K-3, focused on foundational skills as identified in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. These services are supplemental to regular instructional time and are delivered through a structured model with a specific duration and frequency.

Scope of Service:

Through this BID, DESE will approve tutoring vendors for a Departmental Master Agreement (MA). Under this agreement, vendors will be available to partner with Massachusetts districts in tutoring arrangements brokered by and funded by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, under a separate Request for Quote (RFQ ) for award resulting in a signed Work Order agreement document. Districts may also use the MA for their own contracting services by entering into an agreed contract following their local procurement laws and regulations.

The selected vendors are expected to:

· Provide early literacy tutoring services for students in grades K-3 who have not met relevant benchmarks on DESE-approved early literacy screening assessments.

· Support schools and districts to administer DESE selected screening assessments for participating students as well as collect and share tutoring data, if requested by DESE.

· Execute agreements with identified districts and charter schools which may include administration of a DESE selected screening assessment to participating students, data collection and data sharing with DESE or a third-party evaluator.

· Provide in person and/or virtual tutoring services to children from September 2024 until June 2028, pending funding with a renewal option for FY29 (July 1, 2028 – June 30, 2029). Virtual tutoring models must be one tutor with one student and occur during the school day; virtual small group models and/or after school models will not be considered.

· Agree to follow DESE’s direction regarding possible pre/post tutoring assessment data collection using a DESE determined screening assessment for participating students. If requested by DESE, and possibly in coordination with a third-party evaluator and/or DESE, direct tutors to administer a DESE-selected pre/post screening assessment to every participating student, prior to the start of each tutoring cycle and a post-test/screening assessment at the completion of the tutoring cycle. Tutoring programs that operate on a full school year cycle will need to assess participating students with the DESE-determined screening assessment mid-year.

· Participate, if requested by DESE, in a third-party evaluation to determine tutoring efficacy; this may include disseminating and completing parent and staff surveys, participating in interviews, and providing required student level data. If DESE requires participation, the vendor will be compensated only for students that they provide the following complete useable data:

· Pre and post tutoring assessment data for each participating student using an assessment selected by DESE. Note: full year programs would provide a middle of the year (MOY) data point as well.

· Monthly tutoring roster reports as well as learning logs which are a record of each tutoring session delivered that includes: frequency; duration; content; name of tutor; student participants; and student demographics. provided directly or via evaluator secure website)

· Attestation Form signed by district or school leader affirming the number of students served.

· Monitor and supervise the tutors and tutoring sessions to maintain a safe and enriching learning environment for all students consistent with the goals of this program.

· Engage with DESE liaison on a regular basis regarding program successes, challenges, and needs.

Budget:

Approved vendors will be placed on a Departmental Master Agreement through June 30, 2028 (FY28) , with a renewal option for FY29 (July 1, 2028 – June 30, 2029), to provide services to schools.

The Department has an interest in keeping the cost of tutoring affordable, and the proposed cost structure will be an important criterion in the Department’s provider selection process.

In their response, vendors must indicate the per student fee they will charge for early literacy tutoring, inclusive of any additional costs or overhead. For full year programs, vendors must indicate if their full year student cost reflects “a seat” for the school year that can be filled by multiple students rather than a per student cost. Vendors must also indicate the minimum and maximum number of schools/districts and children they can serve under this BID. Vendors must clarify the duration of services as it pertains to the per student cost. It must be clearly stated if the per student cost is based on tutoring services for a 12-week cycle, a full school year, or some other service duration.

If approved, costs named in vendors’ responses will be incorporated into a Departmental Master Agreement and must remain in effect throughout the duration of the contract, i.e., until June 30, 2028, or June 30, 2029, if renewed. Once under contract, the vendor may not increase the cost of their approved services for Massachusetts public schools. Upon contract renewal, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) may consider cost increase, if warranted.

For DESE-funded tutoring partnerships, DESE will identify communities for tutoring. These partnerships will be determined by DESE in collaboration with school districts, though DESE will make final partnership determinations.

DESE reserves the right to broker new DESE-funded partnerships and end existing DESE-funded partnerships as needed to meet program goals.

Invoice Process for DESE-funded tutoring partnerships:

For DESE-funded partnerships, vendors will enter contracts with DESE to provide services in schools. For such arrangements, tutoring vendors will invoice DESE after the completion of service (generally, a 12-week tutoring cycle) and, if data is required, after verification that pre/post testing, learning logs, and attestation forms have been submitted to the outside evaluator and/or DESE. For tutoring models that extend beyond twelve weeks (generally, a tutoring cycle), the vendor will coordinate with DESE to determine the appropriate invoicing schedule. Vendors will be required to provide attestation from the partner LEA or community organization that services were completed as reported.

If DESE requests student tutoring assessment data, vendors may only invoice for students for whom their data is complete. Complete data are defined as:

1. Pre-test and post test data from a DESE-determined assessment that has been shared with and verified received by DESE’s third-party evaluator and/or DESE.

2. A Learning Log for each tutoring session with required information: frequency; duration; content; name of tutor; student participants; and student demographics, demonstrating that the student has participated in the agreed-upon duration and format of tutoring.

If pre/post assessment data are required, DESE recognizes that students may leave the tutoring program unexpectedly and may not be administered a post test. For this reason, DESE will allow vendors to invoice for no more than 15% of their total student participants without complete data. For example, if a vendor serves 100 students, DESE will allow the vendor to invoice for no more than 15 students that have incomplete data. Incomplete data is defined as missing or incomplete post-test scores. DESE will not compensate vendors for any students without a pre-test and Learning Logs. In the event of unanticipated circumstances such as excessive student/tutor absences or incomplete sessions, DESE may consider the option for vendors to invoice on a pro-rated per student cost basis. The per student cost will be in effect for the duration of the MA.

Vendors will be able to invoice DESE through mid-August 2025 for services provided from September 2024 until June 30, 2025, for FY25.

For FY26, vendors will be able to invoice DESE through mid-August 2026 for services provided from July 1, 2025, until June 30, 2026.

For FY27, vendors will be able to invoice DESE through mid-August 2027 for services provided from July 1, 2026, until June 30, 2027.

For FY28, vendors will be able to invoice DESE through mid-August 2028 for services provided from July 1, 2027, until June 30, 2028.

If renewed, for FY29, vendors will be able to invoice DESE through mid-August 2029 for services provided from July 1, 2028, until June 30, 2029.

Required Qualifications:

1. Capacity: Vendor must acknowledge capacity to serve children in Massachusetts during the 2024-25 school year, if needed, identifying proposed regions of the state to serve as well as the maximum number of students to serve while maintaining program quality.

2. Experience: Demonstrated experience successfully deploying staff into a school setting to provide literacy-focused tutoring services to children in grades K-3 OR demonstrated experience successfully providing virtual 1:1 early literacy tutoring in a school setting during the school day.

3. Impact: Demonstrated evidence of impact on student learning and positive student and family experience, especially for children from historically underserved groups.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Model, Frequency and Duration: Tutoring model follows recommendations by EdResearch for Action, which call for:

a) Small group tutoring cohorts of no more than four (4) students or virtual models that are 1:1 (one consistent tutor with one student)

b) Focus support to students performing below benchmark, monitoring their progress and when appropriate, exiting students from tutoring using a thoughtful, data based decision-making model.

c) Tutoring sessions occur three or more times per week for 15-40 minutes per session.

d) Tutoring sessions occur during the school day to promote equity and ensure there are no barriers to access tutoring.

2. Demonstrated evidence that tutors received training on cultural/linguistic competence, working with students with disabilities, social-emotional learning, and anti-racism practices as well as ongoing support throughout their employment as a tutor.

3. Demonstrated evidence of appropriate systems in place to monitor program and tutoring sessions and information including, student attendance and if requested, student’s pre/post testing data.

Submission Requirements:

1. Please complete the Evidence Form providing evidence of qualifications and meeting criteria as identified on the Form. The Evidence Form provides a structure for the vendor to report on Required Qualifications, Preferred Qualifications and other Submission Requirements including Organizational Overview; Evidence of Effectiveness Impact; and Cost Effectiveness.

2. In addition to the Evidence Form, please submit an annual budget for FY25 based on the number of students the vendor anticipates serving which includes all costs for early literacy tutoring and provides these costs on a per-student basis. The budget should reflect the maximum number of services the vendor can provide while maintaining program quality.

3. Additionally, the vendor may append to their bid any artifacts or samples that may attest to their meeting the Required or Preferred Qualifications, which may include but are not limited to annual reports, impact evaluation reports, instructional materials, client, or partner testimonials. Appendices have no page limit.

4. Prompt Payment Discount Form (This form can be found on COMMBUYS in the same location as this bid posting. This form is required to be completed, by offering a discount or claiming hardship. Those that offer 1% will receive an average on the scorecard. Those that offer a higher or lower percentage will be scored accordingly on the Evaluation Criteria Scorecard).

5. Supplier Diversity Program Plan Form (This form can be found on COMMBUYS in the same location as this bid posting. This form is required to be completed and offer a percentage commitment of 1% or higher. The higher the commitment the more points earned on the Evaluation Criteria Scorecard. See Scorecard for more details).

6. Please provide the name, email address, and telephone number of the contact person.

To respond to this bid, please register on the COMMBUYS website. If you need assistance with registering, please contact the COMMBUYS helpdesk at: COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or (888) 627-8283 or (617) 720-3197.

Responses MUST be uploaded to COMMBUYS. Responses not posted to COMMBUYS will not be considered for evaluation. Do not Email and/or mail responses to the Department.

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