26QE073_ATTCH10_PWS_072726.pdf

CUI

SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION – SEE FAR 2.101 AND 3.104

1 7/27/2026

DEPARTMENT OF WAR EDUCATION ACTIVITY (DoWEA)

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

FOR

THE LITERATE BRAIN:

DEVELOPING PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN THE SCIENCE OF READING &

WRITING (Grades PK-5)

Introduction

1.1 Background

The Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) is one of only two federally operated school systems.

DoWEA plans, directs, coordinates, and manages prekindergarten through grade 12 educational programs in 160 fully accredited schools that serve over 65,000 children of active-duty military and DoW civilian families. Our curriculum, resources and student achievement scores on standardized assessments compare favorably to those of high-performing US public school systems.

DoWEA is overseen by a director located at our headquarters in Alexandria, VA. Our schools are organized into three geographic areas: Americas, Europe, and Pacific. In the Americas, DoWEA operates 50 schools located in seven states, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. In Europe and the Middle East, DoWEA operates 64 schools located in Germany, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Bahrain. In the Pacific, DoWEA operates 45 schools located in South Korea, Japan (mainland and Okinawa), and Guam. DoWEA also operates one fully accredited virtual high school with teaching hubs in the Americas, Europe, and Pacific.

DoWEA schools have many grade configurations. One hundred and two of our 159 brick-and-mortar schools have at least one of the grades PK-5, of which three schools only serve grade 5, one school only serves grades 4-5, and three schools serve grades PK-1. Schools range in size from 23-844 students with nine schools serving under 100 students. Three middle schools are included in the 102 schools, each serving only grade 5 with 175, 251, and 305 students, respectively.

Military-connected students experience high mobility rates across the nation and throughout the world. As a result, DoWEA makes a concerted effort to establish a worldwide systemic education network, mitigating the transitional barriers to military-connected students’ success.

As a reminder, FAR Clause 52.212 4(q) requires the Contractor to comply with all applicable Federal, state, and local laws, executive orders, rules, and regulations applicable to its performance under this contract.

DoWEA, which is a DoW field activity, provides education from prekindergarten through grade 12.

Executive Order 14168, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, and Executive Order 14190, Ending Radical Indoctrination in K–12 Schooling, are particularly applicable to DoWEA contracts.

1.2 Scope

Over a 3-year period DoWEA requires the provision of a comprehensive, evidence-based, and role-specific professional learning (PL) program designed to strengthen the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of educators, school-based leaders, instructional support specialists, and headquarters subject matter experts in the Science of Reading (SoR) and the Science of Writing (SoW). This initiative, titled The Literate Brain:

Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge in the Science of Reading & Writing (Grades PK-5) bridges the gap between cognitive science research and classroom execution. The training must explicitly focus on the unique instructional and developmental needs of PK-5 students, transitioning the school system from balanced literacy models to an integrated, research-based literacy framework. The Contractor shall provide the following:

1. Role-specific professional learning sessions and related resources.

2. Facilitation preparation sessions.

3. Differentiated competency assessments for introductory and mastery modules.

4. Evaluation support and reporting.

5. Technical support.

The participants consist of classroom teachers, school support specialists, learning impaired mild-moderate (LIMM) teachers, speech-language pathologists (SLP), school leaders, and above-school-level leaders for the professional learning is shown below:

Table 1. Train-the-Trainer Cohort Roles Educators Groups

Region Instructional System Specialists (ISS) 30 9 District ISS 100 HQ Chief, Associate Chief, and Elementary Instruction 3 1 HQ Subject-Matter Experts 8

Subtotal 141 10

Table 2. Educator Cohort Roles Educators PL Groups

Teachers Classroom Educators 2,200 Not Required

Strategic Educators 460 23 Multilingual Learner Program Educators 200 10

Adv’d Academic Program Services Educators 100 5 Learning Impaired Mild-Moderate 200 10

Speech-Language Pathologists 75 4 Administrators

Principals 102 Not Required Assistant Principals 30 Subtotal 3,367

2.0 Requirement Objectives

2.1 Professional Learning Cohorts (Objective #1)

The objective is to fundamentally transform literacy instruction systemwide by converting abstract cognitive science into active, high-impact pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Rather than treating the Science of Reading (SoR) and the Science of Writing (SoW) as isolated academic concepts, this initiative will provide a practical bridge between cognitive research ("the why and what") and classroom execution ("the how") that is optimized for the critical PK-5 developmental literacy continuum.

To achieve sustainable, systemic instructional change, the initiative is anchored by three performance objectives.

By the conclusion of this 3-year initiative, participants will be empowered to do the following:

1) Translate Cognitive Models into Explicit Daily Action: Move past defining theoretical frameworks to translating them into explicit, highly structured daily lesson plans. This skill ensures that every instructional block directly and systematically balances the mechanics of decoding and transcription with the deep cognitive work of language comprehension and text generation.

2) Anticipate, Diagnose, and Rectify Literacy Breakdowns: Develop the advanced diagnostic skills required to look beneath surface-level student performance. Participants will learn to anticipate predictable developmental friction points and diagnose specific reading and writing breakdowns across the PK-5 spectrum. This includes shifting from holistic grading to root-cause analysis.

3) Optimize Working Memory and Build Permanent Neural Pathways: Master the selection and execution of high-leverage instructional routines designed in strict alignment with human cognitive architecture. By focusing on explicit, multi-sensory routines (such as daily sound-deck dictation and scaffolded sentence-level composition), instruction will minimize executive function overload, optimize students' working memory, and efficiently forge the permanent neural pathways required for automatic literacy.

By establishing a unified, scientifically validated instructional blueprint across all roles, this initiative ensures that HQ specialists, district coaches, school administrators, and classroom teachers “speak” the same pedagogical language and look for the same evidence-based markers of success. Supported by a continuous, role-specific asynchronous design, these objectives establish a self-sustaining ecosystem where every PK-5 student receives the explicit instruction necessary to unlock advanced literacy.

2.1.A Professional Learning Solution Flexibility:

1. Commercially Available Professional Learning Solutions. The Government intends to leverage commercially available professional learning solutions to the maximum extent practicable and anticipates that the majority of proposed offerings will consist of existing commercial products, services, courses, subscriptions, platforms, and resources. Contractors may tailor or adapt existing commercial offerings as necessary to meet DoWEA requirements.

2. Catalog of Professional Learning Offerings. The Contractor shall maintain and provide a catalog of evidence-based professional learning offerings aligned to the SoR and SoW. The catalog may include, but is not limited to, in-person, virtual, and hybrid professional learning offerings, such as synchronous workshops, asynchronous learning modules, coaching services, implementation toolkits, communities of practice, train-the-trainer programs, professional learning series, instructional leadership supports, facilitator development, and job-embedded learning experiences. The Government may select, in consultation with the Contractor, the combination of offerings that best meet organizational needs during each contract year. All offerings shall align with the objectives, performance standards, and outcomes identified in this PWS. The catalog of offerings is intended to provide flexibility in fulfilling the requirements of this contract. The Government may order individual offerings from the catalog as needed to support the professional learning requirements.

The following tasks help the Contractor understand the requirements to meet the objective but are not exhaustive.

The Contractor shall develop a complete solution using a performance-based approach:

Supporting Tasks for Requirement - Objective #1 – The Contractor shall:

2.1.1 Task 1, Project Implementation Plan—The Contractor shall:

2.1.1.1 Provide a draft implementation plan to the contracting officer’s representative (COR). Finalize the plan based on written feedback from DoWEA. Update the plan, at a minimum, annually.

2.1.1.2 The plan shall include, at a minimum, the following eight sections:

1) Definition of Goals and Objectives

2) Allocation of Resources

3) Planning Milestones & Timeline

4) Designation of Responsibilities

5) Breakdown of the Train-the-Trainer Cohort and Educator Cohort Professional Learning

6) Identification of Contingencies (Risk Management) and Backup Plans

7) Evaluation

8) Description of Success

2.1.1.3 The plan shall include the following three subcategories:

1) Annual Train-the-Trainer Cohort Meetings: Meet with the train-the-trainer cohort by region (Americas, Europe, and Pacific) to share successes, do troubleshooting, and promote sustainability.

2) Annual Senior Leadership Meetings: Present and facilitate an annual update for HQ leadership. Provide the medium through which the meeting occurs (preferably MS Teams) and record each meeting’s minutes. Finalize the minutes based on written feedback from the COR. Prior to each meeting, perform a dry run of the meeting’s presentation. Finalize each presentation based on feedback from the COR. Note: The meeting is expected to last approximately two hours with the first 45-60 minutes consisting of the Contractor’s presentation and 60-75 minutes devoted to Q&A and discussion.

3) Travel: Include the tentative travel dates and purposes, per the table below. Provide for synchronous webinars in lieu of travel, if the Agency cannot meet in-person. Note: The only travel in Option Year 2 is to the Senior Leadership Meeting.

DoWEA Site Contractor Participants

Duration / Timeframe

Train-the-Trainer Cohort Meetings Americas DoWEA offices, Peachtree City, GA 2 staff:

Program Lead and Program Specialist

3 days in Dec 3 days in May

Europe DoWEA offices, Sembach, Germany

3 days in Jan 3days in May

Pacific DoWEA offices, Torri Station, Okinawa

3 days in Jan 3days in Jun

Senior Leadership Meetings Pentagon War Annex DoWEA offices, Alexandria, VA

Program Lead and Program Specialist

2 hours in July or August

Performance Standards (PS) and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) - Objective #1

PS: Draft and finalize (based on written feedback from DoWEA) the project implementation plan.

Review and update, at a minimum, annually.

AQL: Draft: 80% accurate. Final: 100% accurate to include inclusion of DoWEA feedback, except for possible errors in grammar and formatting. No more than one round of revisions shall be required after the final is submitted.

2.1.2 Task 2, Role-Specific Professional Learning Content Development—The Contractor shall:

2.1.2.1 Design an integrated PL curriculum rooted in cognitive science and validated literacy research.

2.1.2.2 Provide a PL program that demonstrates alignment with evidence-based Structured Literacy and Science of Reading and Science of Writing practices. Evidence of such alignment may include accreditation, endorsement, approval, certification, or other formal recognition from the International Dyslexia Institute (IDA) or another nationally recognized organization whose standards support evidence-based instruction.

2.1.2.3 The requirements of the Program Lead and Program Specialists are detailed under Key Functions (PWS 3.3).

2.1.2.4 Embed the following principles in the PL: Core Science, Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), and Instructional Application & Alignment:

2.1.2.4.1 Core Science

1) Alignment with the Simple View of Reading (Decoding x Language Comprehension), Scarborough’s Reading Rope, and the Not-So-Simple View of Writing (balancing transcription, text generation, and working memory/executive function).

2) Phonological awareness continuum, English alphabetic code correspondences, and managing the cognitive load of transcription.

3) Background knowledge of schema building, vocabulary depth, syntactic awareness, and navigating the executive function overload of writing.

4) Theoretical synthesis of reading (decoding) and writing (encoding) as reciprocal cognitive actions.

2.1.2.4.2 Pedagogical Content Knowledge

1) Eradication of the "Three-Cueing System" (MSV) to Orthographic Mapping.

2) Grade-band differentiation targeting PK-2 (explicit phonics, phonemic awareness, and structural handwriting muscle memory) versus grades 3-5 (morphology, advanced syllabication patterns, Greek/Latin roots, and systematic spelling logic).

3) Transition from generic strategy instructions to systematic knowledge-building.

4) Transition from unstructured journal prompts to sentence-level composition routines.

5) Training teachers in data-driven error analysis to simultaneously evaluate reading fluency and writing samples to find root-cause cognitive breakdowns.

2.1.2.4.3 Instructional Monitoring and Feedback

1) Provide a monitoring tool for district ISS and school administrators to monitor the application of learning in classrooms specific to each learning module.

2) Provide examples or prompts of appropriate learning applications such as video examples and “look-for” lists.

3) Provide support for district ISS and school leaders to have feedback discussions with the educator (discussion or question prompts).

Performance Standards (PS) and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) - Objective #1

PS (Timeliness): Deliverables are provided within the timeframes established in the DoWEA-approved project schedule or as mutually agreed upon with the COR for ad hoc requests.

AQL (Timeliness): 95% of tasks/deliverables are completed by the established timeline.

Finalize them based on written feedback from DoWEA. Any anticipated delays are communicated to and approved by the COR in advance.

PS (Quality): Deliverables are accurate, functional, and adhere to DoWEA-approved method-ologies and industry best practices.

AQL (Quality): Deliverables require no more than one round of major Government revision due to Contractor error, omission, or failure to follow provided instructions.

2.1.3 Task 3, Facilitation Preparation Sessions and Related Support—The Contractor shall:

2.1.3.1 Conduct two sets of 3-day face-to-face sessions in the Base Year and Option Year 1 to prepare the Train-the-Trainer Cohort during the normal business hours of each region (Americans in Peachtree City, GA; Europe in Sembach, Germany; and Pacific in Torri Station, Okinawa).

The Train-the-Trainer Cohort consists of approximately 141 participants distributed across the Americas, Europe, Pacific, and HQ as identified in Table 1. Attendance at each regional face-to-face session is expected to range from approximately 45-55 participants. Note: The 3-day sessions will occur in the spring and fall semesters with the exact topics and dates determined by the Government in consultation with the Contractor post-award.

2.1.3.2 Conduct three 3-hour live or virtual synchronous webinar sessions for each of DoWEA’s nine districts and HQ for the Base Year and Option Year 1 of the contract (See Table 1).

When applicable, each synchronous webinar shall be conducted during normal business hours for each location.

The participants in each group will include the train-the-trainer personnel and other

DoWEA educators which will range from an estimated 40-50 staff members.

The exact topics and dates determined by the Government in consultation with the

Contractor post-award.

In Option Period 2, the contractor shall provide refresher training and coaching for ISS personnel, including an overview of the asynchronous modules and strategies to effectively support educators.

2.1.3.3 Provide instructions that shall have the following foci:

Engage: Participate in each professional learning module as an educator.

Learn: Participate in train-the-trainer sessions for each educator professional learning module.

Observe: Monitor implementation of professional learning in classrooms through a common observation tool and feedback protocol.

2.1.3.4 Provide each train-the-trainer with related resources/subscriptions.

2.1.3.5 Provide an Administrator Guidance tool to ensure school leaders evaluate SoR and SoW instruction using research-based criteria rather than legacy balanced-literacy rubrics. Finalize them based on written feedback from DoWEA. Note: Legacy-balanced literacy includes such practices as the three-cueing system, leveled readers, decontextualized world guessing, and implicit phonics instruction.

Performance Standards and Acceptable Quality Levels - Objective #1

PS (Facilitation Preparation, PWS 2.1.3.1-2,1.3.3): Deliver PL focused on engagement, learning, and observation. No more than one scheduled session per semester shall be rescheduled due to Contractor issues.

AQL: Based on DoWEA-collected feedback, at least 75% of participants will rate the PL sessions good or better. Administrator Guidance tool shall be 100% accurate except for possible correctable errors in grammar and formatting.

PS (Related Support, PWS 2.1.3.4-2,1.3.5): Related resources are distributed to the train-the-trainer participants. The Administrator Guidance tool shall be 100% PWS compliant.

AQL: Related resources distributed at least ten business days prior to the first scheduled PL.

The Administrator Guidance tool shall require no more than two rounds of revision/testing and shall be delivered on time, according to the agreed-upon schedule. It shall contain zero instances of legacy-balanced literacy criteria; i.e., any inclusion of non-scientific reading practices.

2.1.4 Task 4, Evaluation Support & Reporting—The Contractor shall:

2.1.4.1 Evaluation Support: Draft qualitative and quantitative evaluation instruments (e.g., surveys, session evaluations, implementation rubrics) that measure the effectiveness of the synchronous and asynchronous PL sessions. Finalize them based on written feedback from DoWEA.

2.1.4.2 Reporting: Compile aggregate data from user assessments and deliver draft evaluation reports at the conclusion of each academic year, highlighting growth patterns, citing implementation hurdles, and presenting actionable recommendations. Finalize the reports based on written feedback from DoWEA.

2.1.4.3 Senior Leadership Meeting: Brief senior leadership on the progress, challenges, and successes of the initiative in the summer of each year at DoWEA HQ (Pentagon War Annex, Alexandria, VA). The program lead shall make a 45-60-minute presentation and then respond to questions for 60-75 minutes—a total of two hours. The Contractor shall send the draft presentation to the COR 20 business days before the meeting and shall finalize the presentation based on written feedback from the COR. Note: If the Government deems it necessary, one or more of these meetings shall be conducted virtually.

Performance Standards and Acceptable Quality Levels - Objective #1

PS (Evaluation Instruments): Qualitative and quantitative evaluation instruments measure the synchronous and asynchronous PL effectiveness, moving beyond basic satisfaction to assess actual knowledge transfer and planned application.

AQL: Draft instruments at least 80% accurate and delivered 20 business days prior to the launch of the PL sessions. Final with 100% incorporation of DoWEA feedback completed five business days after receipt of written feedback from DoWEA. Requires no more than two rounds of revisions to achieve final approval.

PS (Reporting): Reports shall explicitly include: (1) quantitative growth patterns, (2) qualitative implementation hurdles, and (3) actionable recommendations.

AQL: Draft reports at least 80% accurate and delivered 20 business days after each year. Final with 100% incorporation of DoWEA feedback completed five business days after receipt of written feedback from DoWEA. Zero instances of calculation errors.

PS (Senior Leadership Meeting): The meeting shall only be rescheduled once during the 3-year period of performance due to Contractor issues.

AQL: Draft report at least 80% accurate and delivered 20 business days in advance. Final with 100% incorporation of DoWEA feedback completed three business days before the meeting.

2.1.5 Task 5, Comprehensive Asynchronous Modules for Long-Term Sustainability: The Contractor shall ensure long-term sustainability of the initiative by providing additional, expanded learning opportunities for current and future participants. The Contractor shall provide standalone, fully self-guided asynchronous modules for the school-based leader and educator roles as defined below:

2.1.5.1 Target Roles: Draft customized asynchronous tracks for school-based leaders (principals, assistant principals), and all educator roles (classroom, strategic, multilingual, LIMM, advanced academic, and speech-language pathologists). Finalize the tracks based on written feedback from DoWEA.

2.1.5.2 Parity of Knowledge and Experience: Draft asynchronous modules that provide participants with the exact same foundational science, PCK strategies, and grade-band instructional routines as the initial cascading/live training. Finalize them based on written feedback from DoWEA.

Participants completing the training via the asynchronous sustainability modules must be required to pass the identical Competency Assessments for CEUs (Task 3).

DoWEA estimates that this series will consist of approximately ten modules that are each about 45-minutes in length.

Each Contractor’s proposed series should have approximately this amount of professional learning

2.1.5.3 Mastery of Effective Reading Instruction: Draft asynchronous modules that provide participants research-based understanding of effective structured literacy principles. Participants will be assessed on mastery knowledge of reading instruction to the rigor of the Knowledge and Practice Examination for Effective Reading Instruction (KPEERI). This learning will align PL principles, Core Science, Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), and Instructional Application & Alignment. Finalize them based on written feedback from DoWEA.

DoWEA estimates that this series will consist of approximately ten modules that are each about 7.5-hours in length, for a total of approximately 70-80 hours of professional learning.

Each Contractor’s proposed series should have approximately this amount of professional learning.

2.1.5.4 Competency Assessments for Continuing Education Units (CEUs): Provide objective pre-and post-module competency assessments to measure participants' growth in the core science and PCK.

2.1.5.5 LMS Deployment: Post the role-specific tracks, as specified, in DoWEA's Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) environment for the onboarding of future hires and ongoing employee learning.

The Government intends for asynchronous learning content to be available within DoWEA's CSOD environment to support onboarding of future personnel and recurring professional learning during and after the contract period. Contractors shall clearly identify the Government's rights to continue using the content, including any licensing, access, or technical limitations associated with deployment of commercially available content within

CSOD.

Performance Standards (PS) and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) - Objective #1

PS (2.1.5.1-2.1.5.3): Draft and finalize (based on written feedback from DoWEA) role-specific asynchronous modules that maintain 100% instructional and assessment parity with the live training.

AQL: 100% inclusion of all specified target roles. 100% alignment of curriculum & assessments with the live synchronous training. Requires no more than two rounds of Government revisions to achieve final content approval.

PS (2.1.5.4): Assessments/rubric yield quantifiable scores/data that meet DoWEA CEU guidelines.

AQL: Assessments/rubric have 100% alignment with SoR & SoW principles and zero inclusion of legacy balanced-literacy concepts. Delivered on time, according to the agreed-upon schedule.

PS (2.1.5.5): Deliver all asynchronous modules as standalone packages that are fully compatible with DoWEA's Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) environment.

AQL: Zero percent technical failure rate during final CSOD integration testing (e.g., users cannot bypass CEU assessments, scores report accurately to the CSOD gradebook, and modules do not freeze).

2.2 General Requirements (Objective #2)

The objective is to ensure requirements for technical support, single-sign-on, third-party digital resources, and meetings are met. The following tasks help the Contractor understand the requirements to meet the objective but are not exhaustive. The Contractor shall develop a complete solution using a performance-based approach:

Supporting Tasks for Requirement - Objective # – The Contractor shall:

2.2.1 Technical Support: Provide industry-standard technical support for its digital resources for the life of the contract via telephone or email within one business day from the initial contact to include but not limited to assisting with service problems, product setup, upgrades, and troubleshooting.

Performance Standards (PS) and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) - Objective #2 PS: Each technical support issue is resolved within one business day or provide a plan of action and timeline to the user.

AQL: Acknowledge receipt of request within two hours of receipt. Resolve 90% of requests in one business day. Resolve the remaining 10% in five business days.

2.2.2 Technical Requirements for Digital Instructional Resources: Ensure the following:

2.2.2.1 Provide digital resources designed to run in DoWEA learning management system (LMS, Schoology) and Google Classroom, both of which operate within our virtual learning environment (VLE). In addition, provide teacher and student access to the Contractor’s digital resources through a single sign-on platform that uses one username and password to access what is needed, specifically, via DoWEA’s identity, rostering, and management platform, e.g., ClassLink.

2.2.2.2 Deliver digital resources are either (1) integrated via our LMS to the digital resources hosted by the Contractor or (2) hosted externally by the Contractor but accessible via DoWEA’s LMS and Google Classroom to the digital assignments and assessments imported, hosted, and maintained in the LMS.

2.2.2.3 Ensure the course content meets the following specifications:

1) Conforms to IMS Learning Global Consortium (IMS) content packaging specifications.

2) Uses imported content, if required, conforming to IMS content packaging specifications.

3) Uses code that does not disable LMS features when digital resources are accessed.

4) Requires single—not multiple—authentications to access content via our LMS.

5) Incorporates, where applicable, assessments that are IMS Test and Question Interoperability

(QTI)-conformant.

6) Uses content-hosted externally that conforms to any of the existing versions of IMS

Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI), per www.imsglobal.org.

Performance Standards and Acceptable Quality Levels - Objective #2

PS (Technical Integration): Digital resources seamlessly integrate with DoWEA's VLE and authenticate strictly through the enterprise single sign-on platform using a single credential.

AQL: Zero instances where resources require multiple authentications or fail to launch via the established single sign-on platform.

PS (Interoperability): All delivered course content, assessments, and externally hosted resources strictly adhere to IMS Global Consortium specifications without disabling native LMS features.

AQL: Zero unapproved deviations from IMS standards. No native LMS features may be disabled or degraded by the Contractor's code.

2.2.3 Third-Party Programs, Software, and Applications: Ensure its own and its subcontractors’ (third-party) programs, software, and applications meet—at a minimum—the same technical requirements as the Contractor must meet, such as single sign on (SSO) and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Level 2, etc. On a case-by-case basis, DoWEA may honor requests to waive the FedRAMP Level 2 requirement.

Performance Standards and Acceptable Quality Levels - Objective #2 PS: Guarantee its own and its subcontractors’ (third-party) programs, software, and applications meet the same technical requirements as the Contractor.

AQL: Zero deviations. All software/applications shall be fully compliant prior to use, or possess an explicitly approved, documented DoWEA waiver.

2.2.4 Delivery of Digital Resources (if applicable): Ensure the following:

2.2.4.1 Deliver digital materials with instructions detailing how the resources can be accessed by teachers, and above-school-level educators, using DoWEA’s LMS and/or DoWEA’s single-sign on rostering platform (ClassLink).

2.2.4.2 Allow DoWEA to download resources as needed. A teacher, e.g., may want to provide a printed worksheet for students or a student with an individual educational program (IEP) may require the textbook in print form. Note: All printed resources will be for internal use only.

Performance Standards and Acceptable Quality Levels - Objective #2 PS: Digital resources are delivered according to schedule with accurate access instructions.

AQL: Ongoing access 24/7/365, except for scheduled downtimes and one unscheduled downtime per year.

2.2.5 Delivery of Print Resources (if applicable)—The Contractor shall ship all print/physical materials according to the latest version of the DoWEA shipping guide, which may be found at the following URL: https://webapps.dodea.edu/dodaac/DoDEA_Shipping_Guide.pdf. Unless specified otherwise in the shipping guide, ship materials to the Americas by commercial carrier or USPS and to Europe and the Pacific only by commercial carrier. Delivery orders use door-to-door addresses. Provide, upon shipment of materials, a digital shipment notification that includes the following:

Contract number and delivery order number Contract line item number (CLIN) indicating materials and quantities being shipped Destination and date of shipment Shipping carrier name and the tracking number of each shipment Estimated date of arrival of shipment and, if applicable, shipping slip

Performance Standards and Acceptable Quality Levels - Objective #2 PS: Shipments adhere to the Shipping Guide’s instructions and are delivered after receipt of a delivery order to US sites in 30 business days and to overseas sites in 45 business days.

AQL: 95% of resources received on time and undamaged. The remaining 5% received ten business days after due date.

2.2.6 Meetings: Attend virtual meetings at no additional cost to the Government and provide the medium through which each meeting occurs, record each meeting’s minutes. Submit the draft minutes to the COR within two business days of the event and finalize the minutes two business days after receiving written feedback from the COR. Note: Costs associated with attending any face-to-face meetings shall be handled/paid for as stated in the contract.

2.2.6.1 Post-Award Conference: Participate in a video- or teleconference with the COR five business days after award IAW FAR Subpart 42.5.

2.2.6.2 IT Meeting: Convene a video- or teleconference with the Agency’s Information Technology staff ten business days after award, per Technical Exhibit #1.

2.2.6.3 Other Post-Award Meetings: Meet with the Contracting Officer (KO), COR, and/or other Agency personnel, as appropriate, to review Contractor performance, as required by the Agency. The KO may discuss the Agency’s view of Contractor performance, and the Contractor shall apprise the Agency of any problems being experienced. The Contractor shall take appropriate action to resolve any outstanding issues DoWEA raises.

Performance Standards and Acceptable Quality Levels - Objective #2 PS: Hosts virtual meetings. Delivers draft & final meeting minutes in the timeframe stated above.

AQL: No more than one meeting per year is rescheduled due to Contractor issues.

3.0 Constraints

3.1 Place of Performance: Work shall be performed at the Contractor’s facilities.

3.2 Privacy—The Contractor shall:

3.2.1 User Accounts: Require, wherever applicable, that individual accounts possess unique usernames and passwords that do not require personally identifiable information (PII). These credentials shall not utilize PII, e.g., first/last name, birthdate, or other unique personal identifiers to grant access to online content or Agency systems.

3.2.2 Data Protection: Ensure Contractor personnel assigned to this contract take proper precautions to protect Agency data, including PII and controlled unclassified information (CUI) from unauthorized disclosure. Collect, process, and store all Agency-owned or Agency-controlled PII in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a), FERPA (20 U.S.C. § 1232g); COPPA (15 U.S.C. §§ 6501– 6506), DoW Privacy Program (DoDI 5400.11/5400.11R, DoDM 5400.11), and DoDEA AI 6600.01.

Contractor personnel shall handle PII in strict accordance with the technical and privacy standards established in NIST SP 800-122, and NIST 800-53.

3.2.3 Citizenship Requirements: All Contractor personnel, including any third-party penetration (PEN) or security testers, who have access or may potentially have access to DoWEA PII or CUI shall be U.S.

Citizens, U.S. Nationals as defined by 8 U.S.C. §1408, or U.S. Persons as defined by 22 C.F.R. §120.62.

3.2.4 Privacy Training: Ensure Contractor staff who have access to DoWEA PII successfully complete the DoW Privacy Act/Personally Identifiable Information (PA/PII) training before gaining access to DoWEA PII and annually thereafter. Provide copies of the certificates of completion to the COR. These records are subject to be audited at any time by the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) or designee.

3.2.5 Privacy Verification: Provide the COR written verification of compliance with the Privacy requirements (listed above) no later than 120 calendar days prior to the expiration of each year’s contract option period or annually, as directed. Note: Following review of the Contractor’s verification, DoWEA reserves the right to request additional supporting data to ensure Agency compliance with evolving DoW privacy mandates and systemwide security protocols.

3.3 Key Functions—The Contractor shall provide the following: Project Manager/Alternate Project Manager, Program Lead; and Program Specialists. They shall be available, from 9AM to 3PM EST, Monday - Friday, except for Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed for administrative reasons.

3.3.1 Program Manager/Alternate: Provide a person to be responsible for the performance of work. The name of this program manager and an alternate who shall act for the Contractor when the program manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the Contracting Officer. The program manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to the daily operation of this contract. Provide a program manager with an advanced degree in a relevant area and at least three years of experience in a similar role. Provide an alternate that will be able to speak for the program manager regarding contractual matters.

3.3.2 Program Lead: Provide a program lead who is nationally recognized or possesses an advanced degree in a relevant area and has shown evidence of providing successful oversight of at least one elementary school PL/coaching program implementation in a school system.

3.3.3 Program Specialists: Provide program specialists with an advanced degree in relevant area and possess in depth knowledge and demonstrated experience in coaching elementary school educators/coaches and in designing and facilitating PL focused on elementary school coaching.

3.3.4 Changes: Personnel provided as replacements to key functions after contract award shall meet or exceed the qualifications and experience of those provided upon award of the contract. Notify the COR in writing regarding all personnel changes ten business days in advance of the change.

3.4 Holidays and Hours of Operation

3.4.1 The program manager or alternate shall be available during the hours of 9AM to 3PM Eastern Standard

Time (EST), except for Federal holidays. The following list shows recognized Federal holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

3.4.2 Although there are different time zones within Europe and the Pacific and different hours for specific schools, the normal business hours for the regions roughly correspond to the following: Americas, 0700-1500 EST; Europe, 1300-2100 EST; and Pacific, 2000-0400 EST.

3.5 Availability: The Contractor shall make all resources available for the life of the contract.

3.6 Nondiscrimination: The Contractor shall provide resources free of bias regarding race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability.

3.7 Section 508 Compliance—The Contractor shall:

3.7.1 Background: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of

1998 (P.L. 105-220) requires Federal agencies that develop, procure, maintain, or use information and communication technology (ICT) to ensure they are accessible to people with disabilities. Federal employees and members of the public who have disabilities must have access to and use of information/ data that is comparable to people without disabilities.

3.7.2 Requirement: Ensure products, platforms, and services delivered as part of this work statement that are ICT or contain ICT conform to the Revised 508 Standards, 36 C.F.R. § 1194.1 & Apps. A, C & D.

3.7.3 ARD: See the attached ICT Accessibility Requirements Document (ARD). All functional performance criteria apply when using an alternative design or technology that achieves substantially equivalent or greater accessibility and usability by individuals with disabilities, than would be provided by conformance to one or more of the requirements in Chapters 4-6 of the Revised 508 Standards or when Chapters 4-6 do not address one or more functions of ICT.

3.8 Sharable Content Object Reference Model® (SCORM®) Compliance: Provide digital modules, if included among the proposed/required resources, that are SCORM®-compliant. Note: The Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1322.26 mandates that modules comply with the latest possible version of SCORM®, per https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/132226_dodi_2017.pdf?ver=2017- 10-05-073235-400.

3.9 Data & Data Rights: All data developed from any work awarded under this contract is and shall remain the property of the Government. The Contractor shall ensure that digital rights to all visual materials embedded in the resources will be given so that DoWEA—for our internal use only—may use resources without incurring copyright costs or infringing on copyright laws. All data developed from any work awarded under this contract is and shall remain the property of the Government.

3.10 Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI): The Contractor (including any subcontractor) personnel performing work under this contract may receive, have access to, or participate in the development of, proprietary or Privacy Act information (e.g., personal information, education, etc.) may create a current or subsequent OCI as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. Whenever the Contractor becomes aware that such access or participation may result in actual or potential OCI, the Contractor shall (1) immediately notify the Contracting Officer (KO) in writing and (2) promptly submit a plan to the KO to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. Note: The KO will unilaterally determine if the Contractor’s plan is acceptable. If the KO determines the plan cannot satisfactorily avoid or mitigate an OCI, s/he may implement other remedies to include prohibiting the Contractor’s further participation in contracted requirements.

3.11 Travel (if required)

3.11.1 JTR: Authorized travel expenses shall be consistent with the substantive provisions of the Joint Travel

Regulation (JTR) and limitation of funds specified in this contract. All travel requires Government approval/authorization. Send written requests for approval/authorization to the. Note: The Government will reply in writing in 3-5 business days.

3.11.2 Reimbursable Expenses: These expenses consist of airfare or mileage, car rental, per diem, and transfers.

All expense items that cost more than $75 shall be accompanied by photocopies of the receipts.

Travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time are authorized for travel beyond a 50-mile radius of the local office, whenever a task assignment requires work to be accomplished at an alternate work site.

No travel, subsistence, or associated labor charges for travel time shall be charged for work performed within a 50-mile radius of the Contractor’s local office, normal work site, or temporary work site unless approved in advance by the COR.

Under no circumstances will a Contractor be reimbursed for travel performed for personal convenience and daily travel to and from the normal work site, to include parking expenses.

The Government will use independent market research to determine price reasonableness and will only reimburse the Contractor for the agreed upon airfare determined prior to travel.

3.11.3 Airfare: The Contractor shall provide the airfare price for each travel event. Airfare shall only be purchased at economy/coach class levels unless the Contractor can present evidence, which the Government can confirm, on the unavailability of economy/coach class seating options for a specific trip. Note: If the Contractor opts to sends its employees, e.g., in business class, the Government will reimburse using the contract-specified rate.

3.11.4 Car Rental: The Contractor shall rent a compact or economy size for two staff and a mid-sized car for 3-4 people. If more employees require vehicles, the Contractor shall submit a plan that has a fair and reasonable cost. Note: If the Contractor selects a car larger than specified, the Government will reimburse the Contractor at the contract-specified rate.

3.11.5 Per Diem: The Contractor shall use GSA’s annual rates at time of travel to calculate per diem, per https://www.travel.dod.mil/Travel-Transportation-Rates/Per-Diem/Per-Diem-Rate-Lookup/.

3.11.6 Transfers: The Contractor may include costs for business-related expenses such as taxicab rides.

3.11.7 Travel Plans: The Contractor shall provide a detailed travel plan in support of the objective(s) to the

COR no less than ten business days prior to travel unless the travel is in response to an emergency as determined by the Government. The travel plan shall include the name of the traveler(s), location, purpose, dates of travel; and a breakdown of anticipated travel expenses (rental car, airfare, etc.).

3.12 Security Clearance Requirements: For further information, see Technical Exhibit #3, Security Requirements by Region.

3.11.1 Contractor personnel performing work under this contract shall meet all applicable personnel security, vetting, and access requirements as determined by DoWEA Security Management Division (SMD) and applicable installation authorities.

3.11.2. Access to DoW systems, facilities, or information is contingent upon a favorable security determination, as applicable. Personnel who do not meet security requirements shall not be permitted access to DoWEA facilities, systems, or information.

3.11.3. All personnel security requirements shall be implemented in accordance with DoWI 1402.05, Background Checks on Individuals in DoW Child Care Services Programs, and DoWEA AI 5205.02 Vol 3, Physical Security.

3.11.4. Contractor personnel accessing DoW systems are subject to monitoring, auditing, and inspection, including User Activity Monitoring (UAM), in accordance with DoW cybersecurity policy.

3.11.5. Contractor personnel shall report suspicious, anomalous or insider threat-related behaviors in accordance with DoW and DoWEA reporting requirements. This requirement is in addition to, and does not replace, reporting requirements to law enforcement, counterintelligence, or supervisory personnel.

4.0 Government-Furnished Resources

4.1 Government Furnished Property/Equipment (GFP/GFE): When contracted personnel are at a Government facility, DoWEA will provide escorts for them.

4.2 Government Furnished Information/Materials (GFI/GFM): None

5.0 Contract Data Deliverables

Milestone/Deliverable Format No. of Copies

PWS

Ref. Frequency/Delivery Date Submit

To

Reporting Digital 1 2.1.4.2 Draft and final delivered per the project schedule COR

6.0 Definitions/Acronyms

PA/PII Privacy Act/Personally Identifiable Information QASP Quality Assessment Surveillance Plan SCORM® Shareable Content Object Reference Model® Contracting Officer (KO): Only individuals with the expressed authority to obligate (bind) the Government by means of entering, administering, and terminating contracts within the limits of the authority delegated via the KO’s warrant.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): Qualified and trained Government employee, nominated by the requiring activity (RA) and appointed in writing by a KO primarily to perform specific technical or administrative functions on a specific contract(s); serves as the ‘eyes and ears’ of a KO to assure the Government’s best interests are protected via the terms and conditions of the contract(s). Appointed. CORs do not have the authority to obligate (bind) the Government.

Contractor: Supplier or vendor contracted to provide specific supplies or services to the Government—may also be referred to as “the prime”.

Deliverable: Usually physically delivered items but may include such items as digital documents/reports.

Performance Requirements Summary (PRS): Tabular listing of performance objectives and standards.

Performance Work Statement (PWS): Statement of work for performance-based acquisitions describing the required results in clear, specific, and objective terms with measurable outcomes.

Science of Reading (SoR): Interdisciplinary body of scientifically based research that explains how people learn to read and why some people struggle. It draws primarily from cognitive science, neuroscience, linguistics, psychology, and education to identify the processes the brain uses to recognize written words and construct meaning from text.

Science of Writing (SoW): A systematic, research-based study of how writing is learned, taught, and produced.

It draws on evidence from multiple disciplines such as cognitive science, linguistics, psychology, education, and neuroscience.

7.0 Performance Requirement Summary (PRS)

Objective Performance Standard AQL Method of Surveillance Inspector

Project Implementation Plan, PWS 2.1.1

Draft and finalize (based on written feedback from DoWEA) the project implementation plan.

Review and update, at a minimum, annually.

Draft: 80% accurate. Final:

100% accurate to include inclusion of DoWEA feedback, except for possible errors in grammar and formatting. No more than one round of revisions shall be required after the final is submitted.

Line-by-line review

HA

Elementary

Division staff

(which includes the

COR)

Role-Specific Professional

Timelines: Deliverables are provided within the

Timelines: 95% of tasks/deliverables are

Rigorous review

HA

Elementary

Objective Performance Standard AQL Method of Surveillance Inspector

Learning Content Development, PWS 2.1.2 timeframes established in the DoWEA-approved project schedule or as mutually agreed upon with the COR for ad hoc requests.

Quality: Deliverables are accurate, functional, and adhere to DoWEA-approved methodologies and industry best practices.

completed by the established timeline.

Finalize them based on written feedback from DoWEA. Any anticipated delays are communicated to and approved by the COR in advance.

Quality: Deliverables require no more than one round of major Government revision due to Contractor error, omission, or failure to follow provided instructions.

Division staff

Facilitation Preparation Sessions and Related Support, PWS 2.1.3

Facilitation Preparation:

Deliver PL focused on engagement, learning, and observation. No more than one scheduled session per semester shall be rescheduled due to Contractor issues.

Related Support: Related resources are distributed to the train-the-trainer participants. The Administrator Guidance tool shall be 100% PWS compliant.

Facilitation Preparation:

Based on DoWEA-collected feedback, at least 75% of participants will rate the PL sessions good or better. Administrator Guidance tool shall be 100% accurate except for possible correctable errors in grammar & formatting.

Related Support: Related resources distributed at least ten business days prior to the first scheduled PL.

The Administrator Guidance tool shall require no more than two rounds of revision/testing and shall be delivered on time, according to the agreed-upon schedule. It shall contain zero instances of legacy-balanced literacy criteria; i.e., any inclusion of non-scientific reading practices.

Drafts of PL reviewed by

HQ

staff.

Training and related support reviewed by the Train-the-Trainer cohort

HQ

staff

Train-the-trainer cohort

Eva…