4-USBE-CC26455-PS - Scope of Work.pdf

Scope of Work

Solicitation # USBE-CC26455-PS

Background:

The Jean Massieu School of the Deaf (JMS), located in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a public, state-operated program within the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) that provides comprehensive educational services for Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students from preschool through post–high school. Founded through advocacy of the Utah Deaf community to ensure full language access, JMS operates as an American Sign Language (ASL)/English bilingual program grounded in the principle that language is a fundamental human right. The school delivers fully accessible, language-rich, standards-based instruction aligned to the Utah Code, intentionally designed to prevent and remediate language deprivation while promoting strong outcomes in language, literacy, and academic achievement. JMS employs educators with specialized expertise in Deaf education and bilingual pedagogy, utilizes data-driven instruction and progress monitoring to ensure measurable student growth, and maintains small class sizes that support individualized learning and peer language development.

Per Utah Code Annotated (UCA) § 53E-5-302, the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) “shall, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, and every four years thereafter, designate a school as a springboard school; and conduct a needs assessment for a springboard school by thoroughly analyzing the root causes of the springboard school’s performance qualifying the school for designation as a springboard school.” A springboard school is a non-Title I school and, when ranked according to the percentage of possible points the state awards averaged over three years, is one of the five lowest-performing elementary, middle, or junior high schools statewide. JMS has been designated a springboard school.

Accordingly, per UCA § 53E-5-303(4), USDB and JMS are required to contract with a Continuous Improvement Expert (CIE) to partner with the school to meet the statutory requirements of

UCA § 53E-5-303(4).

Purpose:

The purpose of this solicitation is to contract with a Continuous Improvement Expert (CIE) to develop and implement a school improvement plan and scope of work aligned with Utah Code and the needs assessment. Per UCA § 53E-5-303(2), the CIE provider must include a:

a) strategy to address the root causes of the springboard school’s or elevate school’s low performance identified through the needs assessment described in Section 53E-5-302;

and

b) scope of work to facilitate implementation of the strategy that includes at least the activities described in Subsection (4)(b) (see Scope of Work below).

Per UCA § 53E-5-305, only USBE pre-approved CIE providers are eligible for consideration.

NOTE: Additionally, JMS is seeking a CIE with knowledge of educational approaches and modalities for teaching Deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Fluency in American Sign Language is desired and highly preferred. Please provide a narrative demonstrating this experience OR, if you do not have direct experience, provide a narrative detailing how you will accommodate these specialized needs, which may include utilizing interpretation services and/or subcontracting with qualified vendors.

Scope of Work:

Per UCA § 53E-5-303(4)(b), the selected USBE pre-approved CIE provider must, at a minimum:

• Develop and implement, in partnership with the school improvement committee, a school improvement plan and scope of work that meets the criteria described in UCA § 53E-5-303(5) (see below).

• Monitor the effectiveness of a school improvement plan through reliable means of evaluation, including on-site visits, observations, surveys, analysis of student achievement data, and interviews.

• Provide ongoing implementation support and project management for a school improvement plan, including making necessary adjustments based on data reviewed throughout the project.

• Provide high-quality, professional learning personalized for school staff serving deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students, which is designed to build the leadership capacity of the principal, the instructional capacity of school staff, and educators’ capacity with data-driven strategies applicable to DHH students through actionable, embedded data practices.

• Leverage support from community partners to coordinate an efficient delivery of support to students inside and outside the classroom. Such community partners may include an expert in leadership of DHH schools with an understanding of academic achievement and assessments related to DHH students.

Per UCA § 53E-5-303(5), a school improvement committee shall partner with the selected CIE provider to develop and implement a school improvement plan that:

a) addresses the root causes of the springboard school’s or elevate school’s low performance identified through the needs assessment described in Section 53E-5-302;

b) includes recommendations regarding changes to the springboard school’s or elevate school’s personnel, culture, curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, governance, leadership, finances, policies, or other areas that may be necessary to implement the school improvement plan;

c) includes measurable student achievement goals and objectives and benchmarks by which to measure progress;

d) includes a professional development plan that identifies a strategy to address problems of instructional practice;

e) includes a detailed budget specifying how the school improvement plan will be funded;

f) includes a plan to assess and monitor progress;

g) includes a plan to communicate and report data on progress to stakeholders; and

h) includes a timeline for implementation.

NOTE: Please refer to Utah Code Annotated 53E Chapter 5 Part 3 regarding any further requirements. It has been included in the Files section for reference.

Tentative Timeline

Below is the tentative timeline for the delivery of the services:

• May – June/July 2026 (Planning months)

• School Year 2026-2027 (Year 1 of implementation)

• School Year 2027-2028 (Year 2 of implementation)

• School Year 2028-2029 (Year 3 of implementation)

Contract Award:

It is anticipated this solicitation may result in a single contract award to a responsive and responsible Offeror. Per UCA § 53E-5-305, only USBE pre-approved CIE providers are eligible for consideration.

The contract will be for approximately THREE (3) years and two months, tentatively starting May 2026 and ending June 30, 2029. However, USBE reserves the right to terminate the contract at any time in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Utah State Board of Education Standard Terms and Conditions. Please note that the contract may include one (1) additional one-year renewal option. This renewal option year MAY be exercised at USDB’s discretion and subject to legislative appropriation.

Contract Budget:

The maximum contract budget is $100,000.00 for the anticipated duration of the contract.

However, this is NOT a guaranteed total amount. You are not required to expend the entire amount of funds when calculating your cost proposal. Cost proposals exceeding these identified amounts will be considered non-responsive and ineligible for contract award.

Evaluations shall be based on the GRAND TOTAL for the THREE YEARS AND TWO MONTHS of the contract.

Please note that the contract may include one (1) additional one-year renewal option. This renewal option year MAY be exercised at USDB’s discretion and subject to legislative appropriation. It is anticipated that the maximum budget for this renewal option year will remain steady; however, it is not a guaranteed amount as it may be subject to legislative appropriation. While not scored, please provide the costs associated with this additional renewal option year.

NOTE: Costs MUST be all-inclusive. If travel for meetings, trainings, or other engagements is required, you must arrange and pay for your own transportation, meals, and lodging. Travel time and travel expenses shall NOT be included in any invoice to USDB.

Invoicing:

Contractor shall submit detailed invoices consistent with an agreed upon billing schedule and USDB’s fiscal year, which ends June 30th. All invoices for printing and/or distributing any materials required for delivery of service under a resulting contract, if any, must be invoiced for exact cost.

Contractor shall submit invoices electronically to the USDB email account at ap@usdb.org and the USDB program manager(s) identified in any contract resulting from the solicitation for all goods and/or services provided in accordance with the terms on the agreement. Invoices will not be considered for payment if submitted by another method.

Invoices shall include the following:

a. Contractor Name

b. Uniquely identifiable invoice number

c. Invoice date

d. Contract Number

e. Recipient Entity’s contact information (phone number and email address)

f. Contractor’s authorized signature

g. Date(s) goods/services were provided

h. Description of goods and/or services for which payment is requested

i. Dollar amount requested.

Invoices submitted by Contractor to USDB without the required information will not be paid and shall be returned to the Contractor for completion.

All payments made to the Contractor under the agreement shall be made in the name of the Contractor, as it appears in the agreement. All payments will be sent to the Contractor to the address for the Contractor as it appears in the agreement. Changes to the information identified in this section must be requested in writing.

To obtain payment for the goods and/or services authorized by this agreement, Contractor shall submit the itemized invoice together with supporting documentation of work performed.

USDB reserves the right to question or seek clarification for any cost invoiced if the invoice is not supported by proper documentation.

mailto:ap@usdb.org

Contractor may be required to repay USDB if, during or after the contract period, an audit or other review determines that payments made by USDB to Contractor were incorrectly paid or were based on incorrect information received from the Contractor. USDB reserves the right to withhold any or all subsequent payments to the Contractor until the incorrect amounts paid have been fully recovered.

PLEASE SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING:

1. Qualifications for completing this Scope of Work.

2. All-inclusive quote, including detailed breakdown of costs.