49-20250326155336 BPSD.pdf

Biloxi Public School District

P.O. Box 168 Biloxi, MS 39533

Request for Proposal

To Provide Educational Management Software (IEP)

To be funded with IDEA Funds

Contact: April Rice Special Services Director

(228) 435-4600

Due Date:

Friday, April 18, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.

1.0 Introduction

The Biloxi Public School District (the “District”) through the Office of Special Education as part of its requirement to implement the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) and Mississippi Policies and Procedures State Board Policy 7219 Regarding Children with Disabilities is soliciting written proposals from qualified vendors for the procurement and implementation of an integrated Educational Program Management Software (IEP). The software should effectively manage Individualized Education Programs (IPE), Gifted Education, Multi-Tier System of Support (MTSS), 504, and English Language Learner (ELL).

2.0 Project Overview

The District is seeking services to support the District while adhering to federal and state regulations as it relates to education and providing services. The goals of this project are:

• Implementing a user-friendly educational software program to facilitate the efficient creation, monitoring, and updating of IEPs.

• Enhancing collaboration and communication among stakeholders, including educators, parents, students, and administrators.

• Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and best practices in education management.

• Improving data accuracy, reporting capabilities, and decision-making processes related to all services.

3.0 Scope of Work

The district is requesting proposals/quotes for software/subscription programs. The software/subscription program should include but not be limited to the following components:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant

• Maintain historical records for each student.

• Create IEPs and related documents (i.e., Notice of Committee Invitation, Student Invitation, Prior Written Notice, and IEP Review/Revision Form)

• Create Evaluation and Re-evaluation related documents and reports.

• Create Extended School Year data documentation forms for the four qualifying criteria:

Regression/Recoupment, Critical Point of Instruction 1 and 2, and Extenuating Circumstances.

• Create Extended School Year IEP documenting goals and services for ESY.

• Create and store Goal Progress Reports.

• Automatically scans for possible compliance issues.

• Ability to run report detailing students with specific related services such as Occupational therapy, Physical therapy, braille, counseling, and Orientation and Mobility services.

• Ability to run reports detailing students meeting the criteria of a student with a significant cognitive disability and ESY services.

• Ability to run reports detailing upcoming IEP and re-evaluation due dates and other compliance related reports.

• Ability to upload PDF attachments to student records.

• Meet FERPA and HIPPA requirements with appropriate and applicable security systems with on-going security related monitoring. The software package should utilize the highest encryption cypher available.

• On-site Training for the following User Groups:

o Teachers – How to create an IEP, IEP related documents, reevaluation related documents, IEP Review/Revisions, and Report of Progress for goals and short-term objectives.

o Administrators and Support Staff- How to create new student files, enter users, manage user access to student files, run compliance reports, and reports for specific student groups.

o On-going Technical Support: on-going off-site technical support to assist administrators and users in technical issues.

• Integration with existing systems (e.g., student information systems)

4.0 Management Responsibilities

The District will designate one representative who will act as the primary point of contact. The representative will be responsible for conferring with any and all parties necessary to resolve unanticipated issues or requirements that might occur during the course of the Request for Proposal (“RFP”). If you have any questions, please contact:

April Rice, Director of Special Education

P.O. Box 168 Biloxi, MS 39533

Phone: (228) 435-4600 Email: april.rice@biloxischools.net mailto:april.rice@biloxischools.net

5.0 Format and Procedures for Delivery of Proposal

The proposal shall consist of four parts (Attachments A, B, C, D). The proposal must also include documentation of the qualifications listed on page 2.

Part I– Cover Page (Attachment A) Part II – Basic Program Description (Attachment B) Part III– Cost (Attachment C) Part IV– Assurances and Signature Form (Attachment D)

Procedures for Delivery of Proposals One (1) original and two (2) copies of the proposal must be submitted in a sealed envelope labeled “Educational Management Software (IEP)” and must be received before Friday, April 18, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. to the following address:

Special Services Department

ATTN: April Rice 160 St. Peters Avenue

Biloxi, MS 39530

Proposals received after the due date and time will NOT be considered. Incomplete proposals will not be accepted and will not be returned for revisions. No faxed or emailed proposals will be accepted. The proposal must be signed by an authorized official to bind the offeror to the proposal provisions.

6.0 Acceptance of Proposals

The District reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive minor irregularities in proposals. A minor irregularity is a variation from the proposal that does not affect the proposal, or gives one offeror an advantage or benefit not enjoyed by other offerors, or adversely impacts the interests of the school district. The District reserves the right to accept multiple proposals for individual services. Solicitations of additional proposals may be necessary during the school year to meet additional needs of IDEA services.

7.0 Rejection of Proposals

Proposals may be rejected for reasons that include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. The proposal contains unauthorized amendments to requirements as outlined herein.

2. The proposal is conditional.

3. The proposal is incomplete or contains irregularities that make the proposal indefinite or ambiguous.

4. The proposal is not signed by an authorized representative of the applicant.

5. The proposal contains false or misleading statements or references.

6. The proposal price is clearly unreasonable.

7. The proposal is not responsive (i.e., does not conform in all material respects to the RFP).

8. The supply or service item offered in the proposal is unacceptable by reason of its failure to meet the requirements of the specifications or permissible alternates or other acceptability criteria set forth in the RFP.

8.0 Disposition of Proposals

All proposals become the property of the District.

9.0 Conditions of Solicitation

The release of the RFP does not constitute an acceptance of any offer. The District reserves the right to accept or reject any or all offers on the basis of the evaluation criteria contained within this document.

The offeror shall assure compliance with the following conditions of solicitation:

1. Any proposal submitted in response to the RFP shall be in writing.

2. The District will not be liable for any costs associated with the preparation of proposals or negotiations of contract incurred by any party.

3. Discussions may be conducted with offerors who submit proposals determined to be reasonable and only for the purpose of clarification to assure full understanding of the solicitation requirements, but proposals may be accepted without such discussion.

4. Any withdrawal or modification of a proposal received after the time and date set for receipt of proposals at the place designated for receipt is late. No late proposal or late modification will be considered unless receipt would have been timely but for the action or inaction of District personnel directly serving the procurement activity.

5. The offeror represents that it has not retained a person to solicit or secure this agreement for a commission, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee.

6. The offeror certifies that the prices submitted in response to the solicitation have been arrived at independently and without (for the purpose of restricting competition) any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other bidder or competitor relating to those prices, the intention to submit a proposal, or the methods or factors used to calculate the price proposal.

10.0 Terms and Conditions

Certain terms and conditions are required. Therefore, the offeror shall assure agreement and compliance with the following Terms and Conditions:

1. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

The offeror shall perform all services as an independent contractor and shall discharge all of its liabilities as such. No act performed or representation made, whether oral or written, by the contractor with respect to third parties shall be binding on District. Offeror indemnities and holds harmless the District from and against any claim, loss, expense, or damage to any person or property arising out of this contract.

2. ACCESS TO RECORDS

The offeror will comply with the Family Educational Right and Privacy Act with regard to all student information. The offeror agrees to comply with provisions that provide authority for the United States Inspector General, the U. S. Comptroller General, and the Mississippi State Auditor, or any of its duly authorized representatives, at any time during the term of this agreement, shall have access to, and the right to audit/examine any pertinent documents, paper, and records, related to change and performance under this agreement. Such records shall be kept for a period of five years (5) after final payment under this agreement.

3. APPLICABLE LAW

The contract shall be governed by the provisions of the Mississippi Accountability and Transparency Act (Miss. Code. of 27-104-151, et. seq.) and all other applicable laws of the State of Mississippi.

4. AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT

Offeror warrants (a) that it is a validly organized business with valid authority to enter into this agreement; (b) that it is qualified to do business and in good standing in the State of Mississippi; (c) that entry into and performance under this agreement is not restricted or prohibited by any loan, security, financing, contractual, or other agreement of any kind, and (d) notwithstanding any other provision of this agreement to the contrary, that there are no existing legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings, either voluntary or otherwise, which may adversely affect its ability to perform its obligations under this agreement.

5. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS

The offeror understands that the District is an equal opportunity employer and therefore maintains a policy which prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, age, national origin, physical handicap, disability, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. All such discrimination is unlawful and the offeror agrees during the term of the agreement that the offeror will strictly adhere to this policy in its employment practices and provision of services. The offeror shall comply with, and all activities under this agreement shall be subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, as now existing and as may be amended or modified.

6. PERSONNEL

Offeror agrees that, at all times, the employees of offeror furnishing or performing any of the services specified under this agreement shall do so in a professional manner and under a current professional license required for the service(s) rendered. Offeror agrees to certify in writing to the District that all of its employees, as well as subcontractors, who may come in contact with students during the term of the contract with the District have had a criminal background check completed, as well as child abuse registry check and none have been located on the child abuse registry and none have been found guilty of any crime of violence, serious felony, or offense. These services will be conducted by the District with the cost paid by the approved contractor.

7. CERTIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT PRICE DETERMINATION

The offeror certifies that the prices submitted in response to the solicitation have been arrived at independently and without for the purpose of restricting competition−any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other bidder or competition relating to those prices, the intention to submit a bid or the methods or factors used to calculate the prices bid.

8. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS

It is expressly understood and agreed that the obligations of the District to proceed are conditioned upon the appropriation of funds by the Mississippi State Department of Education and the receipt of state and/or federal funds. If the funds anticipated for the continuing fulfillment of the agreement are, at anytime, not forthcoming or insufficient, either through the failure of the federal government to provide funds or of the State of Mississippi to appropriate funds or the discontinuance or material alteration of the program under which funds were provided or if funds are not otherwise available to the State, the District shall have the right upon ten (10) working days written notice to the offeror, to terminate or modify the agreement without damage, penalty, cost of expenses to the district of any kind whatsoever. The effective date of termination or modification shall be as specified in the notice of termination or modification.

11.0 Criteria for Evaluation of Proposals

Each proposal will be evaluated using the selection criteria indicated below. Each area must be addressed in the proposal in clearly defined language and/or procedures.

Maximum points for each criterion are as follows: MAXIMUM POINTS

1. What is the company’s experience in providing educational management software for districts with a total student enrollment of more than 6,000 students? 10 pts.

2. Explain the process for providing in-district training for special education staff. Please include what your training module looks like (amount of time and number of participants). 10 pts.

3. What are the system requirements for this program to run? How is the information maintained:

completely online, servers required in the district, services offsite maintained by the company, etc.? 10 pts.

4. What type of technical support do you provide including available times to contact and how is your online program supported to avoid technical issues? If a technical issue arises, what is the typical response time? How is this monitored? 10 pts.

5. Is it possible for the district to personalize forms available in the program? 10 pts.

6. Please confirm if the following compliance and organizational reports are formatted within the system to be printed from your program. This is not an exhaustive list, so list any other reports that clients frequently use.

Identify the information that could be contained in the report and the frequency the report could be printed. 10 pts.

• December 1-Current eligible students

• Eligibility report by category

• Related Service-by related service and with service times

• SCD (Significant Cognitive Disability

• Case manager/case load

• Evaluation date-by case manager, school, and district

• LRE (Least Restrictive Environment)

• State/District Testing Accommodations

• Age (for transition plans or DD re-evaluation

7. How does your program handle MSIS 2.0 reporting the district’s data from your program to MDE? What was your success rate in reporting to MSIS

2.0 this school year? What was the time frame for successful reporting?

How often does your program report to MDE through MSIS 2.0?

10 pts.

8. The district is developing calendar year IEPs, how are the grade level tests listed on the state testing page, if there are more than one year/session that needs to be reported (i.e., 25-26 school year testing & 26-27 school year testing)? Is your program able to list by school year?

9. Upon finalization of the contract/agreement, will the company agree to renew contract/agreement for up to two (2) additional one (1) year terms at the same pricing?

20 pts.

Proposal Cover Page - Part 1 Attachment A

Biloxi, Mississippi

Request for Proposal of Educational Management Software (IEP)

TO: Provision of Educational Management Software (IEP) in the Biloxi Public School District

PROPOSAL OPENING DATE AND TIME:

Friday, April 18, at 1:00pm

VENDOR INFORMATION

Part III– Cost (Attachment C)

Company Name ___________________________________________________

Company Mailing Address ____________________________________________

Telephone Number ______________________ Date_____________________

Note: Vendors should read all attached instructions in this Request for Proposal prior to submitting proposals.

Vendor must return proposal in a sealed envelope clearly marked.

Basic Program Description- Part II Attachment B

II. BASIC PROGRAM DESCRIPTION –

Include an overview of the proposed services which will allow the district to determine the quality of services to be provided based on the Criteria for Evaluation of Proposals located on page 7. Additional space and/or attachments may be used to describe your Basic Program Description. Be sure to answer each area thoroughly.

1. What is the company’s experience in providing educational management software for districts with a total student enrollment of more than 6,000 students? 10 pts.

2. Explain the process for providing in-district training for special education staff. Please include what your training module looks like (amount of time and number of participants). 10 pts.

3. What are the system requirements for this program to run? How is the information maintained:

completely online, servers required in the district, services offsite maintained by the company, etc.?

4. What type of technical support do you provide including available times to contact and how is your online program supported to avoid technical issues? If a technical issue arises, what is the typical response time? How is this monitored? 10 pts.

5. Is it possible for the district to personalize forms available in the program? 10 pts.

6. Please confirm if the following compliance and organizational reports are formatted within the system to be printed from your program. This is not an exhaustive list, so list any other reports that clients frequently use. Identify the information that could be contained in the report and the frequency the report could be printed. 10 pts.

• December 1-Current eligible students

• Eligibility report by category

• Related Service-by related service and with service times

• SCD (Significant Cognitive Disability

• Case manager/case load

• Evaluation date-by case manager, school, and district

• LRE (Least Restrictive Environment)

• State/District Testing Accommodations

• Age (for transition plans or DD re-evaluation

7. How does your program handle MSIS 2.0 reporting the district’s data from your program to MDE? What was your success rate in reporting to MSIS 2.0 this school year? What was the time frame for successful reporting? How often does your program report to MDE through MSIS 2.0? 10 pts.

8. The district is developing calendar year IEPs, how are the grade level tests listed on the state testing page, if there are more than one year/session that needs to be reported (i.e., 25-26 school year testing & 26-27 school year testing)? Is your program able to list by school year? 10 pts.

9. Upon finalization of the contract/agreement, will the company agree to renew the contract/agreement for up to two (2) additional one (1) year terms at the same pricing? 20 pts.

Cost – Part III Attachment C

BUDGET/COST SUMMARY

Provide a specific description of your pricing structure. The description must include all costs to the District.

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE COST

Assurances & Signatures Form – Part lV Attachment D

ASSURANCES AND SIGNATURE FORM

In submitting this Request for Proposal I certify that:

1. The company will provide school-based services through highly qualified and current

Mississippi licensed individuals.

2. The company will comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and all laws of the state of Mississippi including Mississippi State Board Policy 7219 Regarding Children with Disabilities.

3. The company is fiscally sound and will be able to complete services to the District during the 2025-2026 school years and extended school year as necessary.

4. The company will provide proof of current general and professional liability insurance.

5. The company will provide proof of current worker’s compensation insurance, if applicable.

6. The company acknowledges that employee background checks and child abuse registry check is required and that the company is responsible for the fee charged for such by the District.

7. The company will hold harmless the District from and against any claim, loss, expense, or damage to any person or property arising out of a contract.

The undersigned hereby certifies that I am an individual authorized to act on behalf of the company in submitting this Request for Proposal and Assurances. I certify that all of the information provided herein is true and accurate, to the best of my knowledge. I understand that the discovery of deliberately misrepresented information contained herein may constitute grounds for denying the applicant’s request for approval.

Typed Name of Company and Service

Typed Mailing Address of Company

Typed Telephone Number Typed Email Address

Typed Name of Authorized Representative Signature of Authorized Representative

Date Signed