5400020618-Award.doc

South Carolina Department of Corrections

4420 Broad River Rd

Columbia, SC 29210

STATEMENT OF AWARD

Posting Date: December 8, 2020 Solicitation : 5400020618 Issue Date : 11/19/2020 Opening Date : 12/03/2020 @ 10 AM Description : Digital Curriculum Solution – Apex Learning Awarded To:

Apex Learning 1215 4th Avenue, Suite 1500

Seattle, WA 98164

(206) 381-5600

Marketing.rfps@apexlearning.com Vendor: 7000183731

Evaluated Amount: $59,995.00 Awarded Amount: $59.995.00

$37,500.00

Product Catg.: 20843 - Educational: Foreign Languages Math Science etc.

Item Description: Digital Curriculum Solution – Unlimited Courses

Unlimited Courses

One-year access for unlimited Courses

Description: License and Support

· Implementation: remote support should be provided for implementation of the platform

· Ongoing technical support for the life of the subscription: Teachers/Educators, Administrators and PUSD IT should have a toll-free number where they can reach technical support on-demand for issues they encounter.

· Support should be available 24/7 to students, teachers, administrators, and IT personnel through key strokes or help buttons that offer solutions and information

· One-on-one – Subscription should include one-on-one technical help from either phone, email, or live web chat.

· Platform support must be included

· Access for Teachers/Educators and Administrator logins should be included.

Platform: Web-based, comprehensive digital curriculum that satisfies South Carolina academic standards and enables students ages 17 and older of diverse academic abilities (grades 9-12) and experiences to earn units toward completion of a high school diploma, adult basic education certificate, career and technical education requirements, high school diploma equivalency, and test preparation.

Training: Online training via recorded videos, webinars, knowledge-base, or other resources for the life of the subscription should be included. Initial introductory training for teachers should be included with the platform.

· Professional Development – The platform should include initial Professional Development training, via webinar platform or live session.

· Knowledge base – Training should include instructor access to online knowledge base.

· Platform should include web-based online training including recorded video sessions, and/or live webinars available 24/7 to users.

Technical Requirements:

· All websites are whitelisted through a firewall (SonicWall) and the vendor must be willing to provide an exhaustive list of links and IP’s required to run the platform for them to be whitelisted;

· The vendor must also be willing to provide – in the bid - a list of any ports which must be open in order for IT Security to vet the ports and assure they can be used.

Platform Requirements:

· Platform must offer appealing interface that offers both visual and auditory components to satisfy diverse learning styles and interests.

· Platform and content must incorporate learning theory, adult learning theory, best practices and evidence-based approaches to integrating technology into learning

· Platform must provide help and information access on every content screen to ensure effective support to users

· Platform must provide monitoring tools to assist instructors with assessing student progress, identifying needs for additional support or intervention, and progress toward mastery of standards

· Platform must include frequent checks for understanding and mastery.

Platform Content Requirements:

· Content must offer a South Carolina comprehensive digital curriculum, aligned to South Carolina academic standards and approved by the South Carolina State Board of Education, that can be offered securely to an incarcerated population (ages 17 and older) and that provides rigorous content, differentiated, personalized instruction, targeted remediation, scaffolded support, assessment, and course progress tracking by student, teacher, and administrator.

· Course catalog should be complete and available, and available courses must include foreign languages, CTE courses, and TABE test preparation.

· Platform and content must incorporate learning theory, adult learning theory, best practices and evidence-based approaches to integrating technology into learning

· Content must align with grade-level curriculum requirements of the State of South Carolina Academic standards. These standards can be found at https://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/.

· The curriculum must serve grades 9-12 and adult education, and offer career and technical education, test preparation and practice, tutorials, and online assistance for a broad array of courses. (Completion of a course of study must be the equivalent of completing and earning Carnegie Unit (120 hours of instruction) toward graduation and attainment of a high school diploma.)

· Integrated tutorials and supports must provide an array of interventions and support and must serve students with special needs, struggling learners or those who have been out of school for some period of time, students with differing levels of literacy and numeracy, struggling readers (less than 8th grade reading ability), and advanced learners (and Gifted and Talented).

· Instructional assistance embedded in the platform should include checks for understanding, calibrated scaffolded instruction with targeted adaptive remediation, chunked/sequenced instruction, active learning opportunities, and integrated assessments

· Digital curriculum provides computer-delivered, individualized instruction that can be integrated into traditional instruction or delivered as stand-alone course in a variety of content, career exploration, and life skills courses in subjects that enables students to progress at their own pace and that offers additional supports and tutorials to students as needed.

Platform Requirements:

Differentiated Instruction

· Platform should include differentiated instruction tailoring educational needs for individual students.

· Platform should include flexible, individualized instruction that respects and delivers instruction at appropriate levels to students with special needs, struggling learners or those who have been out of school for some period of time, students with differing levels of literacy and numeracy, students with less than 8th grade competencies), and advanced learners (and Gifted and Talented).

Student Confidence & Motivation

· Platform should contain embedded strategies designed to keep students motivated and engaged.

· Platform should also contain visual and audio learning tools to engage students effectively.

· Platform should chunk curriculum to ensure

· Platform should Use chunking and sequencing to apportion content so that students remain engaged and confident in their ability to learn the material

Tiered Intervention

· Platform should offer a range of strategies to support, reinforce, and practice learning for students who are struggling to master content in an area.

· Strategies should include adaptive remediation techniques,

· Course content should be deliverable and incorporate reading materials at differing levels of text complexity and growth of comprehension, and include foundational, skills, and reading literature and informational text.

· Strategies should include frequent checks for understanding and practice opportunities

· Strategies should include scaffolded instructional units

· Strategies should serve students with special needs, struggling learners or those who have been out of school for some period of time, struggling readers (less than 8th grade reading ability), and advanced learners (and Gifted and Talented).

Practice & Assessment

· Platform should include strategies and tools that allow students to practice and apply (in different formats and contexts) newly attained skills and content understanding.

· Frequent checks for understanding should be integrated into the content and course delivery so that student progress can be promptly monitored and addressed if needed.

· Assessments should indicate to the student inmate and to the teacher and administrator progress toward content mastery of South Carolina academic standards or industry standards as appropriate.

· The platform should also include measurement assessments for students allowing teaching to measure and track learning gains.

Student Assessment & Reporting

· Platform should offer assessment reporting that allows teachers and students to monitor progress and track student learning gains.

· Platform should offer a “grade book” for teachers and for reporting purposes

· Platform should offer reports that can identify individual, course section, and collective mastery of standards, areas for intervention, and course completion rates.

· Assessments and Reports should be available in flexible formats for download.

$22,495.00

Product Catg.: 20843 - Educational: Foreign Languages Math Science etc.

Item Description: Digital Curriculum Solution – Unlimited Tutorials

Unlimited Tutorials

One-year access for unlimited Tutorials

Description: License and Support

· Implementation: remote support should be provided for implementation of the platform

· Ongoing technical support for the life of the subscription: Teachers/Educators, Administrators and PUSD IT should have a toll-free number where they can reach technical support on-demand for issues they encounter.

· Support should be available 24/7 to students, teachers, administrators, and IT personnel through key strokes or help buttons that offer solutions and information

· One-on-one – Subscription should include one-on-one technical help from either phone, email, or live web chat.

· Platform support must be included

· Access for Teachers/Educators and Administrator logins should be included.

Platform: Web-based, comprehensive digital curriculum that satisfies South Carolina academic standards and enables students ages 17 and older of diverse academic abilities (grades 9-12) and experiences to earn units toward completion of a high school diploma, adult basic education certificate, career and technical education requirements, high school diploma equivalency, and test preparation.

Training: Online training via recorded videos, webinars, knowledge-base, or other resources for the life of the subscription should be included. Initial introductory training for teachers should be included with the platform.

· Professional Development – The platform should include initial Professional Development training, via webinar platform or live session.

· Knowledge base – Training should include instructor access to online knowledge base.

· Platform should include web-based online training including recorded video sessions, and/or live webinars available 24/7 to users.

Technical Requirements:

· All websites are whitelisted through a firewall (SonicWall) and the vendor must be willing to provide an exhaustive list of links and IP’s required to run the platform for them to be whitelisted;

· The vendor must also be willing to provide – in the bid - a list of any ports which must be open in order for IT Security to vet the ports and assure they can be used.

Platform Requirements:

· Platform must offer appealing interface that offers both visual and auditory components to satisfy diverse learning styles and interests.

· Platform and content must incorporate learning theory, adult learning theory, best practices and evidence-based approaches to integrating technology into learning

· Platform must provide help and information access on every content screen to ensure effective support to users

· Platform must provide monitoring tools to assist instructors with assessing student progress, identifying needs for additional support or intervention, and progress toward mastery of standards

· Platform must include frequent checks for understanding and mastery.

Platform Content Requirements:

· Content must offer a South Carolina comprehensive digital curriculum, aligned to South Carolina academic standards and approved by the South Carolina State Board of Education, that can be offered securely to an incarcerated population (ages 17 and older) and that provides rigorous content, differentiated, personalized instruction, targeted remediation, scaffolded support, assessment, and course progress tracking by student, teacher, and administrator.

· Course catalog should be complete and available, and available courses must include foreign languages, CTE courses, and TABE test preparation.

· Platform and content must incorporate learning theory, adult learning theory, best practices and evidence-based approaches to integrating technology into learning

· Content must align with grade-level curriculum requirements of the State of South Carolina Academic standards. These standards can be found at https://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/.

· The curriculum must serve grades 9-12 and adult education, and offer career and technical education, test preparation and practice, tutorials, and online assistance for a broad array of courses. (Completion of a course of study must be the equivalent of completing and earning Carnegie Unit (120 hours of instruction) toward graduation and attainment of a high school diploma.)

· Integrated tutorials and supports must provide an array of interventions and support and must serve students with special needs, struggling learners or those who have been out of school for some period of time, students with differing levels of literacy and numeracy, struggling readers (less than 8th grade reading ability), and advanced learners (and Gifted and Talented).

· Instructional assistance embedded in the platform should include checks for understanding, calibrated scaffolded instruction with targeted adaptive remediation, chunked/sequenced instruction, active learning opportunities, and integrated assessments

· Digital curriculum provides computer-delivered, individualized instruction that can be integrated into traditional instruction or delivered as stand-alone course in a variety of content, career exploration, and life skills courses in subjects that enables students to progress at their own pace and that offers additional supports and tutorials to students as needed.

Platform Requirements:

Differentiated Instruction

· Platform should include differentiated instruction tailoring educational needs for individual students.

· Platform should include flexible, individualized instruction that respects and delivers instruction at appropriate levels to students with special needs, struggling learners or those who have been out of school for some period of time, students with differing levels of literacy and numeracy, students with less than 8th grade competencies), and advanced learners (and Gifted and Talented).

Student Confidence & Motivation

· Platform should contain embedded strategies designed to keep students motivated and engaged.

· Platform should also contain visual and audio learning tools to engage students effectively.

· Platform should chunk curriculum to ensure

· Platform should Use chunking and sequencing to apportion content so that students remain engaged and confident in their ability to learn the material

Tiered Intervention

· Platform should offer a range of strategies to support, reinforce, and practice learning for students who are struggling to master content in an area.

· Strategies should include adaptive remediation techniques,

· Course content should be deliverable and incorporate reading materials at differing levels of text complexity and growth of comprehension, and include foundational, skills, and reading literature and informational text.

· Strategies should include frequent checks for understanding and practice opportunities

· Strategies should include scaffolded instructional units

· Strategies should serve students with special needs, struggling learners or those who have been out of school for some period of time, struggling readers (less than 8th grade reading ability), and advanced learners (and Gifted and Talented).

Practice & Assessment

· Platform should include strategies and tools that allow students to practice and apply (in different formats and contexts) newly attained skills and content understanding.

· Frequent checks for understanding should be integrated into the content and course delivery so that student progress can be promptly monitored and addressed if needed.

· Assessments should indicate to the student inmate and to the teacher and administrator progress toward content mastery of South Carolina academic standards or industry standards as appropriate.

· The platform should also include measurement assessments for students allowing teaching to measure and track learning gains.

Student Assessment & Reporting

· Platform should offer assessment reporting that allows teachers and students to monitor progress and track student learning gains.

· Platform should offer a “grade book” for teachers and for reporting purposes

· Platform should offer reports that can identify individual, course section, and collective mastery of standards, areas for intervention, and course completion rates.

· Assessments and Reports should be available in flexible formats for download.

Buyer: Myrtle deWerdt Director of Procurement: Ruthie H. Bishop, CPPB

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