6-RFP Provo City UT Social Studies Adoption 2026.docx

PROVO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Elementary & Secondary SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCE Adoption (4 - 12) Solicitation # PCSD10072026

I. PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Provo City School District (PCSD) is seeking to adopt elementary and/or secondary Social Studies curricula for:

· Grades 4–6 across 13 elementary schools

· Grades 7–8 across 2 middle schools

· 7th Grade - Utah Studies

· 8th Grade - US History 1

· Grades 9–12 across 3 high schools

· 9th Grade - Geography

· 10th Grade - World History

· 11th Grade - US History 2

· 12th Grade - Government & Citizenship PCSD is open to considering programs that serve broad or very narrow grade spans. The goal in this adoption cycle is to provide up-to-date, research-based, relevant, and appropriate materials that will effectively support teaching and learning practices in our Social Studies classrooms and offer teachers and students greater access to relevant resources and tools.

Moreover, through the curriculum adoption process, PCSD aims to advance the Board of Education’s mission, vision, and values by improving access to (a) meaningful content, (b) increasing awareness of sound instructional practices, (c) providing technological assets that promote creativity, connections, and innovation, and (d) engaging students in rigorous activities/assessments.

The purpose of the RFP is to solicit complete proposals in accordance with the Proposal Response Format listed in the RFP from agencies with expertise in providing high-quality, standards-aligned primary curricular resources for medium to large public-school districts. The selection and implementation of a primary curriculum is a complex process as it will serve a broad range of stakeholders. Therefore, experience with the successful management of similar projects is integral to this project’s success.

This RFP is designed to provide interested parties with sufficient basic information to submit proposals meeting minimum requirements, but it is not intended to limit a proposal’s content or exclude any relevant or essential information. Respondents are at liberty and are encouraged to expand upon the specifications to provide further evidence of service capability under any proposed agreement. Bids will be evaluated, and each requirement will be scored. Emphasis will be placed on alignment to the Utah Board of Education Core Standards (USBE) for Social Studies, research/evidence base for instructional strategies/resources, quality of materials, support for improved social studies practices, complementary digital resources, data privacy, set-up costs, initial training, and ongoing support.

Provo City School District reserves the right to reject all proposals or waive any non-statutory informality. The PCSD further reserves the right to make the contract award deemed by the Provo City School District Board of Education to be in the best interest of the district, regardless of the selection committee’s evaluation and scoring. The Board's decision to accept or reject the contract will be final. Upon completion of the curriculum adoption process and selection, Provo City School District will assume ownership of all materials provided as part of the proposal.

The Social Studies Curriculum Adoption Committee is composed of highly qualified teachers, district content specialists, parents, and university instructors. To ensure diverse, representative evaluations, the Committee is made up of members from various schools, grade levels, and backgrounds. Each member will personally review all materials submitted for approval. The committee will then review all evaluations and submit the final recommendation directly to the Provo City School District Board of Education. This multi-level evaluation process, involving numerous people, guarantees to each publisher equity and fairness in the bidding, evaluation, and selection process.

Respondents are strongly encouraged to carefully read the entire request for proposals.

This RFP is designed to provide interested offerors with sufficient basic information to submit proposals meeting minimum requirements, but it is not intended to limit a proposal's content or exclude any relevant or essential data. Offerors are at liberty and are encouraged to expand upon the specifications to evidence service capability under any agreement.

Provo City School District will not be liable for any costs proposers may incur in the preparation or presentation of this proposal.

II. BACKGROUND

Provo City School District (PCSD) serves a diverse student population across grades 4–12:

· Students:

· 4th grade = 911

· 5th grade = 871

· 6th grade = 998

· 7th grade = 951

· 8th grade = 987

· 9th grade = 988

· 10th grade = 989

· 11th grade = 1090

· 12th grade = 1127

· Social Studies Teachers:

· 4th grade = 30

· 5th grade = 34

· 6th grade = 42

· 7th grade (Utah Studies) = 4

· 8th grade (US History 1) = 5

· 9th grade (Geography) = 6

· 10th grade (World History) = 7

· 11th grade (US History 2) = 7

· 12th grade (American Constitutional Government & Civics) 8 Provo City School District offices are located at 280 West 940 North, Provo, UT 84604.

III. ISSUING OFFICE AND RFP REFERENCE NUMBER

The District’s Purchasing Department is the issuing office for this document and all subsequent addenda relating to it, on behalf of the Provo City School District Teaching and Learning Department. The reference number for the transaction is Solicitation #PCSD10072026. This number must be referred to on all proposals, correspondence, and documentation relating to the RFP.

NOTICE: Wherever the term bid, bidder, bidding or quote appears in this solicitation or reference is made to a bid, bidder, bidding, or quote, it shall be interpreted to mean offeror, as defined in 63G- 6a-103(30), RFP, or Request for Proposals, as defined in 63G-6a-103(38) and the procurement shall be conducted subject to the provisions of 63G-6a-701-711.

IV. LENGTH OF CONTRACT

The District anticipates an initial contract term of two to three years. The exact term will be determined during contract negotiations based on the District’s needs, proposed pricing, and the anticipated revision of the Utah Core Standards. At the District’s sole discretion, the contract may be renewed in one-year increments for a total contract period not to exceed seven years. Any renewal will be subject to continued funding, satisfactory performance, mutual agreement on pricing and terms, and confirmation that the curriculum remains aligned with applicable Utah Core Standards and the District’s instructional needs. The District reserves the right not to renew the contract if revised standards or other instructional requirements make it necessary to evaluate or adopt different curriculum resources.

PCSD reserves the right to review contract(s) on a regular basis regarding performance and cost analysis and may negotiate price and service elements during the terms of the contract.

V. PRICE GUARANTEE PERIOD

All pricing must be guaranteed for the entire term of the contract. Following the guarantee period, any request for price adjustment must be for an equal guarantee period and must be made at least 30 days prior to the effective date. Requests for price adjustment must include sufficient documentation supporting the request. Any adjustment or amendment to the contract will not be effective unless approved by the Director of Purchasing. Provo City School District will be given the immediate benefit of any decrease in the market or allowable discount.

VI. STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Any contract resulting from this RFP will include, but not be limited to, the District’s Standard Terms and Conditions and the FERPA Student Level Data Protection Standard Terms and Conditions.

The District retains the right to refuse to negotiate on exceptions should the exceptions be excessive, not in the best interest of the District, negotiations could result in excessive costs to the state, or could adversely impact existing time constraints.

If negotiations are required, the contractor must provide all documents in MS Word format for redline editing. Contractor must provide the name, contact information, and access to the person(s) that will be directly involved in legal negotiations.

VII. DETAILED SCOPE OF WORK

The desired outcome for this adoption cycle is to provide up-to-date, research-based, relevant, and appropriate materials that will effectively support teaching and learning practices in our 4-6 elementary and 7-12 secondary Social Studies classrooms and will offer all teachers and students greater access to relevant resources/tools.

The following list of requirements, although extensive, is not exhaustive and is intended to provide interested parties with sufficient basic information to submit proposals meeting minimum requirements, but is not intended to limit a proposal’s content or exclude any relevant or essential information. Moreover, the Committee members will be expected to introduce their knowledge of the Provo School District’s learning communities’ needs and classroom requirements as they evaluate the curricular resources in relation to the selection criteria.

Curricular/Design Requirements

1. Alignment with Utah Social Studies Standards

1. Instructional materials in all formats, including print, digital, and online materials, are aligned to the Utah Core Standards for Social Studies.

2. Materials reflect the intent of the standards, emphasizing disciplinary thinking, inquiry, and application rather than isolated fact memorization.

3. Materials adhere to current Utah state law and student data privacy requirements.

2. Teacher Resources and Materials

1. Comprehensive, current, and editable teacher resources support effective planning and instruction.

2. Materials engage students in historical and social science inquiry.

3. Materials include a variety of primary and secondary sources.

4. Content supports deep understanding of key concepts rather than broad, superficial coverage.

5. Materials support the development of informed and engaged citizens.

6. Instructional materials accurately and respectfully represent diverse cultural and social perspectives.

3. Student Accessibility and Differentiation

1. Materials support differentiated access for all learners, including multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and advanced learners.

2. Materials provide appropriate scaffolding, differentiation, and support.

3. Materials are visually balanced, age-appropriate, and accessible to student learners.

4. Materials support disciplinary literacy development, including reading, writing, and speaking in social studies contexts.

4. Instructional Design and Engagement

1. Pacing guides outline reasonable timeframes for instruction and assessment across a full course or year.

2. Materials include a variety of instructional approaches, such as inquiry, collaboration, simulations, and project-based learning.

3. Lesson design includes an appropriate balance of direct instruction, inquiry-based learning, collaborative learning, and independent application.

4. Units and lessons are coherently organized and build toward clear learning outcomes.

5. Materials support flexible implementation, including use as a full curriculum or in a modular format.

5. Assessment Design

1. Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments support teachers in differentiating instruction to meet the needs of individual students and groups of students.

2. Materials provide multiple skill-based formative and summative assessments.

3. Assessments measure understanding of content and disciplinary skills, including analysis, argumentation, and the use of evidence.

4. Assessment tasks reflect a range of Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels.

5. Assessments can be customized, edited, and shared at the district, school, and teacher levels.

6. Assessment reports are accessible and useful for informing instruction.

6. Training, Service, and Support

1. Agency offers initial and ongoing training and support, both on-site and digitally.

2. Access to digital and physical materials for professional development and preparation is available for summer teacher trainings in June and August.

VIII. ANTICIPATED SOLICITATION TIMELINE

IX. QUESTIONS and SUBMITTAL DEADLINE

All questions must be submitted through the Utah Public Procurement Place – Bonfire site. RFP DUE DATE: October 7, 2026, at 2:00 PM MST. RFP's received after the deadline will be late and ineligible for consideration. Submittals should be concise and address the specific items listed in the Request for Proposal.

X. PROPOSAL RESPONSE FORMAT

All proposals must include a technical proposal and cost proposal. Formats for both documents follow:

A. Technical Proposal Format

Executive Summary. The one or two-page executive summary is to briefly describe the offeror's proposal. This summary should highlight the major features of the proposal. It must indicate any requirements that cannot be met by the offeror. The reader should be able to determine the essence of the proposal by reading the executive summary. Protected information requests should be identified in this section.

Detailed Response. This section should constitute the major portion of the proposal and must contain at least the following information. A complete narrative of the offeror's assessment of the work to be performed (Curricular/Design Requirements - listed above) , the offeror’s ability and approach, and the resources necessary to fulfill the requirements. This should demonstrate the offeror's understanding of the desired overall performance expectations. Clearly indicate any options or alternatives proposed.

1. A specific point-by-point response, in the order listed, to each requirement in the RFP.

Protected Information. All protected information must be included in this section of the proposal response. Do not incorporate protected information throughout the proposal. Rather, provide a reference in the proposal response directing the reader to the specific area of this Protected Information section.

The Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA), Utah Code Ann., Subsection 63-2-304, provides in part that:

The following records are protected if properly classified by a government entity:

1. trade secrets as defined in Section 13-24-2 if the person submitting the trade secret has provided the governmental entity with the information specified in Section 63-2-308 (Business Confidentiality Claims);

2. commercial information or non-individual financial information obtained from a person if:

a. disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to result in unfair competitive injury to the person submitting the information or would impair the ability of the governmental entity to obtain necessary information in the future;

b. the person submitting the information has a greater interest in prohibiting access than the public in obtaining access; and

c. the person submitting the information has provided the governmental entity with the information specified in Section 63-2-308;

3. records the disclosure of which would impair governmental procurement proceedings or give an unfair advantage to any person proposing to enter into a contract or agreement with a governmental entity, except that this Subsection does not restrict the right of a person to see bids submitted to or by a governmental entity after bidding has closed;

GRAMA provides that trade secrets, commercial information or non-individual financial information may be protected by submitting a Claim of Business Confidentiality.

To protect information under a Claim of Business Confidentiality, the offeror must: provide a written Claim of Business Confidentiality at the time the information (proposal) is provided to the district and include a concise statement of reasons supporting the claim of business confidentiality (Subsection 63-2-308(1)).

If you submit a proposal containing confidential information, you must submit an electronic “redacted” (excluding protected information) copy of your proposal response. Copy must clearly be marked “Redacted Version.”

A Claim of Business Confidentiality may be appropriate for information such as client lists and non-public financial statements. Pricing and service elements may not be protected. An entire proposal may not be protected under a Claim of Business Confidentiality. The claim of business confidentiality must be submitted with your proposal on the form, which may be accessed at:

http://purchasing.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/confidentialityclaimform.doc

An entire proposal cannot be identified as “PROTECTED”, “CONFIDENTIAL” or “PROPRIETARY” and may be considered non-responsive if marked as such.

To ensure the information is protected, you must include all protected information in Tab 3 of the proposal response. Any protected information incorporated in other sections of the proposal response may result in the release of data at no fault of the District.

All materials submitted become the property of Provo City School District. Materials may be evaluated by anyone designated by the District as part of the proposal evaluation committee. Materials submitted may be returned only at the District’s option.

XI. COST PROPOSAL FORMAT

The proposal must be set forth in such a way that it will allow the merits of the proposal to be evaluated in conjunction with the applicable cost. Please review the Best and Final Offers section below to ensure you properly submit your cost proposal.

XII. SUBMITTING YOUR PROPOSAL

Proposals must be received by the posted due date and time. Proposals received after the deadline will be late and ineligible for consideration. For this RFP, proposals should be submitted through the Utah Public Procurement Place – Euna/Bonfire site.

Proposals should include two separate documents titled “Technical Proposal” and “Cost Proposal”.

Cost will be evaluated independently from the technical proposal, and as such, is to be submitted separately from the technical proposal. Failure to submit costs separately may result in your proposal being determined non-responsive. Inclusion of any cost or pricing data within the technical proposal may also result in your proposal being determined non-responsive.

NOTICE: By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, the offeror is acknowledging that the requirements, scope of work, and the evaluation process, outlined in the RFP are fair, equitable, not unduly restrictive, understood, and agreed to. Any exceptions to the content of the RFP must be protested to the purchasing agent prior to the closing date and time for submission of the proposal.

XIII. PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

A committee will evaluate proposals against the criteria in Section VII: Curricular/Design Requirements. Each area of the evaluation criteria must be addressed in detail in the proposal. All proposals in response to this RFP will be evaluated in a manner consistent with the Utah Procurement Code, rules, policies, and the evaluation criteria established in the RFP.

The understandability and comprehensiveness of the information supplied in this RFP will affect the evaluation of the above criteria.

XIV. DISCUSSIONS WITH OFFERORS (ORAL PRESENTATION)

An oral presentation by an offeror to clarify a proposal may be required at the sole discretion of the District. However, the District may award a contract based on the initial proposals received without discussion with the Offeror. If oral presentations are required, they will be scheduled after the submission of proposals. Oral presentations will be made at the offeror’s expense.

Submission of sample materials may also be required at the sole discretion of the District. The District will not accept sample materials at the time of proposal submission unless specifically requested. If sample materials are required, the District will notify the offeror after proposals have been submitted and provide instructions for submission. Sample materials will be provided at the offeror’s expense and will not be returned.

XV. BEST AND FINAL OFFERS

Vendors should offer their best offer in the original technical and cost proposals. The use of a Best and Final Offer process is regulated by Utah Code 63G-6a-707.5 and will only be used if:

a) No single proposal addresses all the specifications stated in the RFP;

b) all or a significant number of the proposals are ambiguous on a material point and the evaluation committee requires further clarification in order to conduct a fair evaluation of proposals;

c) the evaluation committee needs additional information from all offerors to complete the evaluation of proposals;

d) the differences between proposals in one or more material aspects are too slight to allow the evaluation committee to distinguish between proposals;

e) all cost proposals are too high or over budget; or

f) another reason exists supporting a request for best and final offers, as provided in rules established by the applicable rulemaking authority

List all materials included in package costs, as well as any discounts related to the number of student licenses purchased.

The student population in each grade varies slightly from year to year. Student licenses must be transferable between grades to accommodate fluctuations in student populations.

It is important to understand this so as not to anticipate that a best and final process will allow for a vendor to “sharpen their pencil” in a subsequent phase.

XVI. AWARD OF CONTRACT

Award shall be made to the offeror whose proposal is the most advantageous to the District, taking into consideration price and the other evaluation factors set forth in this request for proposals.

It is anticipated that this RFP may result in an award to a single contractor. The District intends to purchase all curriculum materials through the Mountain State Schoolbook Depository, and all related purchase orders will be issued directly to the depository. Accordingly, all curriculum materials offered must be available for purchase through the Mountain State Schoolbook Depository.

The District reserves the right to award the contract(s) to a technically qualified lower cost offeror(s) in the event the high scoring offer is determined to not be the best value offered to the District, based on a cost benefit analysis.