60-S6702-25-CP406_Sole Source Justification - P2C CTE Hub 25-26.pdf.PDF

2020 Sole Source Form

HIGH PLAINS REC #3

SOLE SOURCE REQUEST AND DETERMINATION FORM

A sole source determination is not effective until the sole source request for determination has been posted for thirty (30) calendar days without challenge, and subsequently approved in writing by the State Purchasing Agent or, for Professional Services Agreements, the Secretary of the

Department of Finance and Administration. The foregoing requirement is regardless of whether the sole source request for determination has been signed by the Agency and/or the Contractor.

I. Name of Agency: High Plains Regional Education Cooperative #3

Agency Chief Procurement Officer: Brandon Hightree

Telephone Number: (575) 445-7090

Agency Contact for this request: Brandon Hightree

Telephone Number & Email Address: (575) 445-7090; bhightree@hprec.com

II. Name of prospective Contractor: NS4ed, LLC, dba Pathway2Careers

Address of prospective Contractor: 200 E Broadway, STE 215, Maryville, TN 37804

Contact Name, Telephone Number and Email Address:

Dr. Joseph Goins

865-414-0033

Joseph.goins@p2c.org

Amount of prospective contract before tax:

Term of prospective contract:

Note: For terms longer than one year, Request for Policy Exemption from DFA MUST be included.

III. Agency is required to state purpose/need of purchase and thoroughly list the services (scope of work), construction or items of tangible personal property of the prospective contract (if this is an amendment request to an existing contract, include current contract number issued by SPD):

The purpose of this contract (IGA#26-924-00144) between the New Mexico Public Education

Department (PED) and High Plains Regional Education Cooperative (REC III) is to enhance, develop, and maintain a centralized Career and Technical Education (CTE) Resource Center to support statewide implementation of high-quality CTE pathways. This initiative is modeled after the Massachusetts

Department of Education’s Next Generation CTE Framework and is intended to provide educators, students, families, and policymakers with access to labor market data, instructional tools, course standards, and other resources aligned with New Mexico's workforce needs.

This resource hub is a key strategy to ensure that CTE programs of study across the state are aligned to regional labor market trends, postsecondary pathways, and industry credentials, and that they support improved access and outcomes for all students.

SCOPE OF WORK:

1. Labor Market Information o Provide quarterly updates of regional labor market data by career cluster.

o Deliver in-person presentations on labor market trends and assist in CLNA facilitation, aligned with Perkins law.

2. CTE Data Visualization – District-Level Collections o Develop an interactive dashboard for statewide CTE performance and enrollment data.

o Create and update career cluster maps showing opportunity gaps by district and subpopulation.

3. CTE Course Standards Development o Convene a panel of 25+ stakeholders (educators and employers) across 6+ CTE regions to:

▪ Review national/state standards.

▪ Update and align NM course sequences to labor market and credentialing needs.

▪ Create updated course descriptions, licensure reviews, and integrated academic/technical standards.

o Publish completed standards on the CTE Resource Center.

4. Postsecondary Connections o Publish postsecondary program offerings by subcluster.

o Curate and publish resources for students/families/educators on career credentials approved by

CCRB.

5. Curation of Resources o Maintain and update a digital library of instructional and career planning tools.

o Create and publish career cluster posters aligned to the new framework.

o Publish at least one Pathway2Careers© math exemplar lesson per subcluster.

6. Career Clusters Guidebook o Develop and publish a printable manual summarizing each career cluster/subcluster, key careers, labor market insights, CTE pathways, and aligned postsecondary programs.

7. Professional Development o Deliver at least four training sessions (two virtual, two in-person) to improve use and awareness of the CTE Resource Center.

IV. Provide a detailed explanation of the criteria developed and specified by the agency as necessary to perform and/or fulfill the contract and upon which the state agency reviewed available sources. (Do not use “technical jargon;” use plain English. Do not tailor the criteria simply to exclude other contractors if it is not rationally related to the purpose of the contract.)

1. Demonstrated Expertise in CTE Frameworks and Standards Development

• The vendor must have the capacity to convene panels of educators and employers, develop modernized CTE course standards aligned to labor market needs, and ensure compliance with state and federal (Perkins V) guidelines.

• The vendor must be able to lead cross-sector collaboration (K-12, higher education, and industry) and produce standards that integrate academic, technical, and credential-aligned content.

2. Capability to Provide Accurate, Regional Labor Market Data

• The contractor must demonstrate the ability to compile, update, and present regional labor market information by career cluster, quarterly.

• Must support schools and districts with CLNA (Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment) facilitation and decision-making tools aligned to Perkins requirements.

3. Digital Infrastructure to Build and Maintain a Statewide Online Resource Center

• The vendor must have the technical infrastructure to host, update, and publish instructional resources, CTE program data, and tools for students, families, and educators.

• Must be able to build interactive dashboards and heat maps, and publish credentialing information and postsecondary program alignments online.

4. Capacity to Deliver Professional Development and Resource Curation

• The vendor must have the team, tools, and scheduling flexibility to offer in-person and virtual professional development sessions to support use of the resource center statewide.

• Must curate and maintain instructional resources, posters, career guides, and exemplar lesson plans aligned to updated course frameworks.

5. Experience with Statewide Educational Initiatives and Interagency Collaboration

• Preference was given to providers with demonstrated history of successful partnerships with

PED, especially in career-connected learning, CTE, or curriculum development at the state level.

• Familiarity with state reporting structures, procurement rules, and public sector compliance was also required.

V. Provide a detailed, sufficient explanation of the reasons, qualifications, proprietary rights or unique capabilities of the prospective contractor that makes the prospective contractor the one source capable of providing the required professional service, service, construction or item(s) of tangible personal property. (Please do not state the source is the “best” source or the “least costly” source. Those factors do not justify a “sole source.”)

Pathway2Careers (P2C) possesses unique qualifications, proprietary tools, and specialized expertise that make it the only source capable of delivering specific components of the Career and Technical Education

(CTE) Resource Center contract. These components include the publication of math exemplar lessons aligned to CTE subclusters, integration of labor market information (LMI), and development of instructional tools grounded in state-specific workforce needs. The following points justify the exclusive use of Pathway2Careers in this contract:

1. Proprietary Math Exemplar Lessons Aligned to CTE Subclusters

• P2C is the exclusive creator and copyright holder of the exemplar math lessons that are specifically designed to integrate academic content with career-relevant applications.

• These lessons are aligned to New Mexico’s CTE Career Cluster Framework and labor market data, making them uniquely positioned to support contextualized instruction within the CTE

Resource Center.

• No other vendor has rights to develop, publish, or distribute these lessons.

2. Exclusive Provider of Career-Aligned Labor Market Tools

• P2C owns and operates proprietary platforms (e.g., careerpathways-nm.com) that provide:

o Regionalized labor market information tailored to New Mexico.

o Career exploration tools built on current wage and demand projections.

• These tools and the associated data models are not available for licensing or replication by third parties, making P2C the only provider capable of integrating this content with the CTE Resource

Center.

3. Alignment with State-Specific Education and Workforce Goals

• P2C has a long-standing partnership with the New Mexico Public Education Department

(PED) and has previously developed tools, training, and instructional resources tailored to the state’s graduation requirements, CTE standards, and credentialing frameworks.

• P2C’s existing content is already aligned with New Mexico’s career clusters and industry credential lists, making it plug-and-play for inclusion in the state’s centralized CTE hub.

4. Proven Record of Custom-Built Curriculum and Data-Driven Instructional Design

• P2C specializes in curriculum design that integrates labor market data into high school instruction—an expertise that directly supports the contract’s goals of aligning instruction with workforce realities.

• Its team includes data analysts, instructional designers, and curriculum specialists who are uniquely qualified to deliver high-quality, standards-aligned resources that cannot be reproduced without extensive redevelopment.

5. No Comparable Alternative

• While other vendors may provide generic instructional content or labor market information, no other provider combines:

o Proprietary exemplar lessons specifically aligned to CTE subclusters;

o Tools that are dynamically updated with New Mexico labor market data;

o State-aligned instructional frameworks and credential integration.

Pathway2Careers is the only source with the proprietary content, data infrastructure, and alignment to New

Mexico’s CTE goals necessary to fulfill the instructional content and labor market integration components of this contract. The use of P2C ensures fidelity to state-aligned frameworks, avoids duplication of work already completed under PED guidance, and provides immediate, actionable instructional tools that no other provider is positioned to deliver.

VI. Provide a detailed, sufficient explanation of how the professional service, construction, or item(s) of tangible personal property is/are unique and how this uniqueness is substantially related to the intended purpose of the contract.

The purpose of this contract is to build and sustain a comprehensive CTE Resource Center that supports

New Mexico’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs through high-quality, state-aligned instructional resources, labor market data integration, and career pathway tools for educators, students, and families. The uniqueness of the services and instructional materials provided by Pathway2Careers

(P2C) is substantially and directly aligned with these goals in the following ways:

1. Uniquely Developed Math Exemplar Lessons Aligned to New Mexico’s CTE Subclusters

• The P2C exemplar math lessons are custom-designed to integrate rigorous mathematics with real-world, career-connected contexts, tied directly to New Mexico’s modernized Career Cluster

Framework.

• These lessons are exclusive to P2C and are not available through other vendors or public sources.

They represent a rare intersection of academic standards, labor market data, and CTE relevance, fulfilling a core need of the contract: contextualized, career-relevant instruction.

2. Exclusive Integration of Regional Labor Market Information

• P2C’s platforms and tools use region-specific labor market data, including real-time wage information, job projections, and employment trends, aligned to New Mexico’s economic sectors.

• This integration ensures that students and educators are working with accurate, localized information to inform course planning, pathway decisions, and credential selection.

• The ability to embed LMI directly into instructional resources and planning tools is a hallmark of P2C’s uniqueness—and central to the contract’s objective of bridging education with workforce needs.

3. Direct Alignment to PED’s Career Pathways and Graduation Goals

• The CTE Resource Center must reflect the state’s strategic priorities, including support for industry-recognized credentials, dual credit opportunities, and informed career decision-making.

• P2C’s instructional tools are already mapped to PED’s approved credentialing lists, graduation pathways, and course sequences, making them immediately usable without customization or delay.

4. No Comparable or Interchangeable Product

• Other vendors may offer generic career exploration tools or instructional content, but none offer the combination of state-aligned, LMI-integrated, and standards-based lessons and tools that

P2C provides.

• The intellectual property, instructional design, and system integration behind P2C’s offerings are proprietary and non-substitutable—their uniqueness lies not just in the content, but in how that content is structured to serve New Mexico’s specific educational and economic context.

5. Supports Every Functional Pillar of the Resource Center

• P2C’s unique tools directly support the contract’s primary goals:

o Instructional quality (through exemplar lessons).

o Workforce alignment (through embedded labor market data).

o Educator empowerment (via ready-to-use, career-connected materials).

o Student access to meaningful, real-world learning that supports graduation and postsecondary success.

VII. Explain why other similar professional services, services, construction or item(s) of tangible personal property cannot meet the intended purpose of the contract.

While there are other providers in the education or career-readiness space that offer general instructional content, labor market data, or curriculum support, none offer the uniquely integrated, New Mexico-specific solutions that Pathway2Careers (P2C) provides. The scope and objectives of this contract require deliverables that go beyond generic offerings, and no alternative provider can match the specificity, functionality, and alignment of P2C’s tools and content. The reasons are as follows:

1. No Other Provider Offers State-Aligned Math Lessons Integrated with CTE Subclusters

• The P2C math exemplar lessons are explicitly aligned to New Mexico’s updated Career Cluster

Framework and CTE pathways.

• They incorporate regional labor market data, real-world industry scenarios, and credential-aligned skill applications—all mapped to state-specific course sequences.

• Other vendors may offer math lessons or CTE-aligned activities, but none have developed this level of integration across academic standards, workforce data, and approved state clusters.

2. Alternative Labor Market Tools Lack State-Specific Customization

• Many third-party labor market platforms exist (e.g., BLS, O*NET, EMSI/Burning Glass), but they are not:

o Customized to New Mexico’s regional workforce regions or subclusters.

o Designed for student-facing educational use.

o Embedded within instructional materials or curated with New Mexico’s credentialing priorities in mind.

• P2C tools are purpose-built for education, offering simplified, actionable labor market content accessible to students, educators, and families—something no economic research platform is structured to do.

3. No Other Provider Has Rights to P2C’s Proprietary Content

• P2C’s instructional resources, exemplar lessons, and labor market integration models are protected intellectual property, unavailable for licensing or replication by other vendors.

• Any attempt to use a different provider would result in exclusion of these materials—leaving a critical gap in the CTE Resource Center’s ability to support career-aligned instruction and planning.

4. Other Services Lack Integration with the Existing CTE Resource Center

• P2C’s tools and materials are already embedded within the CTE Resource Center infrastructure managed by High Plains REC III.

• Replacing P2C would require re-engineering the content model, disrupting platform continuity, and introducing new licensing, data compatibility, and quality control issues.

• No other provider can deliver immediate, seamless integration with the system currently in use.

5. Other Vendors Lack Track Record in New Mexico CTE Strategy

• P2C has a demonstrated history of alignment to New Mexico’s education and workforce development strategy, including past collaborations with the PED’s College and Career

Readiness Bureau (CCRB).

• Other providers do not have the same familiarity with the state’s credential frameworks, labor market overlays, graduation requirements, or student support initiatives.

Although similar-sounding services exist in the marketplace, no alternative provider can replicate the proprietary, state-aligned, and pedagogically integrated offerings of Pathway2Careers. P2C’s unique combination of instructional design, labor market relevance, and direct integration with New Mexico's CTE initiatives makes it the only provider capable of meeting the full, intended purpose of this contract.

VIII. Provide a narrative description of the agency’s due diligence in determining the basis for the procurement, including procedures used by the agency to conduct a review of available sources such as researching trade publications, industry newsletters and the internet;

contacting similar service providers; and reviewing the State Purchasing Divisions’

Statewide Price Agreements. Include a list of businesses contacted (do not state that no other businesses were contacted), date of contact, method of contact (telephone, mail, e-mail, other), and documentation demonstrating an explanation of why those businesses could not or would not, under any circumstances, perform the contract; or an explanation of why the agency has determined that no businesses other than the prospective contractor can perform the contract.

Certified by: Date: ____________________

Agency Chief Procurement Officer

Agency Approval by: Date: ____________________

Agency or Entity Head or Designee