BUFFALO PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROCUREMENT OFFERING

RFP 27-0632-033 MUSIC TEXTBOOK ADOPTION GR K-8

SUMMARY:

The Buffalo Public School Music Department seeks a music textbook offering high-quality, inclusive, and culturally responsive instruction for grades K–8, aligned with New York State Arts Standards. The resource should reinforce musical concepts progressively across grade levels, integrate performing, creating, responding, and connecting, and provide differentiated support for varied skill levels, including English language learners and students with special needs. Clear guidance, assessment tools, and flexible lesson plans are required for consistency and teacher creativity. Repertoire must authentically reflect diverse styles, cultures, periods, and composers, fostering respect and supporting culturally responsive teaching. The textbook should incorporate movement, singing, instruments, listening, literacy, and social-emotional learning. User-friendly digital resources—audio, video, interactive tools, assessments—should be accessible on district platforms and adaptable to all instructional settings. Cost-effectiveness, long-term usability, professional development, and proof of effective implementation in similar districts are essential.

DESIGNATED CONTACTS:

Owner (Primary): James Schwanz, Supervisor of Music

Buyer (Copy To): Jason Giglio, Buyer, jrgiglio@buffaloschools.org

The dates specified on the timeline of this offering are subject to change via addendum

TIMELINE:

Release Date: 05/11/2026 8:00 AM Advertise Dates:

Questions Due*: 05/25/2026 4:00 PM - Website/BONFIRE 05/11/2026

Answers Posted: 05/29/2026 4:00 PM - Buffalo News 05/10/2026

Offering Closed: 06/05/2026 4:00 PM - Contract Reporter 05/11/2026

Presentations: TBD - Rocket 05/14/2026

Tentative Award: 07/01/2026 - Criterion 05/16/2026

Public Opening Time and Location: N/A

*Questions regarding this offering must be submitted via the online offering portal @ https://buffaloschools.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

PROCUREMENT DATA:

Requisition: N/A

BPS Commodity Code: 051 Textbooks

Prior Offering: n/a Prior Awardee: n/a

Prior Award Period: n/a Current Year Award: n/a

OFFERING DATA:

Dates are approximate and dependent upon the award date.

Initial Award & Contract Term: 07/01/2026 to 06/30/2032

Extensions: n/a

Maximum Term End: 06/30/2032

OTHER OFFERING PARAMETERS:

Award may be split among respondents: NO

Award may be consolidated: NO

Subcontractors may be used: NO

Insurance is required: YES

NYS DOL Prevailing Reference: N/A

Response Surety Required (“Bid Bond”) NO

Performance Bond Required: NO

Formal contract required: YES

Proposals valid for: 90 days past closing minimum

SUBMITTAL OPTIONS:

Please refer to the “Standard Terms, Conditions, and Disclaimers” document for more detailed instructions. Only one method of submittal should be used; mailed responses will be entered into the electronic portal by the BPS Purchase Department for evaluation/scoring purposes.

Submittals may be mailed OR submitted electronically per the instructions below:

Mailed or delivered responses must include two (2) printed copies and one (1) electronic copy.

Electronic submittal is ALLOWED (and encouraged) via BPS BONFIRE portal at:

https://buffaloschools.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities.

Technical assistance with submitting your response electronically is available by contacting the Buyer at the contact information listed on previous page.

Offering Specification

1) GENERAL INFORMATION

a. GENERAL DEFINITIONS: Please refer to “Standard Terms, Conditions, & Disclaimers”.

b. VENDOR INFORMATION:

Qualified vendors are encouraged to submit a response for providing the goods and / or services described. If the vendor plans to subcontract any of the work described in the

Scope of Work the vendor must complete all response requirements for the subcontractor.

If a vendor plans a joint venture with another company and/or utilizes subcontractors, the vendor shall specify accordingly and complete all response requirements for each company involved in the offering response.

c. RESPONSES:

Any and all contracts awarded as a result of this offering are subject to the Terms &

Conditions stated in the offering. The submission of any other terms or conditions by a respondent may be cause for rejection of the response.

All responses should clearly state/include the following:

STANDARD REQUIREMENTS:

1. Completion of “Offering Questionnaire”, Question Set 1 “Standard Response

Requirements”.

2. Current W-9.

3. Current Certificate of Liability Insurance.

4. Completed “Equal Employment Opportunity Employee Information Report”; form provided.

5. Signed “Non-Collusive Bidding Certification”; form provided.

6. Respondent must provide a list of at least three (3) client references and their contact information. References will be contacted at the sole discretion of the District.

7. Cost proposal in the requested format.

8. Optional items as required by responses to the “Offering Questionnaire”, including but not limited to:

a. “Vendor Information Form”; form provided.

b. “Disclosure Narrative”, any format.

c. “Debarment Narrative”, any format.

d. “Certifications” such as MBE/WBE/SDVOB

e. “Policy 5414 Compliance Narrative”, any format.

f. “Subcontractor Documentation”, any format.

g. “Anti-Lobbying Narrative”, any format.

9. Respondents may submit any other information they consider relevant to their response to this offering by using the “Other Vendor Information” document upload.

2) SCOPE OF WORK

Buffalo Public School’s Music Department is seeking a music textbook that has high‑quality, inclusive music instruction that is developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and aligned with national and state standards. The resource should serve as both a comprehensive instructional guide for teachers and an engaging learning tool for students across diverse school settings. (E-2)

At its core, the textbook must be fully aligned with the New York State Learning Standards for the

Arts and support a spiral approach to learning, reinforcing key musical concepts—such as rhythm, melody, harmony, form, expression, and timbre—across grade levels with increasing depth.

Lessons should integrate the processes of performing, creating, responding, and connecting, allowing students to actively engage with music rather than passively receive information. (E-1)

(E-2)

The district requires materials that are developmentally appropriate for grades K–5, with differentiated instruction, pacing guidance, and built‑in supports for students with varying skill levels, including English language learners and students with special needs. Clear teacher guidance, assessment tools, and adaptable lesson plans are essential for consistency across schools while still allowing teacher creativity and flexibility. (E-1)

A quality textbook must also reflect diversity, equity, and inclusion. Repertoire and examples should represent a wide range of musical styles, cultures, historical periods, and living composers, avoiding tokenism while authentically connecting music to students’ lived experiences. The material should encourage respect for multiple musical traditions and support culturally responsive teaching practices. (E-10)

In addition, the district values resources that integrate movement, singing, playing instruments, listening, literacy, and cross‑curricular connections, particularly with literacy and social‑emotional learning. Music learning should be active, joyful, and accessible to all students. (E-4)

Finally, the textbook should be supported by high‑quality digital resources, including audio tracks, video demonstrations, interactive tools, and flexible assessment options. These resources should be user‑friendly, accessible on district‑approved platforms, and adaptable for in‑person and remote instruction. Long‑term usability, cost‑effectiveness, and professional development support are also critical considerations. The vendor is required to demonstrate proof of effective program implementation in school districts comparable in size and demographics. (E-5)

• The textbook must have online accessibility. (E-6)

• The vendor must provide a document listing all external websites associated with the textbook. (E-6)

• A thorough plan for professional development in textbook and online resource usage is required. (E-5) (E-7)

• Music examples and resources should reflect current trends and popular styles relevant to today's culture and events. (E-1)

• Comprehensive support for English language learners is provided, featuring illustrations, vocabulary with definitions, and the capability to modify lyrics, tempo, key, and other theoretical elements. (E-4)

• Lessons should be organized in a sequential manner, incorporating spiraled instruction across units, rather than presenting independent instructional themes. (E-2)

• The textbook should deliver content that is thorough, interesting, challenging, and appropriate for different cultures. (E-10)

• All student materials and digital resources must be available in Spanish. (E-10)

• The student materials must be available in Braille and/or large print to meet the NIMAS standards. (E-9)

• Each lesson or unit should feature several assessment tools, such as rubrics, projects, multiple choice, short answer, and essays. (E-3)

• The textbook must provide an accurate and balanced portrayal of various races, ethnicities, religions, cultures, genders, and disabilities. (E-10)

• The textbook must avoid using language that implies any race, ethnicity, religion, culture, gender, or ability group is better or worse than others, whether through editorial choices, omission, or inclusion. (E-10)

• The textbook should be of high academic quality and written in standard English and

Spanish, free from grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors. (E-1)

• The textbook should provide up-to-date, accurate information on music education and student development for grades K–8. (E-1)

• Middle school (grades 6 – 8) instructional materials are expected to incorporate project-based learning experiences. (E-1)

• A customer service plan is included with the cost proposal that details shipping and distribution requirements, on-site support, and technology support. (E-5) (E-7)

• The online component is expected to offer students opportunities for interactive engagement. (E-6)

• Online textbook materials should offer a downloadable option so users can access them even during internet outages. (E-6)

OFFERING SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:

a. COURSEWARE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• Daily synchronization capability with online District Student data and information system

• Digital content, assessments, User groups, newsletters, and other communication from vendor to user

• Support from client services department

• Technical support for end users

• Role-based access levels to designated District and school personnel

• Ability to monitor student participation and progress monitoring (completion and progress monitoring reports)

b. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

• The vendor’s system will support user single sign-on capability (Buffalo Schools utilize Microsoft Azure)

• The system must be compatible with, including but not limited to: internet browser

Google Chrome and Edge

• Must be compatible with Windows 10 and higher, Macintosh MAC OS 10.5x and higher, IOS 14 and higher

• The vendor will develop system-wide, role-based security and user access security

• The system must provide for HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) support in all functions where usernames and/or passwords are transmitted

• Vendor should provide mobile access technology and security. System should be available on most mobile devices (smart phones, iPads, tablets, etc.…)

• Enrollment data of students automatically and automatic roster upload based on

Infinite Campus SIS.

• Meetings and Professional Development must be delivered/compatible with

Microsoft TEAMS or Zoom platforms.

c. DATA IMPORT/EXPORT REQUIREMENTS

• BPS requires an interface that accepts text or csv files connections for uploading, importing, and exporting student data. BPS utilizes Infinite Campus as its student information system, and the system may be required to support an automated interface with the BPS developed Data Dashboard.

• The system must provide BPS with the ability to import data and from other district-level data systems (i.e., Infinite Campus, the BPS developed Data Dashboard, and our other education data warehouses) Imports should be automated on a nightly basis.

d. DATA INTEGRATION REQUIREMENTS

• The data / Digital content including assessment tools must be fully accessible

(exportable in .pdf, .txt, and .csv) to the district upon installation and throughout the term of the agreement.

• Report availability based on content and assessments shall be 24 hours/day, except during scheduled maintenance periods.

• The vendor will support the initial data migration and validation

e. SERVICE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS

• The system’s environment must be Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

(FERPA) compliant.

• All data collected by the learning management system remain the sole property of and for the exclusive use of BPS.

• Technical support and services to include:

o Integrity of data should the vendor’s server go down o Server down time of less than .03% o Adequate servers and backup to prevent database corruption and to provide restoration within two hours of data loss o Product updates for the period of the contract

• Help Desk Support that will include 24/hour assistance and availability, reliable help desk statistics, online, email, and phone supports, easy to locate up-to-date training resources available online and in hard copy formats, training materials utilizing multimedia (images, video, audio, etc.…), availability of help desk logs, a nightly data refresh with access to transmitted data within 24 hours.

f. TRAINING, SUPPORT, and IMPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

• The vendor will assign a primary point of contact to support the BPS account. BPS requires that primary point of contact will respond to calls or emails within 24 hours to support the resolution troubleshoot all issues and requests.

• The vendor will provide a complete Professional Development Plan Outline as well as a Roll Out Plan. (See Scope of Work)

• The system training for district staff will incorporate a train the classroom teacher and support staff approach and other applicable staff as needed. Staff development should include in-person and remote training.

• The vendor must have the capability to support virtual meetings and professional learning (i.e., webinars, e-learning, videos, TEAMS or ZOOM meetings, etc.)

• The vendor shall provide a user guide for all users with comprehensive information related to test administration, generating, and interpreting reports.

g. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

• Project planning – vendor will provide a project plan that includes all materials, resources and training included with the adoption.

3) EVALUATION PROCEDURES

a. Review of Responses

Responses will be evaluated by a cross functional team consisting of subject matter experts and a Purchasing representative.

b. Respondent’s Presentations

Respondents may be required to present once, at the District’s discretion, which will include a question and answer session with the evaluation team. Questions and specific requests to be addressed during the presentation will be forwarded to the respondents.

c. Evaluation Criteria

Responses will be evaluated on a 100-point scale as defined in the table below. Cost will be calculated proportionally compared to lowest cost response. Minimum non-cost score is 56/80.

FINAL EVALUATION CRITERIA MAXIMUM POINTS

Effectiveness of the program based on scientific research and implementation in districts of similar size and demographics. (E-1)

Accurate content and demonstrable alignment of curriculum and assessments to the New York State Learning Standards for the

Arts (E-2)

Assessment options / formats (E-3) 5

Differentiated instructional resources to meet the needs of all learners. (E-4)

Level of proposed customer service (E-5) 5

Technology (E-6) 10

Professional Development Plan (E-7) 5

Cost (E-8) 20

NIMAS (E-9) 5

Cultural Responsiveness (E-10) 15

Total 100

d. Final Selection

The Board of Education and its representatives will select a firm based upon the recommendations of the evaluation team. It is anticipated that a firm will be selected by the date listed in the offering summary. Following notification of the firm selected, it is expected that a contract will be executed between both parties. The selected firm must be prepared to begin work upon execution of the BPS contract. The contract will not necessarily be awarded to the response with the lowest cost projection.