Draft uPAR-PWS-26Jun.doc

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Web-Based Reading Accommodation Assessment Tool 1 General Information

1.1 Agency

1.1.1 For school year (SY) 2020-21, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) will provide PK-12 instruction to approximately 69,000 dependents of military and civilian employees. Student enrollment is based primarily on deployment of military troops worldwide. In the Americas, DoDEA operates 50 schools located in seven states, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. In Europe and the Middle East, DoDEA operates 64 schools located in Germany, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Bahrain and Italy. In the Pacific, DoDEA operates 45 schools located in Korea, Japan (mainland and Okinawa), and Guam. DoDEA's curriculum, resources and student achievement scores on standardized assessments compare favorably to those of high-performing US public school systems. In addition, DoDEA operates fully accredited Virtual High School with teaching hubs in each DoDEA region: Americas, Europe, and Pacific.

1.1.2 DoDEA schools have various grade configurations, with the most common being PK-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Of DoDEA’s 159 brick-and-mortar schools, 100 schools have students in at least three of the grades K-5; 67 schools have at least one grade 6-8; and 40 schools have grades 9-12. Of the 6-8 schools, eight are part of a K-6 or PK-6 school.

Table 1: Student Enrollment Projections – SY 2020-21 (rounded to nearest 50)

Total 68,500

1.1.3 DoDEA has adopted College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS) in literacy, mathematics, the arts, social studies, and science, which are rigorous, research-based, and reflect the knowledge, skills and dispositions students need for success in college and/or careers and are aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), National Core Art Standards (NCAS), Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards (C3).

1.2 Background: DoDEA must provide Assistive Technology (AT) accommodations for students protected under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1977 and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), per DoD Instruction 1342.12, Provision of Early Intervention and Special Education Services to Eligible DoD Dependents, for both the DoDEA Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS) and formative/ classroom assessments. Compelling research (Fuchs & Fuchs, 2001; Helwig & Tindal, 2003) indicates that the subjective judgment of educators is no better than chance at determining whether a student needs a read-aloud accommodation. While DoDEA provides various AT tools to meet student needs, DoDEA does not have a systemic process or tool to assess and predict if a student will read better with a human reader, an e-text reader, or reading independently during DCAS tasks. DoDEA has never contracted for this type of assistive technology.

1.3 Scope of Work

1.3.1 DoDEA requires an objective decision-making AT reading accommodation assessment tool for K-12 special education (including Section 504) and regular education students that (1) is vendor-hosted and cloud-based and (2) allows individual and group screenings of K-12 reading passages. The tool must (1) measure the effectiveness of various accommodations to include read-aloud text-to-speech with a synthesized voice and independent reading, (2) automatically score the assessment results, and (3) make individual and group data available in a variety of report formats.

1.3.2 DoDEA expects to use the reading accommodation assessment for the vast majority of our special education students and for a significant portion of regular education students. DoDEA expects to make one award for a base year and four option years.

2 Requirement (Objectives)

2.1 Objective 1, Reading Accommodation Assessment

Provide the cloud-based, vendor-hosted reading accommodation assessment tool systemwide.

2.1.1 Task 1, Tool—The Contractor shall:

2.1.1.1 Reading Accommodation Assessment: Provide a cloud-based, vendor-hosted reading accommodation assessment tool for K-12 students systemwide. Note: In addition to the majority of DoDEA’s special education students, a significant number of regular education students will also take the assessment each year. The number of regular education students will likely increase gradually each year as teachers become more familiar with the tool.

2.1.1.2 Access: Provide access to all special education and all K-12 classroom teachers. Provide read-only and report-creating access to above-school-level subject-matter experts.

2.1.1.3 Professional Learning: Provide virtual professional learning for the life of the contract so that (1) teachers can administer/proctor the reading accommodation assessment effectively and (2) teachers and approximately 20 above-school-level subject matter experts can create reports.

2.1.1.4 Student Testing: Provide access so that students can be tested during normal school hours in each DoDEA region.

2.1.1.5 Scoring and Reporting: Score tests automatically. Provide reports for individuals or groups. Provide the reports in a variety of formats. Provide reports that show teachers how to make the best accommodations.

Performance Standards and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL)

Objective 1, Tool

* Unless specified otherwise, possible ratings are as follows: exceptional, very good, satisfactory, marginal, or unsatisfactory, per FAR 42.1503, Table 42-1, “Evaluation Ratings Definitions”.

Task 1, Tool, PWS 2.1.1 Ongoing after receipt of first delivery order

2.2 Objective 2, General Requirements

2.2.1 Task 2, Meetings—The Contractor shall:

2.2.1.1 Medium and Minutes: Provide the medium through which each meeting occurs, record each meeting’s minutes, and submit them to the COR within two business days of the event.

2.2.1.2 Post-Award Conference: Participate in a video- or teleconference with the COR five business days after award in accordance with FAR Subpart 42.5-Postaward Orientation.

2.2.1.3 IT Meeting: Convene a video- or teleconference with DoDEA Information Technology staff ten business days after award. (See Technical Exhibit #4.)

2.2.1.4 Other Post-Award Meetings: Meet with the Contracting Officer (KO), COR, and/or other Agency personnel, as appropriate, to review Contractor performance, as required by DoDEA. The KO may discuss the Agency’s view of Contractor performance, and the Contractor shall apprise the Agency of any problems being experienced. The Contractor shall take appropriate action to resolve any outstanding issues raised by the Agency.

2.2.1.5 Attendance: Attend virtual meetings at no additional cost to the Government. Note: Costs associated with attendance at face-to-face meetings, if any, shall be handled/paid for as stated in the contract.

2.2.2 Task 3, Technical Support: Provide industry-standard technical support for its digital resources for the life of the contract via telephone or by email within one business day or less from the initial contact to include but not limited to assisting with service problems, product setup, upgrades, and troubleshooting.

2.3 Objective 3, Contractor Manpower Requirement Application (eCMRA) – Reserved.

3 Constraints

3.1 Period and Place of Performance: Base period of one year and four option years, each 12 months long. Work performed at the Contractor’s facilities.

3.2 Holidays and Hours of Operation: Contractor personnel shall be available during the hours of 9AM to 3PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), except for Federal holidays and Federal government closures/shutdowns. The following list shows all recognized Federal holidays:

New Year’s Day

Labor Day

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Columbus Day

Presidents Day

Veterans Day

Memorial Day

Thanksgiving Day

Independence Day

Christmas Day

3.3 Availability: The Contractor shall make all resources available for the life of the contract.

3.4 Anti-Bias: The Contractor shall ensure all resources are free of racial, color, age, national origin, disabling conditions, sexual, gender, religious, and ethnic bias and wherever appropriate, present balanced coverage of multi-cultural contributions and representation.

3.5 Privacy—The Contractor shall:

3.5.1 User Accounts: Require, wherever applicable, that individual accounts possess unique usernames and passwords that do not require personally identifiable information (PII) to access online content, i.e., first & last name and any other unique personal information.

3.5.2 Contractor Personnel: Ensure personnel assigned to this contract take proper precautions to protect information from disclosure. Collect and/or store all agency-owned or agency-controlled personally identifiable information in accordance with the relevant requirements of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C—http://www.archives.gov/about/laws/privacy-act-1974.html.

3.6 Section 508 Compliance—Ensure Contractor resources, wherever applicable, meet the following requirements:

3.6.1 IT Requirement: Ensure that all electronic hardware and software that is procured under this contract/purchase order comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, (29 U.S.C. 794d) and the Architectural & Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Electronic Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Standards (36 CFR part 1194). Additional information may be found at the following URL: http://www.section508.gov.

3.6.2 Deliverable Requirement: Ensure the following occur:

1) Outputs/deliverables do not adversely affect accessibility features of existing EIT technologies.

2) EIT related to the requirements of the contract are accessible to people with disabilities, per 29 U.S.C 794(d).

3) Outputs/deliverables to include the functional performance, information, documentation, and support requirements are considered. Standards from 36 CFR Part 1194 Subpart B, C and D apply to this acquisition.

3.7 Optical Character Resolution (OCR): The Contractor shall provide, upon request, two digital OCR copies of print materials in one or more of the following formats:

· Digital Accessible Information System/National Instructional Materials

· Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) with cascading style sheet

· HyperText Markup Language (HTML)

· Portable Document Format (PDF), (unlocked, embedded fonts, single page)

· Rich Text Format (RTF)/Word document

3.8 Data: All data developed as a result of any work awarded under this contract is and shall remain the property of the Government.

3.9 Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI): The Contractor (including any subcontractor) personnel performing work under this contract may receive, have access to, or participate in the development of, proprietary or Privacy Act information (e.g., personal information, education, etc.) may create a current or subsequent OCI as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. Whenever the Contractor becomes aware that such access or participation may result in actual or potential OCI, the Contractor shall (1) immediately notify the Contracting Officer (KO) in writing and (2) promptly submit a plan to the KO to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. Note: The KO will unilaterally determine if the Contractor’s plan is acceptable. If the KO determines the plan cannot satisfactorily avoid or mitigate an OCI, s/he may implement other remedies to include prohibiting the Contractor’s further participation in contracted requirements.

4 Government-Furnished Information / Resources None 5 Deliverables

IT Meeting: Convene ten business days after award. Provide minutes and medium as stated above.

Other Meetings: As required by the COR. Provide minutes and medium as stated above.

6 Acronyms and Definitions

College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS)

Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) – Basic structural element in a procurement instrument describing and organizing the required product or service for pricing, delivery, inspection, acceptance, invoicing, and payment. The use of the term “line item” includes “subcontract line number”, (SLIN), as applicable.

Contracting Officer (KO) – The only individual with expressed authority to obligate (bind) the Government by means of entering, administering, and terminating contracts within the limits of authority delegated via a Contracting Officer’s warrant.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) – Qualified and trained Government employee, nominated by the requiring activity (RA) and appointed in writing by a KO primarily to perform specific technical or administrative functions on a specific contract(s); serves as the ‘eyes and ears’ of a KO to assure the Government’s best interests are protected via the terms and conditions of the contract(s) appointed. COR’s do not have authority to obligate (i.e., bind) the Government.

Contractor - Supplier or vendor having a contract to provide specific supplies or service to the Government. The term used in this contract refers to the prime.

Department of Defense (DoD / DOD)

Deliverable – Usually anything that can be physically delivered but may include non-physical things such as digital reports.

Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS)

DoDEA Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS) Electronic Information Technology (EIT) – EIT Accessibility Standards (36 CFR part 1194) Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) – Tabular listing of performance objectives and standards that provides the basis for a meaningful QASP.

Performance Work Statement (PWS) - A statement of work for performance-based acquisitions describing the required results in clear, specific and objective terms with measurable outcomes.

Quality Assessment Surveillance Plan (QASP)

Technical Exhibit (TE) 7 Performance Requirements Summary and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

7.1 Performance Requirements Summary (PRS)

* Unless specified otherwise, possible ratings are as follows: exceptional, very good, satisfactory, marginal, or unsatisfactory, per FAR 42.1503, Table 42-1, “Evaluation Ratings Definitions”.

Objective 1, Reading Accommodation Assessment

Task 1, Tool, PWS 2.1.1

Ongoing after receipt of first delivery order

Objective 2, General Requirement

Task 2, Meetings, PWS 2.2.1 Dates and times determined post-award

Task 3, Technical Support, PWS 2.2.2 Duration of the award

Objective 3, CRMA

7.2 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP): The Government will utilize a QASP to monitor Contractor performance on the contract, which can change at any time during the life of the contract. As such, the Government reserves the right to unilaterally edit the QASP at its discretion. The QASP primarily (1) focuses on what the Government will do to ensure the Contractor has performed IAW the performance standards and (2) defines how the performance standards will be applied, frequency of surveillance, and minimum acceptable quality and/or performance.

TECHNICAL EXHIBITS

Technical Exhibit 1 – Technical Requirements

TECHNICAL EXHIBIT 1 - Technical Requirements

The Contractor shall comply with the applicable technical requirements detailed below.

1.1 Software and Cloud Security Requirements: The Contractor shall:

1.1.1 Ensure all online resources, cloud-based services and instructional software meet the Department of Defense (DoD) and DoDEA Cybersecurity requirements as defined below. Note: Software, cloud services and associated websites will be rigorously tested to ensure no security risks are posed to DoDEA infrastructure and its users.

1.1.2 Complete the Cloud Services questionnaire that was submitted as part of the proposal submission and provide copies of and/or access to any software in the proposed solution. If applicable.

1.1.3 Ensure on-premises software support post-installation integration of the necessary Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIG) for applicable systems and applications, including Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Microsoft Windows IIS, Apache, Oracle databases, and Microsoft SQL Server databases. Note: They may be downloaded from https://public.cyber.mil/stigs/downloads/. The application to view all of the STIGs may be found at the following URL: https://dl.dod.cyber.mil/wp-content/uploads/stigs/zip/unclass-STIGViewer_2-9.zip.

1.1.4 Ensure vendor content accessible from the web is compatible with the following browser platforms: Internet Explorer 11, Google Chrome and Edge. Ensure that any applicable STIGs are implemented.

1.1.5 Ensure on-premises software which will be subject to static and dynamic analysis testing imposes no risk to DoDEA systems, users and/or data. DoDEA will assess software products to ensure compatibility with existing system configurations and software, testing may also include reverse engineering analysis. The vendor shall provide a plan of actions & milestones (POA&M) to mitigate any cybersecurity findings resulting from non-compliant and/or vulnerable components within 30 calendar days of notification from DoDEA.

1.1.6 Per DoD policy for cloud-based services, DoDEA will conduct a supplemental series of validations, which closely mirror the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Internet Cloud vetting processes. As part of this process, the Contractor shall participate, as needed, in interviews and deep system architecture inspections.

1.2 System Requirements: – The Contractor shall:

1.2.1 Ensure, per Section 1.1 (above), any software installed and/or accessed in or by a DoDEA system, network whether stand-alone or web-based, is compatible with standards cited herein.

1.2.2 Provide the minimum desktop and/or server system technical specifications, available reference architectures, networking specifications and diagrams, and applicable systems configuration documentation for the proposed product solution.

1.2.3 Ensure all software is compatible with the following minimum baseline:

1.2.4 Ensure that all software is completely functional on a standard DoDEA desktop without the need/requirement for administrative-level user rights and/or permissions or the requirement to use or insert external media to execute the software.

1.2.5 Provide software that does not require modifications to folder permissions while executing.

1.2.6 Ensure, if applicable, that software packages support unattended installation methods used by enterprise software packaging and deployment systems. Note: DoDEA currently distributes software packages via Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). Any, older 16-bit software will be automatically denied.

1.3 Data Management Requirements: The Contractor shall:

1.3.1 Provide a mechanism for batch administration and automation of routine data management tasks via flat file import, or representational state transfer (REST) based web service application programming interfaces (APIs). The mechanism shall provision and manage data objects within the Contractor’s system, including but not limited to organizational structures, student accounts, staff accounts, courses, and class rosters.

1.3.2 Provide all necessary documentation and assets to facilitate batch administration and automation of routine data management tasks, including but not limited to roster template files (i.e., comma separated value templates); data element/field definitions documentation; data interchange formats and schemas (XML/JSON); and/or data dictionaries for the purpose of mapping organizational student information system (SIS) data to the Contractor’s required input formats.

1.3.3 Provide a single point of contact to support DoDEA in performing the required data integration activities within the Contractor’s system.

1.3.4 Configure DoDEA enterprise within its system and/or databases as the appropriate organizational entity (i.e., region, district, school) upon a request in writing from the contracting officer’s representative (COR). Note: DoDEA’s organization hierarchy consists of the following: one system, three regions, eight districts, 62 communities, and 160 schools, which includes the DoDEA Virtual High School.

1.3.5 Participate in a technical meeting with DoDEA within ten business days after award for the purposes of preparing for onboarding of new services and initial configuration of administrator-level accounts.

1.3.6 Ensure the transfer of any Sensitive, Confidential data including but not limited to PII data be transferred in a secure means meeting any requirements set by DoDEA’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

1.4 DoDEA Software License Keys: The Contractor shall provide (1) license keys and electronic downloads for software required under this Contract to the COR and (2) software directly to DoDEA schools, districts, or regions only if explicitly required to do so in the contract or in writing by the COR.

1.5 Cybersecurity Supporting Elements/Requirements and Scalability: The Contractor shall:

1.5.1 Comply with the same Federal law and DoD policies and guidance to which DoDEA is subject. These requirements include but are not limited to the cybersecurity require-ments defined in the following documentation:

· DoD Directive (DoDD) 8500.01E, Information Assurance, which may be found at http://dodcio.defense.gov/Portals/0/Documents/DIEA/850001p.pdf

· DoD Security Technical Implementation Guidance (STIG), which may be found at http://iase.disa.mil/stigs/Pages/index.aspx

· DoD Risk Management Framework (DODRMF) per DoD Instruction 8510.01 at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/851001_2014.pdf

1.5.2 Provide security patches/upgrades to include third-party applications in response to public-released security vulnerabilities associated with its software solution. Provide a POA&M for any security vulnerabilities within five business days of discovery. Software upgrades/patches shall be included in the licensing cost and be performed at the least disruptive times as determined by DoDEA in writing. Note: Any exception to this requirement must be approved in advance and in writing by DoDEA’s Chief Information Officer (CIO).

1.5.3 Ensure that any portion of its solution that involves Internet access by DoDEA students complies with the relevant requirements of the Children's Internet Protection Act, Pub.L. 106-554, § 1(a)(4) [Div. B, Title XVII, § 1701], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A-335.

1.5.4 Ensure its solution is robust enough to serve the needs of a large community of learners dispersed across the world using a variety of bandwidths and scalable to meet future growth, both in terms of instruction and the number of users.

1.5.5 Ensure Contractor staff who have access to DoDEA’s student, teacher and/or staff personally identifiable information take the DoD Privacy Act/ Personally Identifiable Information (PA and PPI/PII) training before gaining access to the data and yearly thereafter. Providing copies of the certificates of completion to the COR which can be audited at any time by the CISO or his/her designee.

1.5.6 Ensure the solution is scalable to meet future growth requirements in terms of instruction and number of users.

26 Jun 20