Attachment_A_PWS-_Task_Order_0001_-_Technical_Assitance_for_Implementing_Career_Pathways_Systems_Initiative.pdf

DRAFT 08.05.15

TAEP150019AP

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Performance Work Statement for the

Technical Assistance for Implementing Career Pathways Systems Initiative

U.S. Department of Education (Department)

Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE)

Purpose

The Technical Assistance for Implementing Career Pathways Systems project will further integrate career and technical education (CTE) into broader career pathways system development at the state and local levels. This strategic investment supports Goal 1 of ED’s FY 2014 - 2018

Strategic Plan, as well as OCTAE’s goal for all youth and adults to have access to high quality career pathways programs. The project is designed to address four technical assistance outcomes for the Division of Academic and Technical Education:

Train state leaders effectively in key aspects of career pathways that promote college and career readiness for youth and adults, Support states to implement innovations and quickly resolve challenges that arise, Help states achieve Perkins IV performance outcomes, and

Provide leadership, education, and resources to support successful Perkins implementation.

Background

In April 2012, the U. S. Departments of Labor (DOL), Education, and Health and Human

Services (HHS) issued a joint policy memorandum in which each agency acknowledged that, through better alignment of education, training, and employment services among public agencies, career pathways hold the promise of increasing the number of youth and adults in the

United States who gain the skills and academic and industry-recognized credentials needed to work in the most in-demand occupations in the 21 st century workforce. This new investment in helping states to build career pathways will leverage prior federal investments integrating the work and policy interests of partnering agencies such as – http://www2.ed.gov/about/reports/strat/plan2014-18/strategic-plan.pdf http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEN/ten2_36_11.pdf

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The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) “Career Pathways Toolkit (Revised 2015), the

“primer” for career pathways system development. Additionally, DOL maintains a virtual community of practice for career pathways that has over 16,000 members (https:// learnwork.workforce3one.org).

OCTAE’s Advancing CTE in State and Local Career Pathways System initiative. Now in the third year of a three-year project, this initiative is providing technical assistance to five states to integrate CTE and has created an “Integrated Model for Career Pathways

Alignment,” which demonstrates to education and workforce development systems how

CTE programs of study and career pathways systems can be integrated.

OCTAE’s current Moving Pathways Forward: Supporting Career Pathways Integration project, which uses a three-tiered technical assistance model to provide differing levels of technical assistance, depending on where states are in their career pathways system development efforts and is creating a career pathways affiliate network.

DOL’s most recent Credentials and Career Pathways Technical Assistance Project, which provides technical assistance to its discretionary and formula funded grantees with the goal of increasing the number of states engaged in the development and implementation of career pathways system building.

Collectively, these past and current Federal investments have provided direct technical assistance to over 20 states, which means many states and localities are yet to be served. This new OCTAE investment furthers the Administration’s Job Driven Training initiative, specifically to help design and implement education and job training programs based on industry-recognized credentials. Additionally, the recent passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

(WIOA), which requires career pathways and sector strategy implementation in every state, has reinforced the need to ensure that secondary and postsecondary CTE leaders are fully trained in career pathways pedagogy and are able to maximize state- and local-level partnerships with education, business, and other key stakeholders as WIOA implementation unfolds. Consistent with the Perkins legislative requirement, this project will examine strategies to serve special http://cte.ed.gov/nationalinitiatives/advancing_cte.cfm http://cte.ed.gov/nationalinitiatives/advancing_cte.cfm

26 | P a g e populations and target performance indicators such as secondary and postsecondary student completion, placement, and non-traditional participation.

Building on lessons learned and employing the tools and effective technical assistance models developed under previous investments, this project will undertake a comprehensive strategy that includes leadership development for CTE leaders, a multi-tiered technical assistance plan and stakeholder engagement that highlights successful practices underway in the CTE community.

OCTAE will continue to work across divisions within the Department and collaborate with inter-agency partners, including DOL, Energy, HHS, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Social Security, and Transportation, on federal career pathways initiatives.

Period of Performance

The Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) will be making a new two-year investment in this project. The period of performance for this Performance Work Statement

(PWS) will be for one 12-month Base Period and one 12-month Option Period. In Option Year

1, if exercised, all work started during the Base Year of this project on tasks such as Tasks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 may be extended and continued as identified in the Base Year, excluding those that have been completed in the 12-month Base Period such as Task 4: Conduct Research and Create

State Leader Playbook on CTE Best Practices and Task 8, Conduct Research and Generate

Knowledge for Stakeholders: Staying Current with Labor Market Information. In the Option

Year, if deemed sufficient by the COR, the opening meeting (Task 1.1) may be held by teleconference within the first 5 working days after exercise of the option year.

Project Objectives and Tasks Required Under this Task Order

Task 1 – Project Management and Administration: The contractor shall perform all administrative activities necessary to manage the contract and communicate with the Department during the performance of this contract. Such tasks shall include:

Conducting the initial kick off meeting within 21 days after contract award and producing notes from meeting;

Preparing the agenda and facilitating bi-weekly check-in conference calls throughout the first three months of the contract period, and delivering notes to OCTAE within five days of each call. After 90 days, the status conference calls can be scheduled and

27 | P a g e held on a monthly basis, per COR approval. The contractor shall develop a progress report template for note taking to be approved by the COR, and then use this template throughout the task order period of performance. The template shall be used to summarize major work performed and accomplishments during the reporting period and provide information for each project task and activity regarding significant findings and events, problems encountered, budget analysis, and suggested resolutions.

Producing the final project summary report each year, including project goals, milestones, deliverables, and outcomes.

Task 2 - Design and Implement the CTE Career Pathways Leadership Academy:

Increasing the knowledge base of secondary and postsecondary CTE leaders is a critical component of the technical assistance strategy. One indicator of a high-quality local/regional career pathway system is that the partners adopt evidence-based best practices to optimize career pathway participant success. By ensuring that CTE leaders are aware of the current evidence-based best practices of career pathways systems, CTE programs of study, and proper coaching tools and resources, OCTAE believes that these leaders can provide the expertise and peer learning necessary for secondary and postsecondary CTE programs to participate fully in career pathways systems development and to take these practices to scale nationally. These leaders may also assist in providing peer coaching and mentoring to other states as part of the overall technical assistance strategy. This can occur through conference calls or presentations conducted during scheduled and approved meetings. Current evidence-based approaches to student-centered instruction and occupational training in successful career pathways systems include:

Dual and/or concurrent enrollment, articulation, and other strategies for accelerating learning;

Integrated education and training;

Contextualized curriculum and instruction;

Learning communities;

Support services, including career counseling, mentoring, and educational planning;

Chunked or modularized curriculum, including stackable certificates;

Self-paced instruction;

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Competency-based curriculum and assessment;

Technology-enabled, online and/or hybrid instruction (and/or supports and learning management); and/or

Offering education and training at times and places and in formats that work for students, including non-semester-based schedules, block schedules, evening/and weekend schedules.

The contractor shall provide relevant, high-quality technical assistance to grantees and stakeholders. The contractor shall design, in collaboration with OCTAE, a leadership and policy academy for a cohort of up to 25 CTE secondary and postsecondary state leaders and/or program staff members. The deliverables under this section include:

1. A brief white paper (maximum of 15 pages) that includes recommendations for how the CTE Leaders Academy should be implemented based on a rigorous examination of best practices of national leadership programs for teachers and leaders to be delivered to OCTAE no later than 45 days after contract award.

2. Program design and learning plan for the first year, including recommended faculty and subject matter experts delivered to OCTAE for approval no later than

90 days after contract begins. The plan shall include proposed schedule, proposed meeting agendas and conference call topics, proposed virtual learning strategies, such as webinars or other modalities.

3. Participant selection guidelines, to include a commitment of the selected cohort participants to serve as part of the technical assistance peer learning team for a one-year period;

4. Execution of the approved schedule, selection strategy, and implementation plan for the CTE Career Pathways Leadership Academy;

5. Design and implementation of a written outreach strategy to increase awareness and uptake among CTE state secondary and postsecondary leaders; and

6. Coordination of the logistics for all Academy meetings, conference calls, and webinars. The contractor shall include two national meetings as part of the implementation plan, one of which shall be a kick-off meeting to be held in the

Washington, D.C. metro area.

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a. Contractor shall adhere to OCTAE policies concerning the use of federal meeting facilities. Selected participants must agree to pay travel costs to the national meetings as part of their commitment to participate in the

Academy.

b. Meetings shall be held for a maximum of up to 70 people, including the 25 participants who will be out-of-town participants, subject matter experts, OCTAE staff and other guests. The first national meeting shall be held in a Department facility (either the LBJ Building or Potomac Center Plaza) at no charge. The contractor shall pay for travel, per diem, and honoraria for subject matter experts and faculty members for the Academy. Academy participants shall be responsible for their own travel costs. No meals shall be provided for the meeting.

c. The second national meeting shall be held in an available Federal building at a location identified by the contractor and approved by OCTAE. The contractor may propose a location outside of Washington, D.C. The contractor shall pay for travel, per diem, and honoraria for subject matter experts and faculty members; academy participants shall be responsible for their own travel costs. No meals shall be provided for the meeting.

Task 3 – Design and Implement Two-Tiered Technical Assistance Model for States and

Local Areas: In the Career Pathways—Approaches for the Delivery of Education, Training, Employment, and Human Services: Summary of Responses to a Request for Information, respondents recommended providing the following types of technical assistance: clarify how

CTE “programs of study” relate to career pathways, which is a point of confusion for some members of the CTE community; and continue to offer technical assistance to states to help facilitate career pathways partnerships (i.e., articulation agreements, braiding of funding streams/investments, and development of partnerships across agencies).Facilitators identified in the RFI responses included partnerships, data sharing, dedicated resources, leadership support, integrated support services, technical assistance, and employer engagement. Barriers identified in the RFI responses included credentials, federal policy, performance measures, lack of

30 | P a g e articulation, funding, and staying current with the labor market. 2 This report is available in the

Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) Resource Collection at https://lincs.ed.gov/.

To provide CTE states and local areas with enhanced technical assistance to implement fully integrated models of CTE career pathways, the project contractor shall implement a technical assistance model that includes two levels of assistance, universal and targeted:

1. Universal Assistance – Under this technical assistance tier, the contractor shall conduct, in partnership with OCTAE:

4 capacity-building technical assistance meetings in designated regions of the country proposed by the contractor and approved by

OCTAE within 45 days of the contract award.

i. Each meeting shall be open to a maximum of 100 secondary and postsecondary CTE leaders and their stakeholders from within the region, including community colleges, employers, organized labor and pre-apprenticeship program staff and workforce development board members.

ii. The first option for each meeting location would be a federal building or a postsecondary educational institution (community college) partner willing to provide space at little or no cost. If sufficient A/V support or breakout space cannot be accommodated at either of these options, then the contractor shall provide detailed cost estimates for up to three hotel locations in the proposed region. The costs shall cover meeting space, A/V support, subject matter experts’ and presenters’ travel and per diem. No meals shall be provided at the meeting with federal funds. No contracts for hotel space shall be entered into without prior CO approval.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education. (2015, February).

Career Pathways—Approaches for the Delivery of Education, Training, Employment, and Human Services: Summary of Responses to a Request for Information. Washington, D.C.: Author.

https://lincs.ed.gov/

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iii. All participants attending the capacity-building meetings shall cover their own travel costs.

iv. For these meetings, the contractor shall work with OCTAE to develop invitation language and implement communication strategies to raise awareness about the meetings, including blog posts, and draft emails.

v. Implement an online registration process for invitees and presenters including developing registration pages and collecting registration information; Activities may include tasks like designing, implementing, and managing a registration site;

developing and printing meeting materials including name badges and name tents; organizing electronic materials collection both before and after the meetings; providing note taking and assistance during the meetings; and submitting notes post meeting.

1. Plan and implement workshops and professional development sessions on:

a. the intersections between WIOA and Perkins IV;

b. effective career pathways models and practices;

c. effective CTE programs of study;

d. the critical role of career guidance;

e. alignment of secondary and postsecondary systems;

f. alignment of pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs; and

g. other program strategies that positively impact

Perkins core performance indicators, such as secondary and postsecondary completion, placement, and technical skills attainment rates.

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2. Secure subject matter experts and CTE Career Pathways

Leadership Academy members to facilitate workshops and sessions as appropriate.

3. Plan meetings in accord with current Department guidelines regarding conference travel.

A series of 6 national conference calls and/or webinars for CTE secondary and postsecondary leaders on topics that are approved by

OCTAE. The contractor shall:

i. Produce a plan, including the proposed topics for the national calls within the first 60 days of the contract. The calls/webinars may delve more deeply into topics covered during the capacity building technical assistance meetings, and may also address implementation of a new Perkins law, should Perkins be reauthorized during the period of performance of this contract.

contra include the revised Career Pathways Toolkit, information about the six key elements and 10 Program of Study Framework components specifically geared to implementation of quality

CTE (e.g., career guidance), Perkins performance data issues, noteworthy practices, innovation, and WIOA implementation.

ii. Design the calls and/or webinars to promote dialogue among and between CTE leaders and other relevant stakeholders;

iii. Produce a set of detailed notes and/or PowerPoint slide decks for each call and/or webinar. If the event is a webinar, the

PowerPoint slide deck shall be sent to OCTAE for review and approval a minimum of 20 days prior to the event. If the event is a call, notes shall be provided to OCTAE within 7 days following the event.

2. Intensive Assistance – Under this technical assistance tier, up to five states will be proposed by the contractor and approved by OCTAE to receive additional https://connected.ed.gov/oco/Pages/Conference%20Policy%20and%20Operations.aspx

33 | P a g e technical assistance for a period of twelve months. This level of technical assistance is designed to help states implement innovative, evidence-based approaches to successful secondary and postsecondary transitions for youth, integrated into a career pathways system. The contractor shall:

i. Develop an application process for states to request additional support from the following menu:

1. Series of coaching calls facilitated by subject matter expert(s) on appropriate topic;

2. Expert review and written feedback of state’s career pathways readiness assessment tool; (an example can be found at http://www.learnwork.workforce3one.org )

3. Pairing with another state or local area for a twelve-month mentor-protégé relationship. This could involve a special coaching session to be held at one of the capacity-building meetings or be facilitated via conference call, webinar, or email communication. State participants would pay for their own travel costs associated with in-person meetings.

ii. Deliver the level of support selected from the menu to the state.

iii. Assess the effectiveness of the intensive level of technical assistance delivered to states.

iv. Provide a detailed sub-report on the outcomes of the intensive level of technical assistance as part of the final project report no later than 30 days prior to the end of the contract period.

Task 4 – Conduct Research and Create Playbook on “Scaling CTE Career Pathways:”

To enable further education of CTE stakeholders about the importance of career pathways, this task helps to gather needed evidence about the efficacy of pathways and how they might be scaled for needed systemic change. By reviewing trends using Perkins IV Consolidated Annual

3 An example of a state application package is available on the Advancing CTE State Competition, Phase I page:

http://cte.ed.gov/initiatives/advancing-cte-in-state-and-local-career-pathways-system.

http://www.learnwork.workforce3one.org/

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Report (CAR) data submitted by grantees and aligning that data with current career cluster, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and national career pathways innovations, the field’s knowledge can be enhanced, enabling useful determinations on investments in future research, technical assistance, and scaling best practices.

To facilitate this, the contractor shall:

1. Conduct research to identify, using Perkins Consolidated Annual Report data, the top ten career clusters that have had the most CTE concentrator participation at both the secondary and postsecondary levels over a three year period. CAR data will be shared by the Department with the selected contractor.

2. Produce a draft and final research paper that highlights successful career pathways models in the targeted ten clusters, emphasizing connections with and between secondary and postsecondary CTE programs. This could include such strategies as dual and/or concurrent enrollment, state-level articulation, and stackable credentials. This might also include interviewing up to nine (9) district- and system-level leaders to learn how these models were developed, implemented, and funded. The paper shall also include information on the role of business and industry in CTE programs, particularly at the postsecondary level.

3. Develop a “State Leader Playbook,” or resource guide that describes the experiences of leading district- and state systems, identifies the common challenges to creating these model programs, and provides recommendations on how CTE leaders might replicate and /or scale successful practices.

a. A draft copy of the resource guide shall be delivered to OCTAE for review and comment. Based on edits and comments, a final guide shall be created and delivered to OCTAE for approval.

b. The final version of the Playbook shall be placed on PCRN for widespread dissemination. An example of a playbook is the

Federal Resources Playbook for Registered Apprenticeships.

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Task 5 – Create Content for Online Dissemination: The contractor shall develop and maintain content for online dissemination that crosswalks information regarding relevant industry-recognized certifications already identified within the U.S. Department of Labor’s

Certification Finder to the sixteen national career clusters and 79 career pathways identified by the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium

(NASDCTEc).

The contractor shall perform the necessary tasks to ensure proper development of the content including, but not limited to:

1. Researching and finalizing data elements and crosswalk tables to be used;

2. Verifying data in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Labor and

Education (as well as relevant certification agencies, formula grantees and/or employers as identified by the Federal team);

3. Hosting meetings with the federal team to refine the concept, outline the scope, and design a logical and intuitive structure to navigate the content;

4. Working with the Department and its contractors to ensure inclusion in the

Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (http://cte.ed.gov);

5. Developing an outreach strategy to launch the tool once it is complete, including a social media strategy and content, and broad stakeholder engagement strategies;

6. Developing a social media strategy for ongoing distribution of information that minimizes human intervention; and

7. Deploying a method for tracking usage of the content and maintaining the currency relevance, and functionality of the content.

Task 6 – Conduct a CTE Stakeholder Engagement Series on Innovation: The contractor shall design a national engagement series for both CTE secondary and postsecondary level leaders to discuss the power and promise of innovation. The contract shall:

1. Develop a brand and theme for the Engagement Series, proposing 3 topics for

OCTAE review and approval no later than 60 days after the contract begins.

http://www.careeronestop.org/EducationTraining/Find/certification-finder.aspx http://cte.ed.gov/

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2. Produce 3 written case studies on three states that have been recognized for innovation in CTE. These states will be proposed by the contractor and approved by OCTAE.

3. Produce 3 short videos (approximately 2-3 minutes each) to accompany each

CTE topic and featuring CTE leaders discussing innovative practices.

Task 7 – Facilitate a Bridge Building Institute for Principal Offices such as OCTAE, OESE, and OPE: The purpose of the multi-day Institute is to strengthen the natural connections and relationships between CTE and complementary initiatives that are being implemented within the Department. Possible topics might include the connections between CTE and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), including Perkins IV and ESEA reauthorization; CTE and career pathways best practices; college accessibility and affordability;

high-quality teacher designations; and the exploration of joint work and collaboration to enhance support for increased academic rigor within CTE programming. The contractor shall:

1. Plan and execute up to 4 meetings for a maximum of 50 people. The number of meetings shall be decided by OCTAE staff – this could either be a series of meetings or one multi-day meeting in lieu of four meetings among OCTAE and relevant Department offices such as the Office of Elementary and Secondary

Education, the Office of Postsecondary Education, and the Office of Special

Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).

2. The purpose of the meetings shall be as follows:

a. Provide an opportunity for cross-Department sharing and fostering of relationships that lead to better program coordination and alignment;

b. Garner broader departmental support for CTE and career pathways;

c. Increase awareness of the benefits of integrating academic and technical instruction;

d. Facilitate conversations between and among key Department staff leaders to ensure that resources and joint professional development opportunities are maximized; and

e. Provide for a long-term strategy to foster ongoing communication and dialogue among Department leaders.

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3. The contractor shall:

a. Design the agenda for the meeting(s), with input by representatives from each office;

b. Secure logistics for the meeting(s) at either the LBJ Headquarters

Building or Potomac Center Plaza, including A/V equipment and other necessary materials or supplies;

c. Provide facilitation services for the meeting(s); and

d. Develop and compile meeting notes to be delivered to meeting participants no later than 7 days after meeting occurs.

Task 8.1: Conduct Research and Generate Knowledge for Stakeholders about Staying

Current with the Labor Market

Since 2011, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED), Labor (DOL), and Health and Human

Services (HHS) have jointly promoted the widespread adoption of career pathways. Together, the Federal agencies have worked together to build capacity among a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that adults and youth have opportunities to gain industry-recognized credentials and skills that allow them to secure employment and advance up a career ladder. The agencies issued a joint letter in April 2012 defining career pathways as a “series of connected education and training strategies and support services that enable individuals to secure industry relevant certification and obtain employment within an occupational area and to advance to higher levels of future education and employment in that area.”

The interagency team has also hosted three National Dialogues on Career Pathways and issued a

National Request for Information, engaging a broad cross-section of stakeholders to discuss important aspects of the issue, including best practice adoption and scaling, evaluation, and employer engagement. The need for comprehensive career pathways systems has been increased even more with the recent passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

WIOA requires all states to create state- and local-level workforce development boards that must include the development and adoption of career pathways practices as part of their strategic plans. Because of this new requirement, the Departments are continuing joint efforts to build the necessary capacity needed to implement WIOA successfully. In addition, OCTAE seeks to maximize its previous investments in career pathways.

https://learnwork.workforce3one.org/ http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEN/ten2_36_11.pdf http://www.dol.gov/nationaldialogue http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-04-23/pdf/2014-09274.pdf http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/WIOA%20One%20Page%20Summary%20May%202014.pdf

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This investment in helping states to build career pathways will leverage prior federal investments integrating the work and policy interests of partnering agencies such as OCTAE’s Advancing

CTE in State and Local Career Pathways System initiative. Now, in the final year of the three-year project, this initiative provided technical assistance to five states to integrate CTE in state and local career pathways systems and created an “Integrated Model for Career Pathways

Alignment,” which demonstrates to education and workforce development systems how CTE programs of study and career pathways systems are aligned. This same project published a transportation data paper called Strengthening Skills Training and Career Pathways across the

Transportation Industry.

OCTAE will continue to work across divisions within the Department and collaborate with inter-agency partners, including DOL, Energy, HHS, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Social Security, Transportation, and other agencies on federal career pathways initiatives.

This task area will help OCTAE communicate effectively the success factors of career pathways implementation and best practices including strategies to impact Perkins performance indicators positively, such as secondary and postsecondary completion, placement, and technical skills attainment.

The contractor shall submit reports and findings in both draft and final form. The reports shall typically include an executive summary, an overview of issues and the topics being addressed;

tables and graphs as appropriate, interpretations of results and implications for educational policy. Complex or politically sensitive reports may require several drafts. Reports may also be accompanied by in-person or virtual briefings. As part of this knowledge generation task, the contractor may also conduct national conference calls or webinars for state CTE leaders to garner feedback on best practices; and develop policy papers, toolkits, fact sheets, and resource guides.

In the Career Pathways—Approaches for the Delivery of Education, Training, Employment, and

Human Services: Summary of Responses to a Request for Information (RFI), respondents http://cte.ed.gov/initiatives/advancing-cte-in-state-and-local-career-pathways-systems http://cte.ed.gov/initiatives/advancing-cte-in-state-and-local-career-pathways-systems http://cte.ed.gov/nationalinitiatives/advancing_cte.cfm http://cte.ed.gov/nationalinitiatives/advancing_cte.cfm http://cte.ed.gov/initiatives/advancing-cte-in-state-and-local-career-pathways-systems http://cte.ed.gov/initiatives/advancing-cte-in-state-and-local-career-pathways-systems https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/CP_RFI.pdf https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/CP_RFI.pdf

39 | P a g e recommended providing the following types of technical assistance: clarify how CTE “programs of study” relate to career pathways, which is a point of confusion for some members of the CTE community; and continue to offer technical assistance to states to help facilitate career pathways partnerships (i.e., articulation agreements, braiding of funding streams/investments, and development of partnerships across agencies). Facilitators identified in the RFI responses included partnerships, data sharing, dedicated resources, leadership support, integrated support services, technical assistance, and employer engagement. Barriers identified in the RFI responses included credentials, federal policy, performance measures, lack of articulation, funding, and staying current with the labor market. 4

To provide CTE states and local areas with enhanced technical assistance to implement fully integrated models of CTE career pathways, the project contractor shall help career and technical educators stay current with the labor market by creating a series of data reports on future workforce needs for three to five career clusters. The contractor shall identify three to five high-demand; high-growth; high-wage industry sectors such as Advanced Manufacturing; Energy;

Health Sciences; Information Technology; or Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics and explain their selection of the related career clusters for this project.

These three to five data papers will be modeled upon the transportation data paper called

Strengthening Skills Training and Career Pathways across the Transportation Industry. The contractor shall describe the need for a skilled workforce and provide an overview of job opportunities. The data paper shall make available the best information regarding job demand, skills matching, support needs, and education, training, and career options, as well as innovative approaches to training using learning science and advanced technology. The contractor shall describe the current workforce, workforce projections, skills gap projections, and a sample of best practices in education and workforce development. The data analysis shall highlight, for example:

•Current industry employment, and worker distribution by age, sex, race, and ethnicity, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education. (2015, February).

Career Pathways—Approaches for the Delivery of Education, Training, Employment, and Human Services: Summary of Responses to a Request for Information. Washington, D.C.: Author.

http://www.careertech.org/career-clusters

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•Projected industry and occupational job openings based on:

–Net job growth

–Separations (such as occupational transfers, retirement, and other exits), •Job openings by career area (e.g., construction, operations, maintenance, central services, and other), •Top occupations by sector, based on long-term projections, •Geographic “hot spots” for future jobs, •Wages and Education/Work Experience/Training Requirements for high-demand jobs for that industry sector, and

•Annual job openings compared to educational program completions.

Key sources may include, but are not limited to, Current Population Survey of the US Bureau of

Labor Statistics (BLS), Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI), and the BLS

Employment Projections program.

The data paper for each of the three to five career clusters shall be accompanied by a Guide for the Development of Career Pathways in (name of Career Cluster) modeled on the Guide for the

Development of Career Pathways in Transportation. The Guide shall outline the steps that industry stakeholders can take to develop or expand Career Pathways to the skills, competencies, and credentials needed for high-demand jobs in that industry and its subsectors. Specifically, the

Guide:

Shall provide a rationale for change by describing the increasing need for skilled workers in the (name of sector) industry and concerns over the prospect of a skilled worker shortage over the next 10 years if nothing is done;

Shall identify the potential of Career Pathways systems for addressing the skill needs of the current and future industry workforce; and

Shall describe a process for developing Career Pathways in that industry.

The Guide shall be targeted to industry stakeholders—including agencies, state and local officials, employers, labor, education and training providers, community-based organizations

(CBOs), workforce and economic development systems, and other individuals or organizations that would gain from developing and implementing a high quality education and workforce http://cte.ed.gov/initiatives/advancing-cte-in-state-and-local-career-pathways-system.

http://cte.ed.gov/initiatives/advancing-cte-in-state-and-local-career-pathways-system.

41 | P a g e development system that effectively meets the skill needs of workers and employers in the industry.

The potential of including career clusters in Career Pathways system development efforts is considerable. These Guides shall help industry stakeholders build the education and training pipelines that are necessary to prepare students, jobseekers, and existing workers for careers in the industry. The Guides shall build on:

Lessons learned through developing state and local Career Pathways systems that are already underway that are currently focused on high-demand industries and occupations

(e.g., advanced manufacturing, healthcare information, and technology);

Knowledge and guidance that has been jointly gathered and developed by the U.S.

Departments of Education (ED), Labor (DOL), and Health and Human Services (HHS), offering a framework for developing state and local Career Pathways systems;i

Knowledge that has been gained from successful education and training programs that are already underway in the industry, including successful apprenticeship programs run by or in cooperation with organized labor; and

Work that has been undertaken by the Department of Labor along with system stakeholders on development of the Competency Models.

The contractor shall submit a preliminary draft of each data paper and Guide to the COR for review by the due date set forth in the Schedule of Deliverables. The COR will provide the contractor with feedback within 30 days of receipt of each draft. By the due date set forth in the

Schedule of Deliverables, the contractor shall make revisions based on the COR’s feedback and submit the final data paper and Guide to the COR for posting on OCTAE’s Perkins Collaborative

Resource Network (PCRN) Web site (http://cte.ed.gov/), and other Web sites as appropriate.

The contractor may be required to secure experts in order to create these data reports and the contractor may suggest subject matter experts, if warranted; the contractor shall obtain highly qualified subject matter experts. Depending on the manner of engagement, this may include paying an honorarium or an hourly (generally not to exceed $77/hour) or daily rate. If the contractor believes that the tasks may be performed by a member of its staff, the contractor may http://cte.ed.gov/

42 | P a g e propose their internal staff expert as an alternative. OCTAE will approve all subject matter experts prior to the contractor entering into agreements with experts for work to be conducted under a task order.

Deliverables for Task 8.1:

Draft list of three to five career cluster areas and justification for choosing them

Final list of three to five career cluster areas, as approved by the Department

Draft data papers and Guides, three to five

Final data papers and Guides, three to five

Task 8.2: Dissemination

The contractor shall disseminate the three to five data reports and Guides to a wide audience.

See Graphic Design, above, Technical Assistance for Implementing Career and Technical

Education (CTE, Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) Contract. See Web-based materials and tools, above, Technical Assistance for Implementing Career and Technical

Education (CTE, Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) Contract. The contractor shall be required to develop materials that will be made available on the Internet. Design a

Conducting Research and Generating Knowledge for Stakeholders: Staying Current with Labor

Market Information web page for the Department’s Perkins Resource Collaborative Network

(PCRN). The contractor shall not create a new website; rather, it shall design a web page and provide new content on this initiative for the existing PCRN website at cte.ed.gov. Web-based tools shall use software compatible with the Department’s Perkins Collaborative Resource

Network (PCRN). See Audio or Video Products, above, Technical Assistance for

Implementing Career and Technical Education (CTE, Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity

(IDIQ) Contract.

The contract shall:

Produce one draft written case study for each of the three to five career clusters that have been proposed by the contractor and approved by

OCTAE.

Produce one final written case study for each of the three to five career clusters that have been proposed by the contractor and approved by

OCTAE.

Produce one draft short video (approximately 2-3 minutes each) to accompany each of the three to five career clusters.

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Produce one final short video (approximately 2-3 minutes each) to accompany each of the three to five career clusters.

Produce one draft webinar for each of the three to five career clusters.

Produce one final webinar for each of the three to five career clusters.

SCHEDULE OF DELIVERABLES

The contractor shall follow the deliverable schedule as directed below. All materials shall be prepared in MS Word, 12 pt. The contractor shall submit one electronic copy of each draft and final deliverable to the COR, and one electronic copy of each deliverable to the Contract

Specialist. The Schedule of Deliverables and payment schedule shall be maintained in a separate

Excel file.

Task

Deliverable/Activity

Due Date

Task 1: Project Management

1.1.a Final agenda and materials for the kick-off planning meeting

Within seven days after contract award.

1.1.b A draft and final summary of the kick-off planning meeting (agenda, meeting notes, work plan, and deliverable schedule)

Within seven days after kick-off planning meeting.

1.1.c Bi-weekly Conference Calls for first three months of contracts; monthly calls thereafter

First 3 months of contract;

Monthly, by the first Tuesday of each calendar month

1.2.a Monthly progress reports Monthly, by the second Tuesday of each calendar month, starting one (1) month after contract award.

1.2.b Draft final report Draft 30 days prior to end of contract period.

1.2.c Final report to include summary of all activities, evaluations, and archived materials

Final report within 30 days of end of contract.

Task 2: Develop and Implement the CTE Career Pathways Leadership Academy

2.1a White paper on national leadership programs and recommendations for program

Within one (1) month after contract award.

2.1.b Draft Leadership Academy implementation plan

Within two (2) months after

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2.1.c Final Leadership Academy implementation plan

Within 75 days after contract award.

2.2.a Draft and final outreach and communication plan

Within three (3) months after

2.3.a Implement the CTE Leaders Academy, including participant application process, selection, and facilitation of three national meetings and ongoing technical assistance with the cohort

To begin no later than (4) months after contract award

Task 3: Design and Implement Two-Tiered Technical Assistance Model for States and Local

Areas

3.1.a Draft implementation plan for TA Model, including proposed regional meeting dates

Within one (1) month after contract award.

3.1.b Final implementation plan Within two months (2) after contract award

3.2.a Draft and final agenda and meeting materials for each proposed TA Meeting

Within 90 days of each event

3.3.a Draft CTE readiness assessment tool and protocols for OCTAE review

Within four (4) months after contract award.

3.4.a Agendas, meeting notes, formula grantee feedback on TA coaching calls

Within 14 days of coaching activity

Task 4: Conduct Research and Create State Leader Playbook on CTE Best Practices

4.1.a Draft report on CAR data and career cluster findings and environmental scan

Within four (4) months after

4.1.b Final report on CAR data and career cluster findings and environmental scan

Within five (5) months after

4.2.a Draft State Leader Playbook Resource

Guide

Within seven (7) months after

4.2.b Final State Leader Playbook Resource

Guide

Within eight (8) months after

Task 5: Create Content for Online Dissemination

5.1.a

Draft implementation plan for project

Within one (1) month after

5.1.b Final implementation plan for project Within two (2) months after

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5.2.a Draft meeting agendas for development meetings

Within seven days before each meeting;

5.2.b Final meeting agendas for development meetings; and meeting summaries

Summaries within seven days after each meeting

5.3.a Draft crosswalk and certification list Within four (4) months after contract award.

5.3.b Final crosswalk and certification list Within five (5) months after contract award.

5.4.a Draft content for website Within six (6) months after contract award

5.4.b Final crosswalk and certification list Within seven (7) months after contract award

5.5.a Draft outreach and communications plan for content launch

Within eight (8) months after contract award.

5.5.b Final outreach and communications plan for content launch

Within nine (9) months after

Task 6: Create a CTE Stakeholder Engagement Series on Innovation

6.1.a

Draft plan for engagement series, including ideas for case studies, videos, and branding

Within two (2) months of contract award.

6.1.b Final plan for engagement series Within three (3) months of contract award.

6.2.a Draft outline for case studies (3 in total) Within four (4) months of contract award.

6.2.b Final outline for case studies Within four (4) months of contract award

6.3.a Draft outline for short videos (3 in total) Within four (4) months of contract award.

6.3.b Three videos delivered to OCTAE, including preparation of speakers, editing, and transcript

Within seven (7) months of contract award.

6.4.c Three webinars with accompanying transcripts

By end of the contract award.

Task 7 – Facilitate a Bridge Building Institute for Principal Offices such as OCTAE, OESE, and OPE

7.1.a Conduct strategy session with stakeholders to plan institute

Within two (2) months of contract award.

7.1.b Draft agenda and materials for meetings

Fourteen days before each meeting

7.1.c Final agenda and materials for meetings

Within seven days of meeting

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7.1.d Meeting Summaries Within seven days after each meeting.

Task 8: Conduct Research and Generate Knowledge for Stakeholders about Staying Current with the Labor Market

8.1.a Draft list of three to five career cluster areas and justification for choosing them

At kick-off meeting

8.1.b Final list of three to five career cluster areas, as approved by the Department

Within one (1) week of kick-off meeting

8.1.c Draft data papers and Guides, three to five

Within five (5) months of contract award

8.1.d Final data papers and Guides, three to five

Within ten (10 months of contract

8.2.a Draft: one written case study for each of the three to five career clusters

Within seven, eight, and nine (7, 8, 9) months of contract award

8.2.b Final: one written case study for each of the three to five career clusters

Within ten, eleven , and twelve

(10, 11, 12) months of contract award

8.2.c Draft outline for: one short video

(approximately 2-3 minutes each) to accompany each of the three to five career clusters

Within seven, eight, and nine (7, 8, 9) months of contract award

8.2.d Final: one short video (approximately 2-3 minutes each) to accompany each of the three to five career clusters, including preparation of speakers, editing, and transcript

Within ten, eleven , and twelve

(10, 11, 12) months of contract award

8.2.e Draft: produce one webinar for each of the three to five career clusters

Within seven, eight, and nine (7, 8, 9) months of contract award

8.2.f Final: produce one webinar for each of the three to five career clusters with accompanying transcripts

Within ten, eleven , and twelve

(10, 11, 12) months of contract

Appendix: Meetings and Conferences

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This procurement involves logistical and related support for conferences and meetings. The term

“meeting” as used in this Performance Work Statement (PWS), includes, but is not limited to a convening, meeting, retreat, seminar, symposium, training, webinars, workshops whether conducted face-to-face or via the Internet, where individuals assemble (or meet virtually) to exchange information and views or explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge and any event that includes attendee travel.

The contractor shall provide logistical support for meetings and conferences. The contractor shall adhere to the Department’s requirements for reviewing and approving conference related expenditures prior to making any legal or financial obligations. The contractor shall provide support for the writing and production of reports/documents, and the distribution of conference materials. Non-exhaustive lists of examples of the type of work to be performed under this contract follow.

The contractor shall, in consultation with Department staff, plan and implement meetings.

Logistical support includes, but is not limited to: site selection, agenda development;

identification and preparation of trainers/facilitators; travel planning; coordination of registration and on-site logistics; production of signage and meeting materials such as charts, slides, or

PowerPoint presentations; coordination and deployment of audio-visual equipment; assisting speakers and meeting participants with travel arrangements; evaluation and post-event.

The contractor may provide pre-meeting services. These pre-meeting services may include, but are not limited to, Planning and arranging the meeting agenda and activities, Identifying and confirming hotel space (prior to hotel selection the contractor shall consider the location of the hotel for metro and food accessibility), Inviting and registering participants by designing, implementing, and managing a registration site, Contacting and securing speakers/experts, Arranging travel needs for conference speakers and presenters, 48 | P a g e

Identify…