ESBD_File_319348_Addendum 1 Vendor Questions and Answers Final.pdf

Texas Education Agency RFP 701-23-004 Career and Technical Education Teacher Professional Development and Training

Addendum 1, March 27, 2023

This addendum incorporates the following changes to the above-referenced solicitation:

I. Questions - The following questions and associated responses are hereby incorporated into the above-referenced solicitation:

SECTION 1.1 Purpose, Background and Scope of Work

1. QUESTION: "In the 2023-2024 contract year, there will be two sites for the trainings." Have the cities for those trainings been identified? If not, are there preferences?

TEA RESPONSE: No, the two sites have not been identified. Preference will be given to sites that have the necessary capacity to serve the most CTE teachers.

2. QUESTION: Is TEALearn a learning management system that is used by TEA? Or is it a function of the organization, or both? If it is an LMS, will the vendor have access to TEALearn for learning administration, such as communication with learners, scheduling, evaluations, pre-work and overall tracking and reporting?

TEA RESPONSE: TEALearn is an LMS that is a function of the agency. The vendor will have access to TEALearn to all those areas.

3. QUESTION: For the Revision of eight (8) existing courses, was the material created in-house, or by a vendor?

Assuming that the inputs to revising these 8 courses will be the analysis of the Professional development and Training needs (Section 1.1.1). Is this correct?

TEA RESPONSE: The material was created by a vendor, with direction from TEA. Yes, revisions will be subject to the analysis.

4. QUESTION: Section 1.1.4 - is there priority for delivery for either the new or experienced teacher?

TEA RESPONSE: New teachers would have priority.

5. QUESTION: Section 1.1.4 - will all "new teacher" content be prerequisite for "experienced"? And if so, will there be a population of new teachers who take both new and experienced level classes?

TEA RESPONSE: New teacher content will not be a prerequisite for experienced teachers. The expectation would be that once new teachers have had their initial training, experienced teacher training would be available for them. Ideally, training for both sets of teachers would be separate and largely differentiated.

6. QUESTION: Section 1.1.6, there are five (5) existing courses (for Integrating Math, Integrating Science, and work-based learning), listed as TEALearn courses? Are these web-based courses? Other than the inputs listed in section 1.1.5, are there other inputs?

TEA RESPONSE: Yes, these are TEALearn web-based courses. No, there are no other inputs.

7. QUESTION: Section 1.1.7, is this a new course, for Entrepreneurship?

TEA RESPONSE: Yes.

8. QUESTION: Is any of this training mandatory? Will we get guidance on which course are mandatory vs. optional?

TEA RESPONSE: The training is mandatory for first-time teachers of CTE math and science courses. The status of the entrepreneurship training for each of the courses in that Program of Study is to be determined. Currently, training is required for the Practicum of Entrepreneurship.

9. QUESTION: Will the training be tied to performance appraisals? Or to student test/learning outcomes? Or both?

TEA RESPONSE: Each of those considerations will be a local district decision.

10. QUESTION: What is the desired headcount for each session? For on-ground vs. virtual?

TEA RESPONSE: Around two hundred for both types.

11. QUESTION: Is there a desire to have this be a cohort model?

TEA RESPONSE: No.

12. QUESTION: Is there a desire/need for the vendor to deliver a Train-the-Trainer? If so, how many internal trainers would you like to have?

TEA RESPONSE: No.

13. QUESTION: For Training Evaluation, do you desire Level 1 = 1 Learner Reaction? Or would you like L1 & L2 (measuring learning, typically pre-post tests)

TEA RESPONSE: All three would be desirable. Minimum would be learner reaction.

14. QUESTION: For Virtual offerings, what is the preferred platform? Zoom? Teams?

Will learners be requested to keep their cameras on?

TEA RESPONSE: The preferred virtual platform will be Zoom. Yes, learners will be required to keep their cameras on.

15. Question: Section 1.3 Contract Term: If the award is announced in June 2023, and the contract is executed through August 31, 2023, is this "first year" of the contract?

TEA RESPONSE: Yes.

16. QUESTION: General Question: When the vendor choice has been made and posted in ESBD, will there be an email or phone call to the awarded vendor as well?

TEA RESPONSE: The vendor recommended for award will be notified pending negotiation of a successful contract. The final award will be given via email once the contract is signed by TEA.

17. Question: (Page 3, Section 1.1 Purpose and Page 5, Section 1.5 SOW) Please clarify the total number of credits for each of the courses to be revised: Eight (8) existing CTE Teacher PD courses for New CTE teachers

(4) and Experienced CTE teachers (4).

TEA Response: Three credits for each course.

18. Question: (Page 3, Section 1.1 Purpose) As the contractor will conduct trainings during 2023-2024, and in additional years the training sites may rotate to different parts of the state, but (Page 4, Section 1.3 Contract Term) the initial contract terms will be from contract execution through August 31, 2023 not allowing ample time for development of course curriculum or implementation of the trainings. Will any optional renewal periods from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024 and September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2025 be considered to be awarded as part of the initial contract to be able to adequately prepare for the 2023- 2024/2024-2025 trainings based on the TADBP proposed for all three periods?

TEA Response: TEA prefers a one-year contract to start. Satisfactory performance will allow for optional renewal periods to be considered.

II. All other provisions of the solicitation remain the same.