EV00017868_Consolidated_Q_and_A.pdf

1) As a for-profit early education provider, are we eligible to bid on this RFP as a

Community-Based Organization?

a) For-profit organizations are eligible to apply and will be graded using the same criteria as all other submissions.

2) Are facilities located within City of Boston municipal limits eligible under this RFP if their postal mailing address or zip code uses a non-Boston designation (e.g., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467)? How will site location and neighborhood eligibility be verified?

a) In order to be contracted to serve as a Boston Pre-K provider, the applicant facility must be within Boston city limits. Site location eligibility will be verified using ZIP code and, if necessary, confirmation with the City of Boston Planning Department. If a program is unsure if their site is within city limits, they can reach out to the Planning Department or reference publicly available maps at https://www.bostonplans.org.

3) We have operated as a language immersion program, and immersion is the core of our educational philosophy. To support this, we design our own curriculum, organized around cultural holidays and seasons. Our preschool teachers are experienced with Focus on 3s and 4s and use it alongside our curriculum, covering the same content in a different format and language. Does this blended approach count toward Focus on Pre-K experience? How will years of experience be evaluated when Focus was not our sole curriculum? We understand Boston Pre-K classrooms will be taught in English and following Focus on Pre-K; we are asking only how our prior experience will be scored.

a) In order to address this factor, please provide a detailed description of how the Focus curriculum has been utilized or incorporated, either as a sole curriculum or in conjunction with an internal curriculum. If applicants have altered Focus to best support their own community or mission, it should be clear what aspects of Focus are being utilized and for how long (in years) the applicant program has utilized them. The criteria are based specifically on Focus delivery, and if Focus has not been utilized in its entirety, your score will reflect that.

4) We operate a separate infant/toddler site for our Pre-K center. If our preschool site is awarded seats, will children from our infant/toddler site receive priority, or does priority apply only to children at the same site?

a) Boston Pre-K utilizes a priority system that prioritizes only students who are currently enrolled at the site. Therefore, children who attend Site A as a toddler would have priority to attend Site A as a preschooler. However, if Site A acts as a feeder school for Site B, students from Site A would not be given priority for Site B as a Boston Pre-K site.

5) May a Boston Pre-K teacher be employed on an H-1B visa, or have an approved PERM labor certification with the green card process still pending?

a) A Boston Pre-K teacher can be employed provided they hold valid U.S. work authorization and meet the Boston Pre-K teaching credential requirements. If United States work authorization is pending or incomplete, they would not be authorized to work in the United States and therefore could not work as a Boston Pre-K teacher or in any other position.

https://www.bostonplans.org

6) We plan to pursue NAEYC accreditation. Our organization has a preschool site and a separate infant/toddler site. Would accreditation of only the preschool site proposed for Boston Pre-K satisfy this criterion, or must both sites be accredited?

a) NAEYC Accreditation is only necessary for the site which will directly partner with Boston Pre-K. In this specific case, the separate infant/toddler site would not need NAEYC accreditation to satisfy this requirement.

7) I am currently unable to log in to the Supplier Portal, and without access I cannot search for the event or download the RFP materials.

a) Applications must be submitted through the City of Boston Supplier Portal. I’ve included the resources below to assist with accessing your supplier account and submitting a bid:

i) City of Boston Supplier Portal / Vendor Account Information:

Supplier Portal Information

ii) Instructions for Submitting a Bid: Bid Submission Instructions

b) Since you are currently unable to log in to your account, you will need to reach out directly to the City of Boston Supplier Portal contact listed in the vendor information shared above. They can assist with restoring access to your existing account and updating your supplier information, if needed.

c) Once you regain access, you should be able to search for EV00017868 in the Supplier Portal, review the solicitation materials, and submit your response through the portal.

8) I noticed while doing the Pricing Proposal that 'students at site' is calculating correctly, but 'total requested classrooms' is not calculating accurately.

a) This issue was noted and resolved on Thursday, September 24th. If you made a copy of the pricing sheet before then, please make another copy and the calculations should be correct. If any student totals are not calculated correctly, you may enter the values manually. However, do not edit any monetary amounts.

9) Could you please clarify the forms that need to be submitted alongside the technical proposal?

a) The RFP includes a checklist to ensure that your submission includes all the required documents. Please refer to this checklist when submitting to ensure that you have submitted all required documents. In order to be responsive and competitive, applicants need to submit: a cover page, a brief narrative confirming that you meet the minimum evaluation criteria, a response to each comparative evaluation criterion (this is the largest part of the RFP), a response to the diversity and equity prompts, references, certifications, and a separate pricing proposal.

10)Criterion 4 instructs that you must implement at least 6 of 8 family engagement best practices in your organization across all sites with potential Boston Pre-K classrooms. For one family engagement best practice, we must offer a formal family engagement orientation. How do we prove that?

a) You can attach your current Family Engagement Orientation packet as an attachment to your RFP response. Also include in the narrative section how that family engagement booklet is utilized.

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/home?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://docs.google.com/document/d/12WdwJDNw6FrWqznvT-ycs9QcfdQky4jPHSV6RImp7v4/edit?tab=t.0&utm_source=chatgpt.com

11)Criterion 4 instructs that you must implement at least 6 of 8 family engagement best practices in your organization across all sites with potential Boston Pre-K classrooms. One of the best practices states that a program must have a designated full-time family engagement coordinator on staff. Can we attach a job description and/or resume of a family engagement team member to meet this criterion?

a) The applicant should attach the resume and job description of their dedicated Family Engagement Coordinator if that is one of the 8 best practices being fulfilled.

12)Criterion 4 states that you must implement at least 6 of 8 family engagement best practices in your organization across all sites with potential Boston Pre-K classrooms.

Included in these best practices, programs must implement the Ages & Stages Questionnaire for students. How do we prove that? Should we attach an example of a completed form?

a) Student-level ASQ data is confidential and should not be attached to this RFP.

Applicants should explain how ASQs are implemented and what process they use to complete them if this is one of the 8 best practices conducted.

13)Criterion 4 instructs that you must implement at least 6 of 8 family engagement classrooms. Included in this, programs must collect or verify dental, vision, and hearing screenings for students. How can we prove that?

a) Programs should include a description with specific details on how dental, vision, and hearing screenings are conducted. A specific attachment is not required and a detailed description is sufficient.

14)Criterion 4 instructs that you must implement at least 6 of 8 family engagement classrooms. Included in this, programs must have a formal written program handbook for families, have a written, accessible family engagement & comprehensive service plan, and have a formal plan to ensure families transition successfully into a BPS kindergarten or first-grade classroom. How can we prove we have met these criteria (e.g., referring students, as needed, to Boston Public Schools' Child Find)?

a) Applicants should in all circumstances include a narrative that explains their family engagement practices and philosophies. That said, specific student data should not be attached. Student-level data is confidential and should not be used to prove satisfactory completion of a Family Engagement practice. For example, an accessible family engagement & comprehensive service plan and a formal plan to ensure families transition successfully into a BPS kindergarten or first-grade classroom can be attached to the RFP and explained narratively in detail. A family handbook can be attached to the RFP, and how it is utilized and distributed should be explained narratively. A completed Child Find form should not be attached. Instead, how Child Find is utilized can be explained narratively.

15)Our program has implemented the Focus on Pre-K curriculum since 2019. What supporting documents should we send or attach in the technical proposal?

a) A narrative should be included that explains how Focus is currently implemented in your program. An applicant can also choose to attach a sample lesson plan or classroom schedule to further illustrate their use of Focus.

16)When you refer to a project, in terms of the references section, what do you mean by

“project”?

a) References can be an individual or another organization. References should be from someone who has experience working with your program on a related project, or a family (parent/guardian) who can speak to similar work or services you have provided in the past that are relevant to the work we are requesting.

17)For section 4.3 - Response to Scope of Work - I don’t see the questions that we are supposed to answer in the RFP. Can you tell me where we can find them?

a) Your response to the Scope of Work consists of your responses to each of the

Comparative Evaluation Criteria. These can be answered narratively and/or with supporting evidence or resources in the form of attachments to the RFP that provide specifics about your response.

For example, if you are speaking to how your program meets Family Engagement Best Practices, you could include a copy of your program’s Family Handbook or other relevant materials that demonstrate your approach and practices.

18)Can you explain the difference between section 4.2 and 4.3?

a) Section 4.2 provides a summary of the Minimum Evaluation Criteria and asks respondents to briefly describe how they meet each minimum requirement;

respondents who meet the requirements in Section 4.2 should then address the Comparative Evaluation Criteria in Section 4.3, which represents the substantive “meat” of the RFP and provides an opportunity for programs to demonstrate the strength and quality of their practices.

19)Can you elaborate about the part of the bid that mentions transitions to BPS?

a) It is a priority of Boston Pre-K, funded through the Boston Public Schools budget, to ensure that children transitioning out of partner community-based settings are successfully connected to Boston Public Schools (BPS) for Kindergarten.

Programs are encouraged to describe the practices, processes, and supports they have in place to help children and families transition from their program into

BPS.

20)What is the Addendum to the RFP, and how is it different from other questions in the

RFP?

a) Addendum: An outline of any changes made to the RFP after it was released.

b) Section 6.1 – Submission Checklist (Page 28): Use this checklist to make sure you submit all required documents. Do not rely only on the documents listed in the Addendum, as submitting only the addendum sections will cause you to miss most of the RFP.

c) There was a section added to the RFP for applicants to add Diversity and Equity statements.

d) CM Forms and Living Wage Forms: These forms are not included on the submission checklist and do not need to be signed or submitted—some documents are required to be reviewed but do not need to be submitted. Be sure to cross-reference these documents with the Submission Checklist so you know what must be included in your application.

e) Technical and Pricing proposals should be submitted separately.

21)How is the bid scored? What if our program doesn’t meet or implement one of the criteria?

a) Scoring will be based on the Comparative Evaluation Criteria included in the RFP. If your childcare center does not currently have a practice related to one of the criteria, your score will reflect that. You are not being asked to change your current practices; rather, please describe the practices you currently have in place and how they relate to each criterion.

22)How does not being accredited by NAEYC affect a program’s eligibility for Boston Pre-K funding?

a) NAEYC accreditation and the accreditation process are important measures of quality for Boston Pre-K programs. If your program is not currently accredited, please use this section to describe the steps you have taken or are currently taking toward accreditation and evaluation.

23)From the Price Book - does the lump sum need any explanation in reference to the number of students or classroom capacity?

a) This section only requires the number listed on the pricing proposal.

24)How does Boston Pre-K funding work?

a) Funding is based on the maximum amount a program may receive based on the number of seats awarded to that individual program. The amount listed on the pricing proposal is not guaranteed and may vary based on actual enrollment and other applicable factors.

b) Contracted sites will work through a seat award process to determine the number of seats they receive and their final finding amount. Funding is based on the Boston Pre-K funding model.

c) Programs may request to include non-Boston Pre-K seats in a Boston Pre-K classroom, and this will affect the overall funding amount a program receives.

25)What is the budget meant to cover & does it cover salary?

a) A program’s Boston Pre-K budget covers 4 staff salaries with a minimum salary requirement: Lead Teacher, Assistant Teacher, Program Director, and Family Engagement Coordinator. The budget is also used for ordering curriculum materials and books, as well as other capital expenditures related to implementing Boston Pre-K.

b) Boston Pre-K operates under a Cost Reimbursement system, with a specific spending timeline.

26)If a program was previously contracted with Boston Pre-K and went through the process of an Implementation Year, how does that impact the Budget Proposal and the RFP as a whole?

a) New-programs will not have an implementation year, and will instead be awarded seats in accordance with the Boston Pre-K funding model.

27)How is the salary for teachers determined? By centers themselves?

a) Minimum salary requirements are currently set forth by the Boston Teachers Union (BTU) contract. This process is being re-evaluated to better meet the needs of programs. At this time, minimum salary requirements apply to four designated positions, and programs are required to pay employees in these positions at least the established minimum salary.

28)Does Boston Pre-K fund programming outside of the required 6.5 hours a day, 180 days a year?

a) Programs may offer programming outside of Boston Pre-K–funded hours, such as summer or after-school wraparound care. These services may be funded through childcare vouchers or out-of-pocket payments from families. There is currently no additional Boston Pre-K funding available to cover the cost of programming provided outside of the funded hours.

29)Our organization has two locations: one in Boston, and one outside of Boston - can we apply for Boston Pre-K funding at both?

a) Boston Pre-K funding is reserved for programs located in Boston that serve

Boston families. Applications must be submitted for the specific program site(s) located within Boston.

30)In the Project Summary section of the RFP, it states that contract decisions are informed by Supply & Demand data, with an emphasis on certain priority to neighborhoods listed as “high demand” - what does this mean for programs not located in those neighborhoods?

a) A program’s location does not mean that it will or will not be selected based solely on the Boston neighborhood in which it is located. Being located outside of a particular neighborhood does not make a program ineligible for selection.

Programs can choose to include information about their proximity to high-need neighborhoods in their Comparative Evaluation Criteria.

31)Enrollment / Child Eligibility - Given the broad availability of Boston Pre-K, many children who meet the program’s priority qualifications may already be enrolled in Boston Pre-K classrooms with existing providers. How should new applicants approach demonstrating their ability to enroll and serve a minimum number of children who meet their qualifications? How will this factor be evaluated for new providers entering the Boston Pre-K system?

a) Applicants should use this section to describe the strategies and practices your program currently uses to maintain strong enrollment, and explain how these practices align with Boston Pre-K policies and expectations.

32)If an applicant does not currently use the Focus curriculum but uses an existing curriculum aligned with Massachusetts standards - and is willing to adopt an approved curriculum if awarded - is there a way and/or how should the applicant demonstrate that it meets the criteria for an "advantageous" rating in this area?

a) Describe how your current curriculum is implemented and how it supports high-quality teaching and learning, even if your program does not currently use Focus. You should also describe your program’s willingness and readiness to adopt Focus. If applicable, include steps you are already taking toward implementation, such as having lead teachers participate in Focus training(s).

Focus is a requirement of Boston Pre-K programs, and not using Focus currently will reflect in your overall score.

33)Do we need to submit a certificate for insurance? What format does the upload need to be?

a) A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is not due at the time of submission. If awarded, you will be required to submit a COI, as well as the other contract terms and conditions documents.

34)Can you explain how Boston Pre-K enrollment priority works?

a) Enrollment priority applies only to students who are currently enrolled in a Boston Pre-K site. For example, a two-year-old child enrolled in the program who is aging into a Boston Pre-K seat has priority. However, a child enrolled at a separate site within the same organization, such as a site that serves younger children, would not necessarily have priority simply because the sites are part of the same program.

35)Can a list of interested families be used as evidence of community need and demonstrate that the program is serving families in the community?

a) Yes

36)How many seats are available through this Bid?

a) Up to 1,165 seats across Boston - these seats are not newly created, they are existing seats up for re-bid since currently contracted programs have expiring contracts.

37)What is the Boston Pre-K application process?

a) Families can rank up to five locations in their preferred order. They will receive an offer from their highest-ranked location where a seat is available. If a seat is not available at a higher-ranked location, the offer may be made at a lower-ranked choice. Great Starts uses a lottery process to determine placements.

38)How much control does a program have over enrollment for Boston Pre-K?

a) Families apply through Great Starts and rank their preferred programs. A lottery is then conducted to match families with available seats based on their rankings.

Boston Pre-K enrollment administrators oversee the process, which is based solely on eligibility, seat availability, and application status.

39)How can the Q & A document be accessed after this meeting?

a) The information will be posted on the City of Boston’s public portal by Friday, October 2nd, 2026, as a resource and will not be distributed by email.

40)Can you explain what information to include in the Pricing Proposal?

a) For the pricing proposal, programs should focus on how they would use the Boston Pre-K funding to support the proposed number of seats and provide specific details about their planned use of the funds. Section 3 can be used to explain how Boston Pre-K funds would support the program, including key costs and priorities. Programs do not need to provide a full breakdown of all program expenditures or the total cost of operating the entire center.

41)The RFP lists as a highly advantageous criterion that a center has been in operation for 3 or more years—how does this impact scoring?

a) For a new program that has not been operating for three or more years, you can still demonstrate relevant experience by describing the experience and qualifications of your program staff. For example, if the owner operates other childcare centers, you can describe the relevant experience and practices from those programs. Use the narrative to provide specific details about how your team’s experience and current practices meet the Comparative Evaluation Criteria.

42)Our organization has multiple sites interested in applying - do we submit separate applications for each site?

a) Organizations applying for multiple locations may submit one application on behalf of all sites. Submissions are limited to one per organization.

43)After a center is chosen, who will be responsible for training the teachers? Also, will BPS provide curriculum and books?

a) Assigned classroom coaches support classroom instruction and provide ongoing support for curriculum implementation and the classroom environment. The site’s coach monitors implementation and provides guidance to ensure alignment with program expectations. Boston Pre-K funding may be used to purchase necessary curriculum materials. The curriculum is open-source and resources are available through the Boston Public Schools website.

44)Are Boston Pre-K programs required to use the Focus curriculum?

a) Yes, all Boston Pre-K classrooms must use the Focus on Pre-K curriculum.

45)What are the lead teacher qualifications?

a) A bachelor’s degree is required for a Lead Teacher position. Lead teachers are not required to have an EEC Professional Certification.

46)Would parent/guardian testimonials be appropriate for answering the Comparative Evaluation Criteria: Family Engagement Best Practices (pg. 17)?

a) Rather than focusing primarily on family testimonials, use this section to provide resources or supporting documents that demonstrate your site’s family engagement practices and policies and how they align with Boston Pre-K standards.

47)Since the pricing proposal only shows the maximum budget, it’s hard to know whether the final award will be enough. If a center is selected and its actual budget turns out to be too low to cover operating costs, teacher salaries, and curriculum and books, what happens? Any sense of typical budget awarded compared to the maximum would help us plan.

a) Boston Pre-K funding is based on a funding formula that has remained consistent over the past several school years and uses a per-classroom and filled-seat cost model. The funding amount represents the maximum allowable budget for each classroom. Actual budgets vary based on the individual site and classroom configuration, so there is no single “typical” Boston Pre-K budget.

48)We plan to pursue NAEYC accreditation. Our organization has a preschool site and a separate infant/toddler site under the same center. Would accreditation of only the preschool site proposed for Boston Pre-K satisfy the criterion, or must both sites be accredited?

a) Only the site that would host Boston Pre-K students would need to be accredited.

49)How does the Focus curriculum support dual language / immersion programs?

a) Focus on Pre-K is supportive of multilingual learners because it provides meaningful opportunities for children to develop language through play, exploration, conversation, and hands-on experiences. The curriculum builds rich vocabulary and background knowledge while providing teachers with opportunities to use Read Alouds, visuals, modeling, repetition, and other scaffolds to support children’s understanding and language development. Focus also values children’s experiences, cultures, and home languages, helping multilingual learners make connections between new learning and what they already know.

50)Our program is a Mandarin-English immersion program that currently uses Focus on 3s, with teachers adapting the curriculum resources into Chinese to meet the needs of our bilingual model. Can we describe this approach in our application, and would we be able to continue using this adapted model if selected as a Boston Pre-K program?

a) Be sure to explain how your program currently uses Focus and how you implement it in partnership with another curriculum or instructional approach.

Boston Pre-K currently supports dual-language classrooms, and coaches can provide additional context on the logistics of implementing Focus in these settings, including how it can be adapted to meet the diverse language needs of students. Focus is a requirement of Boston Pre-K providers, so it must be implemented if a program is selected for funding.

51)Do salaries and wages remain consistent across the contract years? How should programs account for cost-of-living adjustments, inflation, or other increases in personnel costs over the course of the contract?

a) Minimum salaries are decided each fiscal year. These requirements apply to four designated positions. Beyond these minimums, programs have discretion over how they allocate remaining funds to support other staffing, program, and operational needs. Programs are also able to adjust salaries above the minimum if they deem it necessary.

52)When I am submitting the packet, if I want to do paper, how do I submit?

a) You can submit paper copies of a proposal by filling out and printing the RFP and Pricing Proposal. If you mail in your application, please mail it to Jazmin Flores at The Business Services Office of Boston Public Schools, 4th floor, 2300 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 (address listed on RFP). As a reminder, if submitting in paper, the Pricing and Technical proposals MUST BE SEPARATE or you will not be considered. Applicants can also choose to submit both a paper and a digital copy.

53)Will there be a recording of the Q & A that can be accessed to review?

a) The Q & A session was not recorded and will not be watchable. However, all questions asked during the Q & A and over email were collected, answered, and recorded in this document.

54)If my program currently has classrooms, can we bid for more than we currently have awarded? For example, if you have five classrooms but ideally want to bid for six classrooms but don’t want that to hinder or affect the five can you do so?

a) Currently contracted sites can bid for more seats than they currently have.

However, submitting a bid does not guarantee your awarded amount will be what was requested through the bid.

b) Contracted providers will work through the seat award process to determine final allocations. If requesting additional classrooms outside of currently contracted classes, ensure that these classrooms meet the requirements as laid out in the comparative evaluation criteria, or your overall score may be impacted.