Final_RFP_DRAFT_9-19-24__Approved_by_Managment_-Travis_Clarke.pdf

De’Nerika Johnson, MBA, CPPO, NIGP-CPP | denerika.johnson@pgcps.org 13300 Old Marlboro Pike | Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 | 301-952 6560

RFP PUR-25-001 DROPOUT, RE-ENGAGEMENT AND RE-ENTRY PROGRAM

Request FOR PROPOSAL

DROPOUT, RE-ENGAGMENT AND RE-ENTRY PROGRAM

ISSUED BY:

The Department of Purchasing & Supply Services

RFP NUMBER:

RFP PUR-25-001

RELEASE DATE:

September 19, 2024

QUESTIONS DUE DATE:

PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING:

October 9, 2024

October 3, 2024, at 11:00 am

PROPOSAL DUE DATE:

October 25, 2024

DIRECT INQUIRIES TO PROCUREMENT: Travis.Clarke@pgcps.org

Diane.Forde@pgcps.org

To All Prospective Offerors:

Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to develop and provide a comprehensive DROPOUT, RE-ENGAGEMENT AND RE-ENTRY PROGRAM.

A virtual pre-proposal conference will be held on October 3, 2024, at 11:00 am Zoom.

In order to participate in the pre-proposal conference, you must complete Attachment B - Letter of

Interest and submit it no later than 2:00 p.m., October 1, 2024, to the procurement contacts listed above.

While attendance at the pre-proposal meeting is not mandatory, the information presented is informative.

All interested Offerors are encouraged to attend. Only interested Offerors who return the Attachment B –

Letter of Interest will receive the Zoom conference link information. The Zoom link will be provided to interested offerors no later than October 1, 2024.

Solicitation Documents may be obtained by:

● Download the solicitation by accessing the Prince George’s County Public School Board’s website at the following link: https://offices.pgcps.org/purchasing/bids.aspx

● Download the solicitation by accessing eMaryland Marketplace link: https://ebidmarketplace.com/

Please respond according to the instructions provided in the RFP. Offerors are cautioned not to make changes to any of the terms and conditions or specifications in this solicitation, doing so may render an Offeror’s Proposal unacceptable and subject to rejection.

The Department of Purchasing & Supply Services is not responsible for information obtained from sources outside the Prince George’s County Purchasing Office, including downloads from the County website. Offerors mailto:denerika.johnson@pgcps.org https://offices.pgcps.org/purchasing/bids.aspx https://ebidmarketplace.com/ are directly responsible for obtaining updates, changes or addendums either from the updated webpage or by contacting the Purchasing Office for instructions. If the Offeror has questions, they must be in writing and directed to the procurement contacts specified. Failure to adhere to this requirement may subject the

Offeror to immediate disqualification.

mailto:denerika.johnson@pgcps.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

1. PART I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND:

2. PURPOSE

3. SUMMARY OF SERVICES

4. NON-EXCLUSIVE

5. OFFERORS IN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS WITH PGCPS

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

7. OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICE

8. CONTRACT TYPE

9. CONTINUITY OF SERVICES

10. BONDING

11. POINT OF CONTACTS

PART II: INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

1. OFFEROR KNOWLEDGE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2. PROPOSAL SCHEDULE

3. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

4. PROPOSAL MARKINGS

5. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION LAYOUT

6. BIDDER DELIVERY AND ENVELOPE PACKAGING

PART III: SCOPE OF WORK

1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

2. BACKGROUND

3. SCOPE OF WORK – ADD SCOPE OF WORK

PART IV: PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND AWARD

1. EVALUATION COMMITTEE

2. EVALUATION PROCESS

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA

4. PROPOSAL AWARD

PART V: GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. PARTNERSHIPS

2. CORPORATIONS

3. SAMPLES

4. PROPOSAL PREPARATION FEES

5. RIGHT TO PROTEST

6. APPEAL OF CONTRACT AWARD DECISION:

7. COMMENCEMENT OF SERVICES

8. ADDENDA

9. STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY

10. TERM OF AGREEMENT

11. PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING

12. PAYMENT TERMS

13. MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM

14. LOCAL MBE INITIATIVE

15. MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROHIBITIONS

16. E- COMMERCE

17. CYBER LIABILITY INSURANCE

18. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

19. FINGERPRINT CRIMINAL HISTORY BACKGROUND CHECKS, CHILD PROTECTIVE

SERVICE CLEARANCES, AND SAFE SCHOOLS TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

20. EDUCATIONAL/MEDICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORDS

21. PROTECTION OF STUDENT RECORDS

22. LEGAL COMPLIANCE

23. EPA COMPLIANCE

24. STATE OF MARYLAND CERTIFICATE OF GOOD STANDING

25. PERSONAL IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (PII)

26. OFFEROR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

PART VI: SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

2. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

3. PRICES

4. ITEM DELIVERY

5. GUARANTEE AND WARRANTIES

6. ANNULMENTS AND RESERVATIONS

7. TERMINATION OF CONTRACT

8. GOVERNING LAW & VENUE

9. CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

10. CHANGES IN TERMS OR DELIVERY

APPENDIX A – PROPOSAL AND ADDENDA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

APPENDIX B – PAST PERFORMANCE AND REFERENCES

APPENDIX C - NON-COLLUSION CERTIFICATE

APPENDIX D - DEBARMENT AFFIDAVIT

APPENDIX E - ANTI-BRIBERY AFFIDAVIT

APPENDIX F - CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE COVERAGE

APPENDIX G - FINANCIAL PROPOSAL TERMS

APPENDIX H - MBE FORM

APPENDIX I – STATE OF MARYLAND TAX CERTIFICATION

APPENDIX J – CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE

APPENDIX K – VENDOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE FORM

ATTACHMENT A – COST PROPOSAL FORM

ATTACHMENT B – LETTER OF INTEREST FOR PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

ATTACHMENT C - ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE 6150

1. PART I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND:

The Board of Education of Prince George’s County (The Board) serves the needs of public education in

Prince George’s County, covering approximately 1,789 square miles, with a residential population of more than 904,430. Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS), one of the nation's 20th largest school districts, has 208 schools and centers, has approximately 131,657 students and nearly 22,000 employees and an annual operating budget of $2.3 billion.

The school system serves a diverse student population from urban, suburban and rural communities located in the Washington, DC suburbs. PGCPS is nationally recognized for college and career-readiness programs that provide students with unique learning opportunities, including dual enrollment and language immersion. The Central administration headquarters is located at 14201 School Lane, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

2. PURPOSE

The Board of Education of Prince George’s County (The Board) is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide comprehensive DROPOUT, RE-ENGAGEMENT AND RE-ENTRY PROGRAM as defined in

Part III, Scope of Work. These services are to be performed principally for the Department of Building

Services; however, services may be requested by other Departments within the Prince George’s County

Public School system.

3. SUMMARY OF SERVICES

The program will provide an alternative and innovative instructional model to re-engage students that have withdrawn from the district prior to school completion and support currently enrolled students through a non-traditional model to impact the district promotion and graduation rates. The Program shall include a flexible schedule and delivery model that addresses the differentiated needs of the cohort of students. Details regarding the components of the program are outlined in Part III. Scope of Work.

4. NON-EXCLUSIVE

The intent of this contract is to provide the Board with an expedited means of procuring supplies and/or services at the lowest cost. This contract is for the convenience of the Board and is a "Non-Exclusive" use contract. The Board does not guarantee any usage. The Board will not be held to purchase any

Brand, in any groups, prices or discount ranges, but reserves the right to purchase any item/service listed in the price schedule submitted under Attachment A, Cost Proposal.

5. OFFERORS IN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS WITH PGCPS

PGCPS recognizes the significant costs and imposition on the time of personnel associated with legal proceedings. Accordingly, PGCPS has adopted a process stating that:

“One factor, among others, that is to be considered when awarding a contract or purchase order is the existence of a pending legal dispute – whether in court or an alternative dispute forum – with any Vendor or Offeror which has submitted a Proposal. Before including consideration of the legal dispute as a factor, the Procurement Officer shall seek the advice of the Office of General

Counsel regarding the legal dispute and shall obtain the concurrence of the CEO or his designee.”

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The term of this Contract begins on the date the Notice of Award is signed by both the Offeror and The

BOARD (the “Effective Date”) and shall continue for a period of three (3) years (“Initial Term”). In its sole discretion, The Board shall have the unilateral right to renew the Contract for two (2) one-year option periods successive (each a “Renewal Term”) at the prices established at contract award. “Term” means the Initial Term and any Renewal Term(s).

7. OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICE

The Board may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. The option to extend provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 12 months.

8. CONTRACT TYPE

The contract resulting from this solicitation shall be a Fixed Rate requirement. Vendors are encouraged to partner with local Offerors or firms if they don’t meet all the required expertise or MBE requirements.

Subcontractor and or teaming partner information shall be included in the response.

9. CONTINUITY OF SERVICES

The Vendor recognizes that the services under this contract are vital to PGCPS and must be continued without interruption and that, upon contract expiration, a successor, either the PGCPS or another vendor, may continue them. The Vendor agrees to exercise its best efforts and cooperation to affect an orderly and efficient transition to a successor.

10. BONDING

The Offeror may be required to submit a Bid and or a Performance Bond as indicated below.

A. BID BOND (Not Required) If applicable, the bid bond will be in the amount of five percent (5%) as determined by the BOARD and specified in the RFP, to ensure the satisfactory completion of the work for which a contract or purchase order is awarded that may exceed $100K. (COMAR 21.06.07.10). The bond must be made in favor of the BOARD OF EDUCATION OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, UPPER

MARLBORO, MARYLAND 20772-9983.

B. PERFORMANCE AND LABOR BOND (Not Required)

The awarded vendor(s) will be required to submit a performance and/or labor bond, Cashier’s or

Certified Check in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the project cost as determined by the BOARD and specified herein to ensure all phases of the project are satisfactory complete for which a contract or purchase order is awarded that exceeds 100K. (COMAR 21.06.07.10).

When applicable, the Board reserves the right to request performance and labor bonds for amounts over or under $100K. The bond, cashier or certified check must be made in favor of the

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY and mailed to 13300 Marlboro Pike, Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772-9983 prior to the start of performance.

11. POINT OF CONTACTS

The Offeror’s performance will be under the direction of the Procurement Department ensuring the

Offeror's compliance with the requirements of this contract to include managing the daily activities of the contract, providing guidance to the contract, and coordination. The Offeror shall be accountable to the end users on all matters relating to the scope of work.

PROCUREMENT CONTACTS

Travis Clarke, Procurement Specialist

Travis.Clarke@pgcps.org

Donna Parks, Purchasing Supervisor

Donna.Parks@pgcps.org

Diane Forde, Procurement Clerk

Diane.Forde@pgcps.org

PGCPS Purchasing and Supply Services and the Designated Procurement Contact is the Issuing Office and the sole PGCPS Point of Contact responsible for the solicitation prior to contract award.

Correspondence and communication throughout the solicitation, evaluation and contract award shall be limited to the PGCP Issuing Office, the sole point of contact for purposes related to the services included within this solicitation and/or preparing a proposal in response to the solicitation.

All inquiries related to this procurement must be handled by PGCPS Purchasing and Supply Services officials. Failure to comply with this directive may, at the sole discretion of the Board result in the disqualification of an offeror from the procurement process.

Performance under an awarded contract will be in the direction of PGCPS Purchasing and Supply

Services for all matters related to an awarded contract and contract compliance. The Technical Point of Contact(s) department and information will be provided upon contract award. Offer shall be accountable to the PGCPS Technical Representatives within the end user department for management of daily activities of the contract, contract scope, and project coordination.

mailto:denerika.johnson@pgcps.org mailto:Travis.Clarke@pgcps.org mailto:Donna.Parks@pgcps.org

PART II: INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

1. OFFEROR KNOWLEDGE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Before submitting Proposals, Offerors are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting a Proposal. The offeror shall acquaint themselves with all State and Federal governing laws, ordinances, etc. and otherwise familiarize themselves with all matters which may affect the Proposal. The act of submitting a Proposal shall be considered as meaning that the Offeror has so familiarize themselves; therefore, there shall be no misunderstanding or lack of information. Offerors, or their authorized representatives, are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting Proposals. Failure to do so will be at the Offeror's own risk and Offeror cannot secure relief on the plea of error. Neither law nor regulations make allowance for errors of omission or commission on the part of Offerors.

By submitting an offer in response to this RFP, an Offeror shall be deemed to have accepted all the terms, conditions, and requirements set forth in this RFP. The RFP including all addenda in total shall be incorporated into the contract by reference.

All correspondence concerning the Proposal and contract, including Notice of Award, copy of Contract, and Purchase Order, will be provided electronically.

2. PROPOSAL SCHEDULE

Due to the constant need for the Solicitation, milestones are listed with target dates. Please adhere to the schedule unless notified by way of an Addendum.

Solicitation Milestones Milestone Date

1 Issue RFP Solicitation September 18, 2024

2 Pre-Proposal Registration (Attachment B) October 1, 2024, by 2:00 pm

3 Pre-Proposal Conference Date and Time October 3, 2024 @11:00 am

4 Questions Due Date and Time October 9, 2024, @10:00 am

5 Addendum Responding to Questions October 16, 2024

6 Proposal Due Date and Time October 25, 2024 @2:00 pm

7 Anticipated Award Date January, 2025

3. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible, Proposals must be received via eMaryland MarketPlace Advantage (eMMA) no later than October 25, 2024, by 2:00 pm. The Proposal shall consist of the required documentation for each volume as identified. Offerors shall retain one (1) original copy of the Proposal for their files. PGCPS may request the original notarized documents that were posted electronically before final award execution.

The electronic Proposal shall show the full business address, telephone number, email and fax number of the Offeror and be signed by the person or persons legally authorized to sign contracts and commit the company.

4. PROPOSAL MARKINGS

All Proposals shall be submitted without redactions. All sections of the Proposal that are considered Confidential or Proprietary shall be clearly marked within the Proposal. The Offerors shall provide justification for all confidential or proprietary information. Justification must be on a separate piece of paper and submitted with the Technical Proposal.

5. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION LAYOUT

The completed bid documents(s) should be without interlineations, alterations, or erasures. The bid should present all information in a concise manner, neatly arranged, legible, and in terms understandable for evaluation. All information requested is to be addressed directly and completely. It is more desirable to give additional information than less when the answer could be misinterpreted. The submission layout will include four (4) parts:

GENERAL FORMAT- FOUR-PART SUBMISSION

● Volume I - Technical Proposal

● Volume II - Cost Proposal

● Volume III - Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)

● Volume IV - Appendices

6. BIDDER DELIVERY AND ENVELOPE PACKAGING

The bidder shall deliver their Proposal electronically through eMMA and package their bid in two separate eMMA envelopes as noted below.

A. VOLUME I – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (Envelope One) The Technical Proposal shall be submitted in PDF format. Offerors shall not include any pricing.

Offeror shall include a table of contents and all pages in the technical proposal must be numbered, consecutively from beginning to end and separated by tabs as described below:

1) TAB A – TRANSMITTAL LETTER

Offeror shall include a brief transmittal letter prepared on the Offerors’ letterhead and signed by an individual who is authorized to commit the Offeror to the services and requirements in the RFP and Proposal. This transmittal letter shall include:

a) The name, title, address, telephone number, and electronic mail address of the person authorized to bind the Offeror to the contract and the person who will receive all official notices concerning this RFP.

b) The Offerors’ Federal Tax Identification Number or Social Security Number.

c) The Offerors’ PGCPS iSupplier ID Number must be listed. To obtain an iSupplier ID number, you must register with PGCPS at https://www.pgcps.org/offices/purchasing/isupplier https://www.pgcps.org/offices/purchasing/isupplier

d) A brief statement of the Offerors’ understanding of the work to be done, their commitment to perform the work, and a statement of why the firm believes it is best qualified to perform the work specified in RFP.

e) A statement that the Proposal is a firm and irrevocable offer for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days following the closing date for receipt of initial Proposals or the closing date for receipt of a best and final offer, if applicable.

f) The vendor’s proposal shall identify and describe: technical requirements, any hardware, software, processing or other requirements that will be necessary in order for

PGCPS and its uses to fully interface with the vendors curriculum, recordkeeping and data management, the recommended technology configuration necessary to efficiently access and perform all online functions and the capacity to support automotive data exchange between the program and PGCPS student information system as appropriate.

2) TAB B – LEGAL CLAIMS

The offer shall identify any claims during the past three (3) years and provide information on any pending litigation, lawsuits etc. The failure to provide accurate information may be determined to be a material breach of any future agreement or contract with The Board.

If applicable, the Offeror must state no claims exist.

3) TAB C – EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITIES

Offeror shall prepare and present a Technical Proposal in such a way as to provide a straightforward description of response to experience and qualifications, product quality, demonstrated capacity to perform, past performance and references to satisfy the requirements of the RFP.

B. VOLUME II - MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (MBE) (Envelope One)

Offerors shall submit MBE information electronically in eMMA under the Technical Proposal folder in a separate file, titled as such. An MBE goal of 15% has been established for the contract representing a percentage of the total Contract dollar value, including all renewal option terms. Minority Businesses included in the Proposal package at the time of opening cannot be changed without prior approval of the Director of Purchasing and Supply Services.

By submitting a response to this RFP, the Offeror acknowledges the overall MBE participation goal and commits to achieving the overall goal by utilizing certified minority business enterprises or will include a full or partial waiver of the overall goal with the Proposal.

1) Offerors shall describe how they intend to meet the MBE goals or justify why the goal cannot be met.

C. VOLUME III – COST PROPOSAL (Envelope Two) The Offeror cost proposal shall include all labor, delivery, materials, tools, and equipment to perform work

All pricing shall remain fixed for the full contract term, including renewals thereto unless an escalation or adjustment is included herein. Offerors should not include any portion of their Technical Proposal in its Cost Proposal.

1) Offerors shall provide the Cost Proposal in excel format (Attachment A). Do not amend, alter, or leave blank any items on the Proposal Form or include additional clarifying or contingent language on or attached to the Proposal Form. Items or costs required to provide the services and deliverables as proposed, but not identified will be the sole responsibility of the Offeror.

2) The Offeror shall demonstrate its financial stability. The Offeror shall include a fiscal integrity / financial statement for the last two calendar years. If the Offeror has not had its financial statements audited by an independent accounting firm, the Offeror must submit such un-audited financial statements.

D. VOLUME IV - Appendices (Envelope Two)

Offerors shall submit the Appendices electronically in eMMA under the Technical Proposal folder in a separate file, titled as such. The Offeror shall sign, date, and notarize where applicable all appendices identified. Appendices shall be packaged together as one file and delivered under Volume IV.

o Appendix A – Proposal and Addendum Acknowledgement o Appendix B – Past Performance and References o Appendix C – Non-Collusion Certificate o Appendix D – Debarment Affidavit o Appendix E – Anti-Bribery Affidavit o Appendix F – Certificate of Insurance Coverage o Appendix G – Financial Proposal Form o Appendix H – MBE Form o Appendix I – Certificate State of Maryland Tax Certification o Appendix J – Certification of Compliance o Appendix K – Vendor Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form

Failure to provide any of the requested information or documents in this solicitation may render the Proposal non-responsive.

PART III: SCOPE OF WORK

Definitions:

Dropout: The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) defines dropout as students who leave school for any reason, except death, before graduation or completion of a Maryland approved educational program and who are not known to enroll in another school or state-approved program during the current school year.

Overage: The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) defines an “overaged student” as a student who is significantly older than the typical age for their grade level. Eighth grade Students that are

15 years or older are the target population for this program.

Re-engagement: The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) defines “re-engagement” as the process of reconnecting students who have been disengaged or disconnected from their education with appropriate educational opportunities.

Under-credited: The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) defines an “under-credited student” as a student that has earned fewer credits than typically required for their grade level or is behind in credit accumulation to meet graduation requirements.

Wraparound Services: The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) defines “Wraparound services” as a comprehensive and coordinated set of services and supports designed to address the academic, social, emotional and behavioral needs of students. These services are intended to provide holistic support and create a nurturing environment for students to succeed academically and personally.

DROPOUT, RE-ENGAGMENT AND RE-ENTRY PROGRAM

1. OVERVIEW

The Request for Proposal (RFP) is soliciting proposals from companies that specialize in innovative alternative education program planning to design and provide a comprehensive Dropout, Re-

Engagement, and Re-Entry Program to meet the needs of the following student populations: students that withdrew from school prior to graduation, students overage and under credited grades 8 through 12, students currently enrolled that are experiencing academic or chronic absenteeism issues that may lead to school disengagement and/or subject to withdrawal, and students that would benefit from a non-traditional, unique, and individualized program referred by their school team. The program will serve as a viable option in the list of educational options. Trend data reflects over 6,000 young adults that withdrew from PGCPS schools without a diploma resulting in limited opportunities for employment and positive engagement within the community. The awarded program will require collaboration and community partners to identify and locate the targeted group of students provides a continuum of synchronous and asynchronous academic services that support the attainment of a diploma based on the Maryland State

Department of Education graduation requirements, implements socio-emotional learning support, and engages PGCPS staff through hiring and professional development opportunities.

The program should be a valid, reliable and research-based program to meet the academic, social-emotional learning and wraparound service needs of students that are experiencing challenges. The program must be engaging and designed to meet the individualized and flexible needs of students. The program must thoroughly support the needs of current PGCPS students and students re-entering the school district. Additionally, the program must support the differentiated instructional needs of all students, including Multilingual Learners and Special Education students.

2. BACKGROUND

Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) is one of the nation's 20th largest school districts, has 200 schools and centers, more than 133,000 students and nearly 20,000 employees. PGCPS is nationally recognized for a plethora of programs designed to meet the varied needs of students in preparation for graduation, postsecondary success and economic stability. These include non-traditional programs, Online Campus, career and technology education programs and career-readiness programs.

All the programs are designed to provide students with unique and differentiated learning opportunities on their pathway to graduation, and to decrease the number of students who disengage from the district prior to school completion. The Board of Education works to advance student achievement through community engagement, sound policy governance, accountability and fiscal responsibility. The school system's highest priority is to prepare students to meet the demands of college and careers.

Our vision paints the image of a premier educational environment that values the rich uniqueness of who we are as we develop and equip life-long learners, leaders, empowered proponents of justice and prosperous communities to thrive in the global society.

A culturally responsive district developing distinguished learners, leaders, voices of social justice and advocates for humanity for the world of today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Our mission defines our purpose and the scope of our work. It communicates why we exist and what we hope to contribute to society.

Provide a transformative educational experience anchored by excellence in equity – developing 21st century competencies and enabling each student’s unique brilliance to flourish to build empowered communities and a more inclusive and just world.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 The awarded Dropout, Re-Engagement, and Re-Entry Program shall provide an online and on-site differentiated learning program for students in grades 8 through 12 in courses outlined in the Maryland State Department of Education graduation requirements and the Prince George’s County Public Schools Administrative Procedure 6150 (See Attachment) “Educational Requirements and Options in Secondary Schools. The overall goal of the program is to increase on-time grade promotion, on-time graduation rate, and increase the number of withdrawn students that re-enter PGCPS. The program shall provide students who are currently enrolled and are referred by their comprehensive high school a specialized and supportive opportunity to earn a high school diploma. Additionally, the program should provide academic and wraparound services support for students that are interested in re-engaging with school to earn a high school diploma.

Prince George's County Public Schools intend to award an innovative Dropout, Re-Engagement, and Re-Entry Program that meets the following requirements:

3.1 Program Overview

3.1.1 The program should be valid, reliable, research-based with quantitative evaluative data reflecting outcomes and success with identified population.

3.1.2 The program must thoroughly support the varied academic, social, emotional and wraparound service needs of students through the engagement of district and community partners.

3.1.3 The program should include a plan to identify withdrawn students through the collection and analysis of longitudinal district dropout and data and a process for the recruitment of the cohort of students.

3.2 Program Instruction Model

3.2.1 Digital content shall be delivered to students through a provider-hosted model. The provider will provide the digital content and will host its own course management.

3.2.2 The program must include synchronous and asynchronous instructional materials that offer students the opportunity for a year-round flexible scheduling model and learning environment to address their varied needs (i.e. employment, parenting, etc.). Additionally, the program must support the differentiated instructional needs of all students including Multilingual Learners and Special Education students in alignment with district, state and federal requirements for the student groups.

3.2.3 The program must include a full scope and sequence for PGCPS students aligned to Maryland State Department of Education standards for all high school content and elective courses. The program must have the flexibility to be successfully used for intervention and prevention remediation, on-grade level support and is engaging to meet the needs of non-traditional learners.

3.2.4 The program should be language accessible for Multilingual Learners (ML). The ability to access content for ML Learners struggling with language acquisition and literacy should be differentiated.

3.2.5 The program should be customizable specifically for curriculum and pacing modifications for Special Education students.

3.2.6 The program should be accessible to students 24/7 with a structure for discussion boards or window for email communication with staff.

3.3 Facilities

3.3.1 The program shall engage with the district and community partners to identify a space located in a geographically desirable location(s) based on the identified cohort of students that is accessible to public transportation and meets state and county building codes including American with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements. The program funding covers the cost of the facility.

3.4 Staffing

3.4.1 The program should include a plan for the identification and recruitment of staff including administrative, certificated teachers (according to MSDE standards) and other personnel, support staff and social workers to address all components of student support and the operation of the program. To support the differentiated needs of students and in accordance with federal and state mandates, the program will hire special education and ESOL certified teachers. The district will provide a Human Resources point of contact to verify that a previously employed individual left the district in good standing.

Program will be vetted through the district background check and fingerprinting process to obtain a district badge as they are serving district students.

3.4.2 The program should provide initial and on-going professional development through internal staff and district partners to ensure alignment and adherence to program goals and objectives.

3.5 Fiscal Responsibility

3.5.1 The program should have knowledge and include a financial plan that outlines the funding for each student aligned with district, state and federal funding formulas for students that are enrolled through re-engagement efforts and/or are referred by the comprehensive school. The program should provide documentation for the billing for each student as appropriate.

3.6 Student Evaluation/Progress Monitoring

3.6.1 The program shall have measurable goals and objectives that will address the student population in each subject area. Measurable goals and objectives for the students shall be demonstrated through increased outcome for all students, including Multilingual Learners and Special Education students.

3.6.2 The program must be able to create and use diagnostic/prescriptive assessments aligned with district and state standards. Data from the assessments should be used to create students’ schedules and provide appropriate methods for the placement of students.

3.6.3 The program should include a process for the development and monitoring of Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) that will be used to identify academic needs, behavior supports, wraparound services and programming to support each student’s needs. The plans should include detailed information regarding students’ progress towards mastery of each course and credit attainment.

Additionally, the plan should include communication with students and their families. Students' success will be monitored via each student’s ILP.

3.6.4 The program’s grading system should be designed to align with the district's procedures and process.

3.6.5 The program should provide instructional scaffolding to students so they can identify and correct mistakes in preparation for formative assessments and the district’s end of course assessments based on their assigned course(s).

3.7 Transportation

3.7.1 The program’s facility(ies) should be accessible to public transportation. Students will provide their own transportation.

3.8 Data Collection and Analysis

3.8.1 They should provide a detailed plan on the collection and analysis of enrollment, attendance, course completion, and graduation data. Specific emphasis should be on the number of students re-engaged via program recruitment and enrollment toward meeting state graduation requirements and their progress towards meeting graduation requirements.

3.9 Deliverables

The awardee will submit a comprehensive project plan for review by district. The plan shall include all program components identified within the Scope of Work and provide timelines, person(s) responsible-including collaborators, and task monitoring, and accountability measures. The awarded Dropout, Re- Engagement, and Re-Entry Program plan components will be aligned to the established goals, objectives and adhere to PGCPS policies and procedures. The plan must be included with the proposal.

PGCPS reserves the right to make recommended changes to the comprehensive project plan. In addition, PGCPS reserves the right to approve and request replacement of all staff hired for this project.

3.10 Health Services

Provide services to support the medical and health needs of the student and include:

• Medication administration and dispensing, immunization, review of physicals, hearing and vision screenings, communicable disease control, health care needs/health counseling, emergency services treatments, assessments, development of plans that identify student health needs, IDEA and ADA accommodations and interventions.

• Adhere to the maintenance of student health records in accordance with the regulations guiding the implementation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

3.11 Food and Nutrition Services

The district will provide and deliver hot or cold lunches to the academy location or make provisions for staff to pick up lunches from a geographically desirable area.

3.12 Enrollment

School personnel will be able to refer students directly to the program on a shared spreadsheet. Students will be recorded within the Student Information System (SIS) instead of withdrawing and re-enrolling.

The district will provide a list of potential in cohort non-grads to support them getting back on track.

The district will identify all eligible students who have a withdrawal code indicating they have left the district and are no longer receiving services. The number of students anticipated to be served on a yearly basis could range from 300-600 students.

The offeror will be responsible for contacting the students identified by the school district for potential enrollment. Contact shall not be limited to telephone calls, but include email notifications, snail mail, and visits to the student’s home. Offeror shall be responsible for keeping records of their contact efforts.

The program will enroll students in accordance with the district requirements and documentation.

3.13 Information Technology

The district will provide year-round access to the Student Information System for scheduling and access to the data of eligible students. Access will be granted to key staff members (i.e., director/principal, registrar, special education and ESOL staff). Access will be granted based on the role of the individual.

Program staff will be invited to participate in district Student Information System training sessions. The program will have access to a year-round staff member to fulfill the responsibilities required for accessing the Student Information System. Attendance will be taken in the system for students’ participation on site, virtual with a staff member and engagement in the online platform.

4.0 Eligibility and Qualifications

In order to participate in this solicitation, Respondent shall:

4.1 Demonstrate a minimum of five (5) years’ experience delivering services that support the re-engagement of withdrawn students.

4.2 Demonstrate experience in a program increase of one-time promotion and graduation rates.

4.3 Demonstrate a program that addresses the needs of non-traditional students in districts of similar size and demographics to PGCPS.

Only those companies that meet this eligibility requirement detailed in this section will move forward in the evaluation process.

5.0 Organization of Technical Response

Offerors shall provide a point-by-point Technical Response. The Offeror’s Technical Response to this

RFP shall be organized in the format indicated in the RFP. Further, the Technical Response shall follow the same order as the information presented in the RFP, Part IV.

Offeror shall prepare and present proposal in such a way as to provide a straightforward description of

Offeror’s response that addresses, technical approach, capabilities, experience, qualifications, past performance and references to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Emphasis should be concentrated on conformance with the RFP instructions, quality responsiveness to the RFP requirements, and completeness and clarity of content.

The completed documents(s) should be without interlineations, alterations, or erasures. The Proposal should present all information in a concise manner, neatly arranged, legible, and in terms understandable for evaluation. All information requested is to be addressed directly and completely. It is more desirable to give additional information than less when the answer could be misinterpreted.

Required documentation shall be provided in each section/tab. The Offeror(s) Table of Contents shall include reference to the page number(s) in the Proposal where such evidence can be found. Offerors shall submit quality proposals that fully address all aspects of the scope of Work including the following:

6.1 Experience and Qualifications

Use this section to include the areas of your firm/program that will support the Board’s work as described above. Include at least three (3) school districts with similar demographics, along with name(s) of individuals familiar with your work at school districts and/or Boards of Education and submitted as references, which can be contacted by Board staff.

7.0 Financial Proposal

Offerors shall submit all costs in a separately sealed envelope. Offerors shall complete Appendix G

Financial Proposal Form. Appendix G shall be submitted in a separately sealed envelope. Please do not include any pricing in the Offeror’s Technical Proposal.

Pricing must be inclusive of all Offeror’s staff costs, administrative support costs, fringe benefits, classroom supplies, textbooks, office supplies, pagers, communication equipment, computers, parking fees, meals, lodging, rent, mileage, travel expenses, professional development/training, items consumed/utilized, curriculum/instructional materials, classroom furniture, equipment, utilities, and/or additional items required by the Offeror or subcontractor to ensure a successful program.

Unless otherwise specified, all hardware and software, audio and video materials deemed necessary by the Offeror shall be included in the proposed costs.

Items or costs required to provide the services and deliverables as proposed, but not identified in the

Offeror’s pricing proposal will be the sole responsibility of the Offeror.

The Board of Education expects Offerors to offer a complete, viable all-inclusive solution. Solutions offered in response to this RFP shall not be contingent upon the purchase of additional optional services that may be offered.

As part of the financial proposal response, the Offeror must complete the Financial Pricing Worksheet included with the RFP and provide pricing for each proposed service option in the appropriate worksheet.

Offerors shall enter their pricing on the Appendix G. Financial Proposal Form provided with the RFP.

Proposals received in an altered format may be considered non-responsive and ineligible for award.

Offerors shall provide pricing in accordance with Part III, Scope of Work as described herein. Please do not include pricing in the technical response. Offerors that include pricing with their technical response may have their response deemed non-responsive and their entire response rejected.

PART IV: PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND AWARD

1. EVALUATION COMMITTEE

Only proposals that are submitted via eMMA will be utilized during the evaluation process.

Proposals that are not submitted via this portal will be ruled non-responsive.

Evaluation of the proposals will be performed by a committee established for that purpose and will be based on the criteria set forth below. The contract resulting from this RFP will be awarded to the

Offeror(s) whose proposal is the most advantageous to The Board, considering price and technical factors set forth herein. The Board will consider the Offeror's record and performance of any prior contracts with The Board, federal departments or agencies, or with other public bodies.

The offeror, including any of their representatives, subcontractors, affiliates and interested parties shall not contact any member of the Committee or any person involved in the evaluation of the proposals. All inquiries related to this procurement must be handled by the RFP officials identified on the cover page.

Failure to comply with this directive may, at the sole discretion of the Board, result in the disqualification of an offeror from the procurement process. The Evaluation Committee will make the final determination about acceptability of proposals.

2. EVALUATION PROCESS

The committee will evaluate each technical proposal using the evaluation criteria set forth below. As part of this evaluation, the Committee may hold discussions with all qualified Offerors. Discussions may be conducted via teleconference or may take the form of questions to be answered by the Offerors and conducted by mail, E-mail, or facsimile transmission at the discretion of The Board. During the evaluation process, the committee may request technical assistance from any source.

a. Following the completion of the technical evaluation of all Offerors’ technical proposals, including any discussions, the committee will rank each qualified Offerors’ technical proposal.

b. The cost proposal for each qualified proposal will be distributed to the Evaluation Committee following the completion of the technical evaluation. The cost proposals will not be distributed to the committee until the technical evaluation is completed. The Committee will determine the total costs of the proposals to establish a financial ranking of the proposals from lowest to highest.

c. The Evaluation Committee may reject in whole or in part all proposals, waive minor irregularities, and conduct discussions with all responsible Offerors in any manner deemed necessary to serve the best interests of the Board.

d. Based on the results of the evaluation, the highest rated offeror(s) may be invited by the Director of Procurement to make oral presentations to the Committee. The Committee will then conduct a final evaluation of the proposals.

e. If it is determined to be in the best interest of The Board, the Board may invite Offerors to make final revisions to their technical and/or financial proposals through submission of a Best and Final Offer.

f. Should the Committee determine in writing and at its sole discretion that only one offeror is fully qualified, or that one offeror is clearly more highly qualified than the others under consideration, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that offeror. The Committee will make appropriate recommendations to the Board, if appropriate, prior to the actual award of the contract. The Committee will recommend the Offeror whose overall proposal provides the most advantageous offer to the Board considering both price and technical factors set forth in this RFP.

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA

The evaluation criteria include proposal responsiveness, demonstration of capability to perform, price factors, and responsibility. The Board reserves the right to: (1) reject in whole or in part any and all proposals and waive minor irregularities; (2) Reject any or all proposals, or portions thereof; (3) Cancel a RFP and re-solicit.

The Evaluation committee will evaluate the technical proposals using the following criteria below. The committee shall determine which proposals have the basic requirements of the RFP and shall have the authority to determine whether any deviation from the requirements of the RFP is substantial in nature.

Evaluation Criteria

Relative Weight

Eligibility and Qualifications (See Section 5.0) Pass or Fail

Technical Approach 35%

Experience, Company Qualifications and Staff Qualifications 40%

Past Performance and References 10%

Fiscal Responsibility 10%

Organizational Capacity 5%

MBE 5% Bonus Points

Cost Proposal 20%

Total Points Available 125 Points

Evaluation Criteria Response Category Desired Characteristics

Technical Approach The offer shall provide a technical approach that addresses all elements of the Scope of Work. The offer’s technical response shall follow the order of the information presented in Section 3.0 of the RFP.

Offeror shall provide an implementation schedule that identifies all steps required to implement the Offeror’s program. Implementation schedule shall show ownership of milestones and processes. It is PGCPS plan to have the school open to students in SY 2025/26 (which commences on August 25, 2025). The official school calendar for SY 2025/26 will be provided when finalized and released.

Offeror shall ensure its proposal addresses Sections 3.1-3.2 and how the Offeror’s proposal meets the requirements outlined in the RFP.

Facilities -- The program’s response to requirements set forth in Section 3.3 shall address the Offeror’s plan to partner with the district and county officials to secure a facility to meet the needs of the targeted cohort of students.

Student Evaluation/Progress Monitoring -- The program’s response to requirements set forth in Section 3.6 shall address the offeror’s plan to monitor and report the progress of enrolled students via multiple data sources (grades, attendance, course completion, on track graduation status) to the identified district personnel and offices.

IT Requirements -- The program’s response to requirements set forth in Section 3.7 shall address the hardware and software requirements along with the platform’s ability to interface with the district’s Local Management System (LMS).

Transportation -- The program’s response to requirements set forth in Section 3.8 shall address the transportation needs of the targeted population.

Health Services – The program’s response to requirements set forth in Section 3.10 shall address the provision of health services identified.

Food and Nutrition Services – The offeror’s response shall address food and nutrition requirements as set forth in Section 3.11.

Enrollment – The offeror’s response shall address all aspects of Section 3.12 enrollment of students and its unique marketing plan to inform students of this new program and ultimately enroll students in school and retain their participation until graduation.

Experience and Qualifications and Staffing Respondent shall demonstrate a minimum of five (5) years of experience providing all services as outlined in the RFP. Respondent shall demonstrate its experience with providing a successful program with demonstrated success. Qualification, reputation, and experience of the awardee responsible for the implementation of the Dropout

Prevention, Re-engagement and Re-Entry and evidence of their work in other districts as described in section 3.0.

Use this section to include the areas of your firm/program that will support the Board’s work as described above. Include at least three (3) school districts with similar demographics, along with name(s) of individuals familiar with your work at school districts and/or…