Amendment_02.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

30-105-04EXCEPTION TO SF 30

APPROVED BY OIRM 11-84

STANDARD FORM 30 (Rev. 10-83) Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

The purpose of this amendment is to:

1) Provide answ ers to more questions received in response to this solicitation. An additional amendment w ill follow to address the remainder of questions received by the February 10 deadline.

2) Remove the requirement for offerors to propose a shipping cost, and accordingly update the follow ing areas to reflect this change:

a) Specification and PWS,

b) Addendum to Clause 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors,

c) Clause 52.212-2 Evaluation, and

d) Attachment 1, "Price Schedule K-5 Science" has been replaced w ith Attachment 7, "Amended Price Schedule", w hich has deleted the shipping table and added estimated shipping costs; and

See Summary of Changes for details and see specifically all highlighted text for changes.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

J 1 24

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

BY 12-Feb-2017

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA15C. DATE SIGNED15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of Contracting Officer)(Signature of person authorized to sign)

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., Street, County, State and Zip Code) X HE1254-17-R-0001

X 9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

02-Feb-2017

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

X The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offer is extended, X is not extended.

Offer must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN

REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE

CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(B).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

10A. MOD. OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO.(If applicable)

6. ISSUED BY

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

12-Feb-2017

CODE

DOD EDUCATION ACTIVITY

ATTN: PROCUREMENT DIVISION

4800 MARK CENTER DRIVE

SUITE 05F09-02

ALEXANDRIA VA 22350-1400

HE1254 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than item 6)

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

CODE

See Item 6

FACILITY CODECODE

EMAIL:TEL:

HE1254-17-R-0001

SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

SECTION SF 1449 - CONTINUATION SHEET

The following have been added by full text:

AMENDMENT 02

Below are answers to more questions received in response to this solicitation:

Q1) I do not understand your price schedule, nor how we can obtain all the variety of ship information you require in that tab. We prefer to ship to a physical/commercial address for tracking purposes (to destinations where possible). A flat percentage of each order will cover that. Request to use our own cost & price proposal template, using your CLINs and verbiage.

A1) No, a different cost and price proposal template cannot be used. Attachment 1 “Pricing Schedule K-5 Science” must be completed. However, Attachment 1 has been amended and replaced with Attachment 7 “Amended Pricing Schedule”. This amended pricing schedule removes the requirement for offerors to propose shipping costs. Shipping costs will be negotiated prior to issuance of each individual delivery order.

Therefore, offerors no longer need to provide a price for this CLIN 0900 (the Government has already inserted estimated costs), and Tab 2 (Shipping Schedule) is removed. In addition, Tab 3 (Shipping Destinations) has been revised to add a column and to sort by State or Country .

Q2) Request to use our own cost & price proposal template, using DoDEA CLINs/ Supplies Verbiage and Years indicated (on your Attach 1 Pricing Schedule), with a wrap up for our Cost and Price Proposal, SF1449. Because you need CLINs on early HQ IT submission, and because those CLINs are tied to C&PP, this means all has to finish very early. What will be most helpful is if we can use our own familiar Price Proposal template for the Pricing Schedule information.

A2) No, a different Price Proposal template cannot be used. Attachment 7 “Amended Pricing Schedule” must be completed.

Q3) Regarding page 30, d. Curriculum Materials Related Services iii – Provides a sample of their standards alignment correlation; If a correlation document has not yet been created for our K-5 Science Program and NGSS, may we submit a correlation that was created for a K-5 Math Program and CCSS?

A3) Yes

Q4) Regarding pages 30 and 31, can you please clarify if we are to submit Part 1: Administrative, Past Performance & Price in electronic or hard copy format?

A4) Electronic format

Q5) Regarding the Excel document “Pricing Schedule K-5 Science”, can you please clarify the variations cited regarding Student, Teacher, Classroom, and Sets, as it appears the same information is to be repeated in the Sets cells as is included in the Student, Teacher, and Classroom cells.

A5) The variation is that the rows for Student, Teacher and Classroom Lab Kits will have multiple specific titles and ISBNs (that comprise the set) each with individual prices, whereas the rows for the Sets will have a single combined price for the entire set. As detailed in the ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1(1)(a)(1)(c)(i)(6), “For all SETS, the offeror shall propose a combined price for shipping one complete “set” consisting of all of the items in the identified category, which should allow for potentially reduced prices in the event that full sets are ordered.” As seen in the estimated quantities, it is the Government’s expectation in the base year several sets will be ordered as well as when new schools come on line. Individual quantities will be ordered on an as needed basis for replacements.

Q6) Regarding the Excel document “Pricing Schedule K-5 Science”, the teacher counts appear to be elevated versus the student counts. Can you please clarify the teacher and student counts that will be served through this award?

A6) The teacher counts appear elevated because they include Science teachers, as well as teachers of special education, teachers of gifted education, teachers of English language learners, and above-school- level subject matter experts (PWS 2.2.14). For the count of only Science teachers, please refer to the first year counts for the Classroom Lab Kit sets.

Q7) On page 52, we are asked if we anticipate submitting an offer with an estimated contract value of greater than $500,000 after 4/24/2017. If our offer for this RFP will exceed $500,000, but since we are submitting before the date of 4/24/2017, would the answer be “No”,or since the offer may be executed after 4/24/2017, would we answer Yes?

A7) This section only applies to solicitations issued after April 24, 2017, so because this solicitation was issued before on February 2, 2017, you do not have to complete the statement at 52.212-3(s)(1)(ii).

Q8) Section 3.3.4: Can you please elaborate what it means to configure DoDEA enterprise within its system and/or databases as the appropriate organizational entity?

A8) The intent of this provision is to instruct vendors providing SaaS solutions to configure DoDEA as either a singular top level entity (state level), or multiple sub-entities (districts and individual schools) within their system. This will largely be determined based on the vendor’s licensing structure, as well as the organization hierarchy capabilities within the vendor's SaaS system. An example of this may be organizational unit structures mapped to geographic regions, districts or schools for the logical separation and administration of staff and student user accounts.

Q9) Can you tell me more about the opportunity to display materials on March 3rd?

A9) The opportunity is solely for set-up purposes—to unpack, organize, and arrange your proposed materials in your desired display arrangement.

Q10) Do you want Spanish materials included on this bid?

A10) In DoDEA, we have a diverse range of English Language Learners with native languages such as German, Japanese, Tagalog, Arabic, Korean, French, Spanish, etc. DoDEA strives to create a learning environment that encourages assimilation into the second language and culture while maintaining respect for and pride in their cultural and linguistic heritage. Due to the diversity of languages in our student population we would not need Spanish-specific curriculum resources. We would welcome any teacher or students resources that would support English Language Learners in general as described in PWS 2.2.9 and 2.3.2 (2.3.2.1-2.3.2.7).

Q11) Regarding Past Performance Information, page 28, 1biii: If we have a rating on CPARS (https://www.cpars.gov/), may we download the rating document and include it as one of our Past Performance references, or do we need to contact the customer and have them complete the Past Performance Attachment 3 – Part 2 Questionnaire?

A11) Even with a CPARS rating document, you still need to have your customer complete the Attachment 3 PP Part 2 Questionnaire.

Q12) Regarding Page 29, Part 2-Tech Proposal, a) proposed materials, iii., If a vendor does not wish to have their materials returned, will DoDEA dispose of them?

A12) No, DoDEA will not dispose of materials. Prepaid shipping labels must accompany materials for return.

Q13) Can you tell us how many contributors there are on the review committee, to ensure we submit enough copies of materials?

A13) Please refer to the ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-1(1)(b), “Offer Submission Requirements”, which details the exact number of copies the Government is requesting to be submitted for each Part. There may be up to 15 evaluators.

Q14) With an award date set as May 15, 2017, what is the time span between when the RFP is awarded and when we would expect first orders for material will be submitted?

A14) Orders may be placed at anytime within the ordering period once an award is made; however, the Government anticipates that initial delivery order(s) for materials will be issued by approximately late June of 2017.

Q15) Is there a way for us to find out if our company is already registered in the Systems for Award Management System?

A15) Yes, you can perform a search of records on the System for Award Management webpage at www.sam.gov. There are multiple ways to search including by name, DUNS Number, or CAGE Code.

Q16) Are there any other curriculum requirements that are expected to be publicized in the near future? If so, what content areas and grades are they for, and when will the due dates be for the Materials Review?

A16) Yes, the Government expects to have 4 more Curriculum Requirement solicitations forth coming, within approximately the next 1-3 weeks, which will be posted to Fed Biz Ops and will provide similar timelines of document submission as were provided in this solicitation. They will be for requirements in the following content areas: K-6 Music, 7-12 Music, Math MS/HS, and Social Studies MS/HS.

Q17) Many adoption committees request a representative sampling of our kit materials rather than every item on the proposed contract. Can you confirm that we should send in a sample of all our kits or if we should do what others have requested and send one kit from Grades K-2 and one kit from Grades 3-5, plus ALL the teacher curriculum materials?

A17) We are not requesting a sampling. All proposed material shall be submitted for review.

Q18) When submitting materials for review to the committee, is it necessary to submit samples of refill kits? Or is it acceptable to note that refills kit consist of any consumable materials included in the complete kit?

A18) It is not necessary to submit samples of lab refill kits. Instead, it is acceptable to note that refills kit consist of any consumable materials included in the complete kit.

Q19) Reference constraint in RFP, Page 29, 2.c. May we include a cover page in addition to the 36 page Curriculum Materials Evaluator “Map?”

A) Yes.

Q20) Are all DoDEA K-5 Schools included in the Base Year?

A20) All schools listed in the Attachment 7 “Amended Pricing Schedule” Shipping Destinations tab are included in the base period and all option years.

Q21) Do you anticipate phasing in or out any K-5 schools in over the lifetime of the contract?

A21) As our schools are located on military bases, there is always a possibility that schools will be phased in or out as a result of fluctuations in military population on the bases.

Q22) How soon following the award (May 15, 2017) will the first delivery order be issued?

A22) Orders may be placed at anytime within the ordering period once an award is made; however, the Government anticipates that initial delivery order(s) for materials will be issued by approximately late June of 2017.

Q23) Will DoDEA release all delivery order simultaneously or phase their release?

A23) We anticipate releasing initial delivery orders simultaneously in order to deploy the new curriculum materials.

Q24) Are there any funding restrictions on DoDEA that would preclude them from ordering NGSS compliant kits and curriculum for every school on Tab A of Att1-Pricing Schedule K-5 Science 2-1-17 spreadsheet?

A24) DoDEA has budgeted for current year requirements.

Q25) Is March 3, 2017, for presentations by the vendor to showcase product or just to set up materials for visual review? (p. 32) A25) It is just to set up the materials. There will be no presentations.

Q26) Can we be present on the 6th to present to evaluators?

A26) No, we will not have presentations.

Q27) Should we submit kit materials (hands on materials) as well for the additional submission?

A27) The additional submission is only for digital information technology components. If the kits are hands on materials, they are not digital components and do not need to be submitted for the additional submission.

Q28) Do we need to be present on March 6, or after, to tear down materials?

A28) No.

Q29)We have 5 days to get an order out. How many days for delivery of product?

A29) 30 days for locations CONUS and APO/FRO and 45 days for OCONUS/overseas locations (See the amended PWS 2.7).

Q30) The totals on the grid reflects the regions, can we be provided with a city and state and/or country for each location?

A30) Yes, the Shipping Destination Tab in Attachment 7, “Pricing Schedule” has been updated to clearly indicate State and/or Countries.

Q31) Should digital training modules be available on the 16th as well, or by the final submission?

A31) The Professional Development training modules do not have to be submitted with the RFP submission.

They are a contract deliverable, so are due after award of contract.

Q32) Pacific West (Korea) schools have moved from 6-digit postal code to 5-digit postal code recently for receipt of materials to a physical address. Can you please provide updated addresses for schools for accurate shipping cost?

A32) Shipping locations are provided in the pricing sheet. Prior to Delivery Order issuance, the Government will provide exact shipping details in order for the successful offeror to provide shipping costs.

Q33) May we assume that for overseas shipments that we may use the APO/FPO delivery options unless the shipment requires immediate expeditious handling?

A33) No, the preferred method of shipping is “Commercial”. The only exception is the locations who can only receive mail via APO/FPO.

Q34) Is Ocean a shipping option, or only ground and airfreight?

A34) The Government has removed the shipping table and instead will be providing all shipping details to the successful offeror prior to delivery order issuance. Any shipping option can be used so long as the materials are delivered within the timeframes identified in A29 above and the amended PWS 2.7.

The following have been modified:

SPECIFICATION AND PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1.0 BACKGROUND

1.1 DoDEA emphasizes in its science education program the importance of providing elementary school children with many opportunities to explore science concepts (Disciplinary Core Ideas) in conjunction with the skills and abilities of scientists and engineers (Science and Engineering Practices). This allows students to connect new understandings to related experiences (Crosscutting Concepts). The combination of these three dimensions provides students with learning experiences to apply their science and engineering knowledge and skills to understand natural phenomena and solve problems.

1.2 DoDEA has recently adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which describe the science and engineering knowledge and skills students need for college and career success. Current research regarding best practices in science education has been utilized in the development of this Statement of Work. The Next Generation Science Standards: PEEC (Primary Evaluation of Essential Criteria) for Alignment (2015) may be found at the following URL: http://www.nextgenscience.org/resources/peec-alignment-ngss-publishers-criteria

1.3 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

STEM education is defined as an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons as students apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts that make connections between school, community, work, and the global enterprise enabling the development of STEM literacy and with it the ability to compete in the new economy (Tsupros, N., R. Kohler, and J. Hallinen, 2009. STEM education: A project to identify the missing components, Intermediate Unit 1 and Carnegie Mellon, Pennsylvania.).

A Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012) identifies eight science and engineering practices that mirror the practices of scientists and engineers. These practices are an essential component of the NGSS. Additionally, the core idea of Engineering, Technology, and the Application of Science are addressed in the NGSS.

1.4 Definitions:

a) Authentic assessments: A measurement that mirrors the tasks and problem solving that are required in the real world situation.

b) Cross-cutting Concepts: The ideas or themes that provide an organizational framework for connecting knowledge from various disciplines into a coherent and scientifically-based view of the world.

c) Coherence: A defining characteristic of a carefully articulated curriculum when logical connections are identified among standards from the same grade level/course or across standards from different grade levels/courses.

d) Disciplinary Core Ideas: Sum total of concepts, that when understood, enable a person to make sense of the natural and designed world.

e) Engineering Design process: Set of systematic practices applied to derive solutions to particular human problems.

f) Evidence Statements: Additional detail on what students should know and be able to

do. They describe a detailed look at the NGSS performance expectations.

g) Focus: Deeper understanding of the content as well as the application.

h) Framework for K-12 Science Education: Precursor document that offered a vision the key science and engineering ideas and practices that all students should learn by the end of high school. Provides the conceptual foundation for developing the NGSS.

i) Rigor: The calling for students to develop proficiency with the practices and apply crosscutting concepts is identified as rigor in the NGSS.

j) Three Dimensional Learning: Three major elements of science and engineering that when properly integrated provide students with a context for the content of science, how science knowledge is acquired and applied, and how concepts that have meaning across the disciplines connect the sciences.

k) Science and Engineering Practices: Eight practices identified in the Framework as the major practices that scientists employ as they investigate and build models and theories about the world and a key set of engineering practices that engineers use as they design and build systems.

l) Engineering Design Process: For the purposes of this requirement, this term has the following characteristics: a) Defining engineering problems; b) identifying criteria, constraints, and limits; c) Designing possible solutions and then evaluating to determine the best solution based on the criteria and constraints d) Solutions are tested and refined

m) Nature of Science: For the purposes of this requirement, this term has the following characteristics: a) Scientific investigations use a variety of methods; b) Scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence; c) Scientific knowledge is open to revision in light of new evidence; d) Scientific models, laws, mechanisms, and theories explain natural phenomena; e) Science is a way of knowing; f) Scientific knowledge assumes an order and consistency in natural systems; g) Science is a human endeavor; h) Science addresses questions about the natural and material world

2.0 K-5 SCIENCE CURRICULUM RESOURCES (CLINs 0001 – 05XX)

For all curriculum resources the contractor shall:

Make all materials available throughout the duration of the curriculum adoption period.

Provide materials with the most recent copyright date, but not earlier than 2015.

The copyright requirement applies only to student and teacher materials (for example, the student textbook, teacher’s editions, etc.). The requirement for the most recent copyright does not apply to material included as part of the Contractor’s collection (that is, articles, assessments, pictures, problems included in a text-book or supplemental to the teacher or student text) but which was created by others prior to 2015.

Assure materials provides opportunities for in-depth research investigations to explore natural phenomena and solve relevant problems including hands-on, inquiry-based work.

Ensure materials are free of racial, color, national origin, age, disabling conditions, sexual, religious, and ethnic bias, and present a balanced coverage of multi-cultural contributions and representation.

Optical Character Resolution (OCR) Requirement: Provide, upon request, two digital OCR copies of all print materials. A digital copy of these materials shall be provided in one or more of the following formats:

o Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY)/ National Instructional Materials.

o Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) with cascading style sheet.

o HyperText Markup Language (HTML).

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

o Rich Text Format (RTF)/Word document.

2.1 Student Instructional Materials and Classroom Lab Kits—The Contractor shall provide print and digital student materials and hands-on classroom lab activity kits. The attachment one “K-5 Science Pricing Schedule” specifies all types of required print materials, digital materials, and kits. Contractor resources for students shall include the following attributes and content:

2.1.1 Focus: Have a focus on the Disciplinary Core Ideas outlined in the NGSS, allowing students and teachers to explore core ideas in greater depth. The resources shall promote student engagement in Science and Engineering Practices (SEP) such that students achieve a deeper understanding of real-world phenomena, and explore the practical use of engineering design.

2.1.2 Rigor: Support rigorous instruction for each of the three dimensions of Disciplinary Core Ideas, Science and Engineering Practices, and Crosscutting Concepts in the NGSS (hereinafter “the three dimensions;” see 1.4 Definitions above) to allow for conceptual understanding, procedural skills, and applications of the NGSS. Learning experiences shall be designed to provide opportunities for thought, discourse, and practice in an interconnected and social context. This design shall support students in developing a deep conceptual understanding and the ability to evaluate knowledge claims. The hands-on inquiry activities included in the contractor materials shall demonstrate rigor by the blending of three dimensional learning throughout the instructional activities.

2.1.3 Coherence: Provide strong links among the three dimensions of the NGSS. The materials should provide coherence within and between each unit of instruction and within a grade level, and across grades, for a unified learning experience.

Learning experiences provided in the contractor materials shall form a progression in which students actively engage in Scientific and Engineering Practices (SEP) and apply Crosscutting Concepts (CCC) to continually build on and revise their knowledge and abilities in each field’s Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) over multiple years.

2.1.4 Support for Learning Experiences Outlined in the Instructional Materials. The conractor-provided material shall:

2.1.4.1 Facilitate three-dimensional learning (each of the dimensions is learned within the context of the other two). The contractor materials should include a focus on the central idea behind each SEP, CCC, and DCI for the target grade level. Lessons and activities shall be based on current research regarding best practices in science instruction, and align with both NGSS, and A Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012).

2.1.4.2 Ensure learning experiences are presented within contexts that are engaging and meaningful to the students, and are centered on real-world phenomena. Instructional materials shall engage students with meaningful phenomena that can be explained through either solving problems with or applying SEPs, CCCs, and DCI. Learning activities shall primarily consist of students engaging in hands-on science inquiry and/or engineering design to discover and apply information rather than simply reading about knowledge and skills.

2.1.4.3 Provide coherent units and instructional sequences that introduce materials in a logical manner, requiring students to use knowledge and skills learned in prior grades or earlier in the year. Instructional sequences have clear purposes for students’ experiences.

2.1.4.4 Provide grade level-appropriate learning experiences that explicitly involve the application of knowledge and skills.

2.1.5 Instruction. The contractor-provided materials:

2.1.5.1 Provide instructional sequences with multiple opportunities and contexts in which to explicitly encounter each idea and skill, as well as adequate time to build toward student proficiency as described by the NGSS Evidence Statements by the end of the year or the end of the unit.

2.1.5.2 Provide learning goals that are explicit for students and provide opportunities for students to reflect on their learning.

2.1.5.3 Provide instructional materials that are scientifically accurate and both grade- and developmentally-appropriate.

2.1.5.4 Provide instructional materials that present safety rules and regulations and encourage adherence to them.

2.1.5.5 Provide instructional materials that help teachers and students to identify grade-appropriate connections to the Common Core State Standards for mathematics and literacy.

2.2 Teacher Instructional Materials— The Contractor shall provide print and digital teacher materials outlined in attachment one “K-5 Science Pricing Schedule.”

Contractor resources for teachers shall include the following attributes and content:

2.2.1 Grade-appropriate background information for each of the three dimensions and an explanation of how the three dimensions interact within the grade, unit, and lesson. Lessons and activities should be based on current research regarding best practices in science instruction, and align with both NGSS, and A Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012). Each unit should outline time and opportunities for students to understand, construct, and use specific elements of the SEPs, DCIs, and CCCs as well as blending the three dimensions together in the learning experience.

2.2.2 Detailed yearlong map of the suggested learning progressions for planning the day-to-day instruction. . The teacher resources shall coherently connect grade levels, and progressively build greater sophistication of student understanding.

2.2.3 Components of engineering design and the nature of science should be embedded in the lessons, activities, and units. The teacher resources shall promote teaching of both engineering design and the nature of science in an integrated manner with science disciplines (e.g., design projects require science knowledge in order to develop a good solution; the engineering process contributes to building science knowledge).

2.2.4 Resources with appropriate strategies and integral connections between science and other subject areas (e.g., mathematics, ELA, history/social science, visual and performing arts, career and technical education). Resources should emphasize the commonalities among the college and career ready expectations for students in

Science, Mathematics, and English Language Arts, specifically the Science and Engineering Practices, Standards of Mathematical Practice, and student capacities.

2.2.5 Guidance on strategies to interweave some of the “hands-on” practices (for example, carrying out investigations, designing solutions) with science learning activities that use other practices (e.g., asking questions; engaging in argument;

obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information) to bring about integrated instructional units.

2.2.6 Embedded instructional strategies throughout the instructional materials (for example: scaffolding, journaling, think-pair-share, quick writes, open-ended questioning, cooperative learning, direct instruction, small-group instruction).

2.2.7 Strategies to identify the reason(s) that students may have difficulty in mastering or demonstrating their mastery of the three dimensions of the NGSS.

2.2.8 Strategies that effectively assess student knowledge and skills related to the three dimensions of the NGSS.

2.2.9 Strategies including alternative approaches and delivery mechanisms (for example, computer-based instruction) that will assist in differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all students (e.g., English language learners, special needs students, advanced learners, struggling students) and adapt to different learning styles.

2.2.10 Strategies that help identify ways in which activities or learning experiences can be contextualized to the school environment.

2.2.11 Annotated list of resource materials, both expendable (for example, cotton balls, beans) and permanent (e.g., lab equipment), that are to be used throughout the program, including possible safety practices and room arrangements.

2.2.12 Suggestions regarding instruction and learning experiences necessary for successful implementation, such as teacher tips, potentials misconceptions, potential challenges, using observation to monitor progress and inform instructional decisions, how to identify student success.

2.2.13 Digital resources that support rigorous instruction and are continuously updated such as video clips, simulations, etc.

2.2.14 Teacher resources for school-level teachers of special education, teachers of gifted education, and teachers of English language learners, and above-school- level subject matter experts. These individuals are included in the teacher count.

2.3 Student and Teacher Materials— All contractor provided materials shall contain the following attributes and content:

2.3.1 Embedded Assessment in both Student and Teacher Instructional Materials— The

Contractor shall provide both formative and summative assessment tasks that shall be primarily performance-based and exemplify the following characteristics:

2.3.1.1 Ensure authentic assessments:

Are designed to provide evidence of students’ ability to use the SEPs, to apply their knowledge of CCCs, and to draw on their understanding of DCIs all in the context of real-world application by addressing specific problems or answering certain questions

Are aligned to three-dimensional learning (SEP, DCI, and CCC) and assess at least two dimensions simultaneously

Include performance-based items.

Include formative and summative measures.

2.3.1.2 Provide for the collection of data on the three dimensions of NGSS and how the students are using the different dimensions in concert with one another.

2.3.1.3 Include explicitly stated purposes and are consistent with the decisions they are designed to inform.

2.3.1.4 Be embedded throughout instruction materials as tools for students’ learning and teachers’ monitoring of instruction.

2.3.1.5 Reflect only knowledge and skills that have been covered adequately in the instructional materials.

2.3.1.6 Use varied methods, language, representations, and examples that are unbiased and accessible to all students and provide teachers with a range of data to inform instruction.

2.3.2 Equitable Opportunity to Learn in both Student and Teacher Instructional Materials— To support teaching and learning for all students, the instructional materials shall include:

2.3.2.1 Guidance for teaching diverse student groups, including visually impaired students, hearing impaired students, students with special needs, talented and gifted students, and English language learners.

2. 3.2.2 Adequate opportunities for students to demonstrate their understandings and abilities in a variety of ways and appropriate contexts.

2. 3.2.3 Materials that facilitate the teacher’s reflection regarding the focus phenomena for each course, unit, or lesson, taking into account the interest and prior experiences of diverse students. When phenomena are not relevant or clear to some students (e.g., crop growth on farms), alternate engaging phenomena are suggested to the teacher.

2. 3.2.4 Materials that provide extensions consistent with the learning progression for students with high interest or who have already met the performance expectations. Note: The NGSS assessment boundaries are intended to limit large-scale assessment and not to limit extension opportunities for students.

2. 3.2.5 Texts that provide support for the needs of English language learners and help them both access challenging science content and develop grade-level language. For example, materials might include annotations to help with comprehension of words, sentences, and paragraphs and give examples of the use of words in other situations. Note: Modifications to language shall neither sacrifice the science content nor avoid necessary language development.

2. 3.2.6 Materials that provide the appropriate reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking modifications (e.g., translations, front-loaded vocabulary word lists, picture support, graphic organizers) for students who are English language learners, have special needs, or read below the grade level.

2. 3.2.7 Instruction and assessment modification suggestions (and materials, if applicable) that support differentiated instruction to include extra support for students who are struggling to meet the performance expectations or who may have limited science time due to intervention services.

2.4 Technical Support (CLIN 0600)

Provide industry-standard technical support and maintenance for all proposed digital resources to include providing assistance with service problems, product setup, upgrades, and troubleshooting via telephone or email within one business day from the initial contact. Maintenance is defined as automatic distribution of upgrades and revisions that can be accomplished through coordination with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). The Contractor shall not contact schools directly but shall coordinate the dissemination of upgrades/ revisions through the COR and shall provide electronic access of the updates/revisions to the COR for testing prior to distribution.

2.5 Standards Alignment Correlation (CLIN 0700)

Provide a complete standards alignment correlation document showing how all proposed materials align to the NGSS (digital format is acceptable).

2.6 Professional Development (CLIN 0800 – 08XX) (Virtual/Digital)—The Contractor shall provide professional learning resources:

2.6.1 Based on current research regarding best practices in science instruction, alignment with NGSS, and A Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012). Resources may include print materials as well as digital and/or web-based products such as videos, tutorials, model lessons, live and recorded training webinars for synchronous and asynchronous use, etc., designed for use by teachers and above-school-level subject matter experts.

2.6.2 Focused on the organization of the component parts of the program, the way the program materials align to NGSS, and research-based best practices in science instruction. Note: The Government may record and archive any webinars or sessions on our learning management system (currently Schoology).

2.7 Shipping (CLIN 0900)

2.7.1 For digital resources, the contractor shall provide access two days after receipt of delivery order (DO).

2.7.2 For print resources, the contractor shall ship items within five days after receipt of a DO using the method of shipment outlined in the DO. Delivery time frame is 30 days for CONUS (contiguous United States) and APO/FPO destinations and 45 for OCONUS (outside the contiguous United States)/overseas destinations.

2.7.3 Shipping shall be separately negotiated as a firm fixed price CLIN under individual DO’s. Prior to DO issuance the Government will request a shipping quote from the vendor and will conduct a price analysis to determine price reaosonableness.

3.0 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO DIGITAL (INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY) CURRICULUM MATERIALS

3.1 Software and Cloud Testing Requirements

3.1.1 All online resources, cloud-based services and instructional software shall meet

Department of Defense (DoD) and DoDEA Information Assurance requirements as defined below. Software, cloud services and associated websites shall undergo comprehensive testing to ensure that they pose no security risk to the DoDEA infrastructure.

3.1.2 The Contractor shall assure that the proposed product solution does not modify DoDEA’s underlying system security configuration and/or interfere with other installed software. Standard software will undergo pre- and post-installation scans on a clean computer image and over 70 other security and malware validation checks.

3.1.3 In accordance with DoD policy, cloud-based services shall undergo a supplemental series of validations, which closely mirror the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Internet Cloud vetting processes and include interviews and deep system architecture inspections with the Contractor. The Contractor shall submit a completed copy of the required Cloud Services Questionnaire, which will include details of the proposed cloud service environment addressing the following seven areas:

1. Vendor Data Collection and Distribution Controls

2. Vendor System Management and Security Controls

3. Vendor Data Storage and Data Access Controls

4. Vendor Data and Metadata Retention Controls

5. Vendor Development and Change Management Processes

6. Vendor Test and Development Environment Security Controls

7. Vendor Data Breach, Incident Investigation and Response Mechanisms

3.2 System Requirements

3.2.1 Per Section 5.1 (above), DoDEA requires that any software installed and/or accessed in a DoDEA system, whether network, stand-alone or web-based environment, be compatible with standards cited herein. All software shall be completely functional on a standard DoDEA desktop without the need/requirement for administrative-level user rights or a requirement to insert media (CD/DVD) to execute the software.

Software shall not require modifications to folder permissions while executing.

Also all software shall be compatible with the following hardware baseline:

Specifications Minimum Memory 4 GB

Hard Drive 100 GB Processor Intel-based 2.4 GHz

Operating System Windows 7 Enterprise; Windows 10 Browser Environment Chrome; Edge; IE 10 or higher

3.2.2 The Contractor shall provide the minimum desktop/server system technical specifications, available reference architectures, networking specifications and diagrams, and applicable systems configuration documentation for the proposed product solution.

3.3 Data Management Requirements

3.3.1 The Contractor shall provide a mechanism for batch administration and automation of routine data management tasks via flat file import, or representational state transfer (REST) based web service application programming interfaces (APIs) including the provisioning and ongoing management of data objects within the Contractor’s system, including but not limited to: organizational structures; student accounts;

staff accounts; courses; and class rosters.

3.3.2 The Contractor shall provide all necessary documentation and assets to facilitate batch administration and automation of routine data management tasks, including but not limited to: roster template files (i.e. comma separated value templates);

data element/field definitions documentation; data interchange formats and schemas

(XML/JSON); and/or data dictionaries for the purpose of mapping organizational Student Information System (SIS) data to the Contractor’s required input formats.

3.3.3 The Contractor shall provide a single point of contact to support DoDEA in performing required data integration activities within the Contractor’s system.

3.3.4 The Contractor shall configure DoDEA enterprise within its system and/or databases as the appropriate organizational entity (i.e., state, district, school) upon a request in writing from the COR. DoDEA’s organization hierarchy consists of the following: one system, three regions, eight districts, 62 communities, and 168 schools, which includes the Virtual High School.

3.3.5 The Contractor shall set up a technical meeting with DoDEA within 10 business days after award for the purposes of preparing for the onboarding of new services and the initial configuration of administrator level accounts.

3.4 DoDEA Software License Keys

The Contractor shall provide license keys and electronic downloads for software required under this Contract to the DoDEA COR. Software shall not be provided directly to DoDEA school, district, and/or region offices unless explicitly identified in the Requirements section of the contract or in writing by the COR.

3.5 DoDEA Information Assurance Supporting Elements / Requirements

3.5.1 DoDEA is subject to Federal statute and DoD policy and guidance. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the Information Assurance requirements defined in:

DoD Directive (DoDD) 8500.01E, Information Assurance, which may be found at http://dodcio.defense.gov/Portals/0/Documents/DIEA/850001p.pdf DoD Risk Management Framework (DODRMF) per DoD Instruction 8510.01, which may be found at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/851001_2014.pdf

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

3.5.2 The Contractor shall provide security patches and upgrades to include third-party applications in response to public-released security vulnerabilities associated with its software solution. Software upgrades and patches shall be included in the licensing cost and be performed at the least disruptive times as determined by DoDEA.

Any deviations from this requirement will be approved in writing by the DoDEA Chief Technology Officer.

3.5.3 All software packages shall support unattended installation methods used by enterprise software packaging and deployment systems. DoDEA currently distributes software packages via Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). Note:

Older 16-bit software will be automatically denied per this requirement.

3.5.4 Any portion of the Contractor's solution that:

3.5.4.1 Involves Internet access by DoDEA students shall comply with the relevant requirements of the Children's Internet Protection Act, Pub.L.

106-554, § 1(a)(4) [Div. B, Title XVII, § 1701], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat.

2763, 2763A-335.

3.5.4.2 Collects or stores agency-owned or agency-controlled personally identifiable information shall do so in accordance with the relevant requirements of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. See http://www.archives.gov/about/laws/privacy-act-1974.html.

3.5.4.3 Collect information from children under the age of 13 through the Internet shall comply with the relevant requirements of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, 15 U.S.C.A. § 6501 et seq.

3.5.5 Contractor’s solution shall be robust enough to serve the needs of a large community of learners dispersed across the world using a variety of bandwidths. They shall be scalable to meet future growth, both in terms of instruction and the number of users.

3.5.6 All Contractor staff having access to DoDEA student and/or teacher personally identifiable information shall take the DoD Privacy Act/ Personally Identifiable Information (PA and PPI/PII) training before gaining access to the data and yearly thereafter.

3.6 Section 508 Compliance

EIT Requirement: All electronic hardware and software must comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, (29 U.S.C. 794d) and Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Electronic Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Standards (36 CFR part 1194). Further information is available at the following URL: http://www.section508.gov.

4.0 PERFORMANCE AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE

Items/Tasks Timeline

Post-Award Conference Five business days after award

Curriculum Resources

Digital: Two business days after receipt of delivery order

Print & Classroom Lab Materials: Shipment within 5 days after receipt of delivery order using shipping method identified in the order.

Technical Support After receipt of a written delivery order:

Ongoing after receipt of delivery order

Standards Alignment Correlation

Draft: Ten business days after receipt of delivery order Final: Five business days after receipt of written feedback

Professional Development

Digital modules available two business days after receipt of delivery order

Webinars, if required, will be scheduled at or shortly after the post-award conference.

SECTION 4B

52.212-2 EVALUATION--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014)

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered.

Proposals will be evaluated and a contract(s) awarded, under a hybrid, tiered, evaluation approach.

First, the Government will evaluate proposals for technical acceptability on a pass/fail basis for two technical capability factors: Factor 1:Copyright; Factor 2—Comprehensive Science Curriculum Resources. Proposals that fail to pass either of these factors will be removed from further consideration for award.

Factor 1—Copyright: Offeror’s proposal and proposed curriculum resources shall have the most recent copyright date, and the date must be no earlier than 2015. The copyright requirement applies only to student and teacher materials (e.g., the student textbook, teacher’s editions, etc.). The copyright requirement does not apply to items included as part of the Contractor’s collection (that is, articles, assessments, pictures, problems included in a textbook or supplemental to the teacher or student text) but were created by others prior to 2015.

Materials shall be available throughout the duration of the contract, and their copyright dates shall remain current (SOW 2.0).

Factor 2—Comprehensive Science Curriculum Resources: Offeror’s curriculum resources include student and teacher print materials, student and teacher digital materials, and hands-on classroom lab materials.

Then second, the Government will evaluate proposals evaluated as technically acceptable for the two factors described above following a Best Value Tradeoff approach. The evaluation criteria (Factors & Sub-factors) and applicable rating standards and definitions for this acquisition are provided below: Technical Capability (Factor 1) is more important than Past Performance (Factor 2), and all evaluation factors other than cost or price (Factors 1 & 2), when combined, are more important than Price (Factor 3). Proposals receiving less than an “Acceptable” rating for Technical (Factor 1) may not receive further consideration for award.

Factor 1: Technical Capability: This factor is the most important non-price related factor and is comprised of the four (4) sub-factors listed below, which are of equal importance.