WIDA Starter Packs-JA-Final Fully Signed.pdf

FAR 13 Determination At or Below SAT Source Selection Information - See FAR 2.101 AND 3.104 - For Official Use Only

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY

DETERMINATION For

SINGLE SOURCE OR BRAND NAME SOURCE SOLICITATION - FAR 13 (≤SAT)

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Teacher Supplemental Resources

1. Contracting Agency: Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)

2. Description of Supplies and Services

DoDEA requires WIDA Starter Packs for all of our ESOL teachers. These supplemental print resources will enable them (1) to better understand the recently adopted WIDA assessments and (2) to better incorporate the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards as well as WIDA’s Can Do Statements into classroom instruction. In Base Year 1 of the contract, DoDEA will purchase WIDA Starter Packs for all ESOL teachers. In Base Years 2-3, DoDEA will purchase a small number of WIDA Starter Packs for replacement/replenishment and/or for newly hired ESOL teachers.

The required WIDA Starter Packs are proprietary resources developed by WIDA and are exclusively produced by the Wisconsin Center for Education Products and Services (WCEPS). WCEPS works with WIDA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison to commercialize and disseminate copyrightable educational products and services. WCEPS also provides professional learning on the WIDA Standards and the WIDA Can Do Statements and how they are applicable to daily instruction, as well as how they are the basis of the WIDA battery of assessments. There are no other vendors that can provide the WIDA Starter Packs, or any other comparable supplemental teacher resource that would provide ESOL teachers with the foundational knowledge about the WIDA ELD Standards and the WIDA Can Do Statements that will allow our ESOL teachers to better understand the WIDA battery of assessments and apply the standards in their classrooms.

Also during Base Year 1 DoDEA requires a minimum of six hours of synchronous webinars, repeated one time for each DoDEA region. The vendor will record the webinars and place them on DoDEA’s LMS (at this time, Schoology).

3. Description of Action

A firm fixed price (FFP), indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract is planned with a total estimated value of $58,128.38. The period of performance is a 12-month base period. FY20 Operating and Maintenance (O&M) funds are available for the first 12-month period in the estimated amount of $51,812.25.

4. Authority

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)

5. Market Research

Background

DoDEA entered a sole source agreement with WIDA at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison via contract #HE1254-18-D-0009. WIDA is the only vendor that provides a comprehensive assessment consortium for English language development that (1) possesses a comprehensive, authentic K-12 English language proficiency assessment aligned to DoDEA’s CCRS, (2) provides online and paper/pencil versions of the assessment, (3) includes the majority of states that DoDEA students transition from and into, and attend over the course of their PK-12 schooling— currently 35 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are members), (4) allows members to share data, including student performance with other jurisdictions who are a part of the consortium states, (5) includes a voting privilege as a member to participate in policy decisions for the reasons stated in #3 above, and (6) provides opportunities to meet with consortium members to exchange best practices and lessons learned in formal and informal settings. The WIDA assessments (WAPT, WIDA Screener Paper, WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Paper, WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Online, and the WIDA Alternate ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 are all based on the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards or the WIDA Alternate ELD Standards. The Alternate ELD Standards and the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 are the ELD standards and the assessment for students who are ELL and also have the most profound cognitive disabilities.

Current Requirement

Wisconsin Center for Education Products and Services (WCEPS). 510 Charmany Drive, Suite 269, Madison, WI 53719 - Not listed as a small business, per the Dynamic Small Business Search. No CAGE number, per SAM.gov. DUNS 0785652216 - Sales POC: Allison E Schweiger, Marketing Director - 608-441-2784 - allison@wceps.org. Product Training POCS: Yvonne Williams M.Ed.; Director of Educator Engagement - 702-250-4994 - yvonne.williams@wceps.org

The required WIDA Starter Packs are proprietary resources developed by WIDA and produced/marketed only by WCEPS, which works with WIDA and the University of Wisconsin- Madison to commercialize and disseminate copyrightable educational products and services. WCEPS also provides professional learning on the WIDA Standards and the WIDA Can Do Statements and how they are applicable to daily instruction, as well as how they are the basis of the WIDA battery of assessments.

Using the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) and Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) for NAICS #611710 (Education Support Services)—the code used in the aforementioned WIDA contract—yielded the following results for the keywords ESOL and English language learner:

DSBS

Under English language learner there were no results. Under ESOL there was five results. One was Conscious Press, LLC (Cheverly, MD) which does research, writing, and editing, training and curriculum development. The other four companies provided either tutoring, teaching services, or consulting services to individuals, schools, and businesses. None of the businesses market ESOL products of any kind, and none can meet DoDEA’s requirements for WIDA Starter Packs.

FPDS

Under both ESOL and English language learner was one match, Westat, Inc.—a major educational research organization that does not publish ESOL teacher supplemental materials and cannot meet DoDEA’s requirements.

6. Rationale for Single Source

Upon the basis of the following justification, I, as the Contracting Officer, approve this justification for the proposed contract action pursuant to the authority cited above because they are the only ESOL teacher supplemental resources that are based on the WIDA ELD Standards and the WIDA Can Do Statements, and therefore directly aligned to the WIDA assessments that have been adopted by DoDEA.

In the aforementioned contract with WIDA, DoDEA above-school-level staff presumed that DoDEA ESOL teachers did not need these supplemental resources. After implementing some of the WIDA assessments, many ESOL teachers systemwide requested the WIDA Starter Packs so that they could better understand the assessments and better incorporate the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards as well as WIDA’s Can Do Statements into classroom instruction. The ESOL teachers also requested product training provided by the vendor to better understand both the WIDA ELD Standards and the WIDA English language proficiency assessments adopted by DoDEA.

Based on the rationale above, the Contracting Office has made the determination to issue a sole source solicitation to WCEPS as the only authorized seller of the required resources.

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Teacher Supplemental Resources

Technical Certification: I certify the supporting data under my cognizance and which forms a basis for this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Mario Nunez, Contracting Officer’s Representative

DETERMINATION

Contracting Officer: I certify that the facts and representations included in this determination are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge. I hereby determine that the circumstances of this contract action deem only one source reasonably available and the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable. Approval is granted subject to the availability of funds and provided that the products/services described herein have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

Alim Koroma, Contracting Officer \