DRAFT PWS.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Department of Defense Education Activity 4800 Mark Center Drive

Alexandria, VA 22350

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World Language Performance & Proficiency Assessments

1. General Information and Scope of Work

1.1 Agency

1.1.1 For school year (SY) 2024-25, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) will provide

PK-12 instruction in 161 schools to over 67,000 dependents of military and civilian employees.

Student enrollment is based primarily on deployment of military troops worldwide. In the Americas, DoDEA operates 50 schools located in seven states, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. In Europe and the Middle East, DoDEA operates 64 schools located in Germany, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Bahrain, and Italy. In the Pacific, DoDEA operates 46 schools located in Korea, Japan (mainland and Okinawa), and Guam. DoDEA's curriculum, resources and student achievement scores on standardized assessments compare favorably to those of high-performing US public school systems. DoDEA also operates an accredited virtual high school with teaching hubs in each region:

Americas, Europe, and Pacific.

1.1.2 DoDEA schools have many grade configurations from PK-2 to PK-12. Forty of our 160 brick-and-mortar schools have grades 9-12; 58 of those 160 schools have at least one of the grades 6-8.

Table 1: School Year 2023-24 Enrollment (October 2, 2023) Rounded to the nearest 25

Grade Students Grade Students Grade Students Grade Students 6 5,050 8 4,150 10 3,325 12 2,625 7 4,650 9 3,650 11 3,000 Total 26,450

1.2 Background

1.2.1 For over a decade, DoDEA has assessed world language students with a web-based proficiency assessment that targets the skill areas of reading comprehension, writing, listening, comprehension, and speaking. In 2019 DoDEA awarded a contract, HE125419D0015, for this requirement.

1.2.2 DoDEA’s World Language and Culture Program world language courses for grades 6-12 are aligned to the following six core documents:

1) DoDEA adopted the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages as the DoDEA world language CCRS standards.

2) National Council of State Superintendents for Languages (NCSSFL) - American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL) NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements.

3) ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012.

4) ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners.

5) DoDEA World Language Standards & Proficiency Expectations.

6) DoDEA’s College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS).

1.2.3 The six core documents (above) may be found at the following URLs:

1) https://www.actfl.org/educator-resources/world-readiness-standards-for-learning-languages

2) https://www.actfl.org/educator-resources/ncssfl-actfl-can-do-statements

3) https://www.actfl.org/educator-resources/actfl-proficiency-guidelines

4) https://www.actfl.org/educator-resources/actfl-performance-descriptors

5) https://www.dodea.edu/curriculum/world-language-programs/standards

6) https://www.dodea.edu/education/college-and-career-ready

1.3 Scope of Work

1.3.1 In this new requirement package, the major change is the addition of American Sign Language (ASL) performance and proficiency assessments. For this language DoDEA has adopted the Standards for Learning American Sign Language: A Project of the American Sign Language Teachers Associations.

More information about these standards may be found at the following URL: https://aslta.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/National_ASL_Standards.pdf.

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1.3.2 DoDEA requires a comprehensive world language assessment system for all students in Levels I-IV, as shown in the table below, and related virtual professional learning:

World Language Performance and Proficiency Assessments

Languages Levels I II* III* IV*

Arabic Students 18 9 3 35 Teachers 2 1 1 1

Chinese (Mandarin)

Students 30 21 6 1 Teachers 3 2 1 1

French Students 409 233 84 27 Teachers 15 10 5 4

German Students 1200 202 75 93 Teachers 35 25 10 5

Italian Students 204 97 49 13 Teachers 5 4 3 2

Japanese Students 1128 571 202 75 Teachers 30 20 15 5

Korean Students 159 144 24 0 Teachers 5 5 3 0

Turkish Students 44 14 6 0 Teachers 1 1 1 0

Spanish and Heritage Spanish

Students 3983 2092 618 131 Teachers 90 60 20 13

Total Students by Level 7,131 3,369 1,061 343

Total Teachers by Level 186 128 59 31

* These numbers may increase over the life of the contract because world language graduation requirements have been increased.

1.3.3 Regarding the ASL program, which is being rolled out at the DoDEA Virtual High School only, there is no historical data from which to project enrollment numbers. DoDEA’s best, albeit still rough, estimates regarding the ASL program rollout are shown below. DoDEA requires assessments for all Level I-III students.

American Sign Language Assessments

Year ASL I* II* III* Base Year

Students 100 0 0 Teachers 1 0 0

Option Year 1

Students 120 80 0 Teachers 2 2 0

Option Year 2

Students 140 100 50 Teachers 3 3 2

Option Year 3

Students 160 120 70 Teachers 3 3 3

Option Year 4

Students 160 120 70 Teachers 3 3 3

* As stated, these numbers are rough estimates.

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2 Requirements

2.1 Performance & Proficiency Assessments: The Contractor shall provide the world language performance and proficiency assessments and the related web-based support and reports.

Supporting Tasks

The tasks below are to help the Contractor gain a better understanding of the requirements to successfully meet the objective. They are not all inclusive, so the Contractor is expected to develop the total solution to meet all the requirements in accordance with a performance-based approach.

2.2 Task 1, Assessment System: The Contractor shall provide a comprehensive assessment system for performance and proficiency testing of Levels I-III for American Sign Language (ASL) and Levels I-IV for Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Turkish.

2.2.1 Scoring and Content: Score all aspects of each assessment: interpretative reading, interpretative listening, interpersonal communication, presentational writing, and presentational speaking.

The ASL performance and proficiency assessment does not include a listening component.

A very small number of elementary students may take the assessments each year.

2.2.2 Characteristics: Provide world language performance and proficiency assessments that have the following characteristics:

2.2.2.1 Utilize authentic resources for reading and listening prompts to the greatest extent possible.

Authentic resources are defined as materials developed for native speakers of the language, not specifically for learners of the language. Resources shall be from the target cultures represented on the assessment and not mere translations of resources available in English.

2.2.2.2 Use age- and developmentally appropriate reading and listening resources that engage/interest students in grades 6-12.

2.2.2.3 Are consistent with materials available to other public school systems in the United States.

2.2.3 Assessment Window Technical Support

2.2.3.1 Provide live support via a call-in number and/or live chat so glitches in test administration can be corrected without disrupting the assessment schedule, which, due to the different school calendars systemwide, runs from mid-April to mid-June each year.

2.2.3.2 Provide up to two Sundays of live technical support for our school in Bahrain.

2.2.3.3 The COR will provide the exact schedules for each school year by region to the Contractor at least 21 business days before the start of the assessment window.

2.2.4 Web-Based Tool: Provide access to a web-based tool (medium that delivers the assessments) which allows students to complete activities that are similar to those that will be taken on the performance assessment. The tool shall:

2.2.4.1 Provide off-the-shelf activities and resources that teachers can use with students and that give students practice using the target language in the required communicative modes.

2.2.4.2 Allow teachers to (1) create their own activities for students and to share them with their colleagues and (2) provide feedback to their students.

2.2.4.3 Permit teachers to grade student submissions based on the ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners or teacher-designed rubrics. For more information, see the following URL: https://www.actfl.org/educator-resources/actfl-performance-descriptors.

2.2.4.4 Enable teachers to aggregate assessment data to inform classroom, school and DoDEA-level programmatic choices geared to measure and support significant increases in world language proficiency and performance over time at the student, classroom, and school level.

2.2.5 Dedicated Website: Provide a dedicated website for DoDEA stakeholders (e.g., students, [parents, teachers, test administrators) to obtain updates, resources, and specific information regarding the assessment system. Resources shall include the following:

2.2.5.1 Communication tools to inform parents, staff, policymakers, and senior leadership about the assessment system and results.

2.2.5.2 Assessment coordinator manual and assessment examiner manual which include notes and scripts for the provision of accommodations, which are updated within 30 calendar days of change(s).

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2.2.5.3 Technical manual that documents all technical components of each assessment, including but not limited to reliability and validity of individual and group scores, reliability of classification categories, year-to-year changes in performance, and a glossary of terms.

2.2.5.4 Portal to allow teachers and administrators access to the formative assessments in order to inform instruction and to view student assessment submissions and results.

2.2.5.5 Method/Tool to export student assessment results from the Contractor’s website.

2.2.6 Registration: Provide an automated assessment registration process that allows student information

(student name, identification number, teacher name, school name, etc.) to be imported from DoDEA’s student information system (SIS).

2.2.7 Reporting

2.2.7.1 Provide an annual summary report that describes and compares the overall performance of students to the annual performance and proficiency targets, no later than 30 business days after the assessment window closes each school year. This report shall delineate results by communication mode assessed, language, and course level. It shall allow for disaggregation of data by schools, district, region, course, teacher, student, subgroups/demographics.

2.2.7.2 Provide DoDEA with access to student testing results within 15 business days after the assessment window closes each school year.

2.2.7.3 Ensure data can be tracked from year to year via the assessment system to determine growth, per the categories listed in PWS 2.3.1.

2.2.8 Data Properties: Ensure that all data produced or stored by the platform in connection with DoDEA (including internally generated data such as usage data) possess the following characteristics:

1) Can be exported—to DoDEA’s data system—via a programmatically-accessible interface such as Application Program Interface (API), Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), and/or a mirrored database.

2) Can be returned to the proposed system in a format such as Secure Client Verification (SCV), Structured Query Language (SQL) dump, Java Script Object Notification (JSON), or Extensible Markup Language (XML).

3) Is updated at a minimum daily—preferably in real-time.

2.3 Task 2, Virtual Product Training and Virtual Professional Learning—The Contractor shall:

2.3.1 Plan: Present a draft professional learning plan ten business days after the post-award conference.

Include, at a minimum, a list of all of the materials that will be used, presenter qualifications, tentative timeline, evaluation form and analysis/reporting. Finalize the plan based on written feedback from the COR.

2.3.2 Product Training: Provide the training during the base year only. Provide all synchronous webinars three times, once each during the regular business hours of each DoDEA region—Americas, Europe, and Pacific—a total of 18 hours. Provide a draft of each training for review of selected DoDEA staff. Finalize each training based on written feedback from the COR. Record all product training and post each one on DoDEA’s learning management system (LMS, Schoology).

2.3.2.1 Evaluation & Reporting: Provide a web-based evaluation form for the product training

(PWS 2.3.8.3) and a web-based form for the professional learning (PWS 2.3.8.4).

2.3.2.2 Educators: Provide a 1-hour walk-through of the web-based tool and assessment features and tools and a 1-hour demonstration of how the assessment system works in practice.

2.3.2.3 HQ & IT Staff, Above-School-Level Subject-Matter Experts, and School Test Coordinators:

Provide a 1-hour overview of the program geared to their needs.

2.3.2.4 Assessment Administrators: Provide a 3-hour of training that shows how the assessment system works and includes, at a minimum, the following:

1) Assessment features and tools

2) Assessment security

3) Standardized administration and troubleshooting

4) Provisions of accessibility features and accommodations

5) Pre-administration, scoring and reporting

6) Generation of assessment data and reports

7) Web-based tool to guide teachers in creating activities

2.3.3 Professional Learning—Provide professional learning in a series of synchronous webinars. Provide the equivalent of six hours of professional learning per DoDEA region (Americas, Europe, and Pacific) in

11 Mar 24 5 each contract year—a total of 18 hours each year. Provide a draft of each professional learning for review of selected DoDEA staff. Finalize each professional learning based on written feedback from the COR. Record all professional learning and post them on DoDEA’s LMS. Address such topics as:

1) Teaching in a language-focused environment

2) Applying second language acquisition concepts

3) Short-term and long-term planning

4) Differentiating instruction

5) Promoting students to take more responsibility for their own learning.

Notes: The COR in consultation with the Contractor will finalize the topics post-award. If digital modules are used in product training or professional learning, they shall be SCORM®-compliant, as discussed in PWS 3.11 (below).

2.4 General Requirements—The Contractor shall:

2.4.1 Delivery of Digital Resources: The Contractor shall deliver digital materials with instructions detailing how the resources can be accessed by teachers, students, and above-school-level educators.

2.4.2 Technical Requirements for Digital Resources—The Contractor shall:

2.4.2.1 Provide digital resources designed to run in DoDEA’s LMS (learning management system, Schoology), which operates within our virtual learning environment (VLE).

2.4.2.2 Deliver digital instructional resources in one or more of the following three formats:

1) Imported, hosted, and maintained by DoDEA.

2) Integrated via DoDEA’s LMS to the digital resources hosted by the Contractor.

3) Hosted externally by the Contractor but accessible via DoDEA’s LMS to the digital assignments and assessments imported, hosted, and maintained in the LMS.

2.4.2.3 Ensure the course content meets the following specifications:

1) Conforms to IMS Learning Global Consortium (IMS) content packaging specifications.

2) Uses imported content, if required, conforming to IMS content packaging specifications.

3) Uses code that does not disable LMS features when digital resources are accessed.

4) Requires single—not multiple—authentications to access content via DoDEA’s LMS.

5) Incorporates, where applicable, assessments that are IMS Test and Question Interoperability

(QTI)-conformant.

6) Uses content-hosted externally that conforms to any of the existing versions of IMS

Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI), per www.imsglobal.org.

2.4.2.4 Provide teacher and student access to the Contractor’s digital resources through a single sign-on platform that uses one username and password to access what is needed, specifically, via DoDEA’s identity, rostering, and management platform (currently, ClassLink).

2.4.3 Industry-Standard Technical Support: Provide industry-standard technical support for its digital resources for the life of the contract via telephone or email within one business day from the initial contact to include but not limited to assisting with service problems, product setup, upgrades, and troubleshooting.

2.4.4 Third-Party Programs, Software, and Applications: Ensure its own and its subcontractors’ (third-party) programs, software, and applications meet—at a minimum—the same technical requirements as the Contractor must meet, such as single sign on (SSO) and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Level 2, etc. For more information, see Technical Exhibit #1, 1.1.7.

2.4.5 Meetings: Attend virtual meetings at no additional cost to the Government and provide the medium through which each meeting occurs, record each meeting’s minutes. Submit the draft minutes to the COR within two business days of the event and finalize the minutes two business days after receipt of written feedback from the COR. Note: Costs associated with attending any face-to-face meetings shall be handled/paid for as stated in the contract.

2.4.5.1 Post-Award Conference: Participate in a video- or teleconference with the COR five business days after award IAW FAR Subpart 42.5.

2.4.5.2 IT Meeting: Convene a video- or teleconference with DoDEA Information Technology staff ten business days after award, per Technical Exhibit #1.

2.4.5.3 Other Post-Award Meetings: Meet with the Contracting Officer (KO), COR, and/or other

Agency personnel, as appropriate, to review Contractor performance, as required by DoDEA.

The KO may discuss the Agency’s view of Contractor performance, and the Contractor

11 Mar 24 6 shall apprise the Agency of any problems being experienced. The Contractor shall take appropriate action to resolve any outstanding issues the Agency raises.

2.5 Performance Standards and Acceptable Quality Levels

2.5.1 Performance Standard: Tasks shall be completed by the required completion date.

2.5.2 Acceptable Quality Level: See PWS 7, Performance Requirement Summary (PRS).

3 Constraints

3.1 Place of Performance: Work shall be performed at the Contractor’s facilities.

3.2 Key Functions—The Contractor shall provide the following: Project Manager/ Alternate Project Manager, Technology Manager; and Program Specialists. They shall be available, from 9AM to 3PM EST, Monday - Friday, except for Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed for administrative reasons.

3.2.1 Program Manager/Alternate: Provide a person to be responsible for the performance of work. The name of this program manager and an alternate who shall act for the Contractor when the program manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the Contracting Officer. The program manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to the daily operation of this contract. Provide a program manager with an advanced degree in a relevant area and at least three years of experience in a similar role. Provide an alternate that will be able to speak for the program manager regarding contractual matters.

3.2.2 Technology Manager: Provide a technology manager to be responsible for tasks that include but are not limited to (1) assisting DoDEA, schools, and districts with the transition to the assessments;

(2) working with DoDEA staff to ensure the accurate and efficient transfer of data to and from DoDEA; (3) creating, defining, and reviewing file layouts; (4) providing assistance in verifying demographic data; and (5) assisting DoDEA and district assessment coordinators with the use of the Contractor’s websites and functionality.

3.2.3 Program Specialists: Provide program specialists whose responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, world language, content-specific, assessment administration and the reporting lead.

3.2.4 Changes: Personnel provided as replacements to key functions after contract award shall meet or exceed the qualifications and experience of those provided upon award of the contract. Notify the COR in writing regarding all personnel changes ten business days in advance of the change.

3.3 Holidays and Hours of Operation

3.3.1 The program manager or alternate program manager shall be available during the hours of 9AM to

3PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), except for Federal holidays and Federal government closures/shutdowns. The following list shows recognized Federal holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

3.3.2 Although there are different time zones within Europe and the Pacific and different hours for specific schools throughout DoDEA, the normal business hours for the regions roughly correspond to the following: Americas, 0700-1500 EST; Europe, 1300-2100 EST; and Pacific, 2000-0400 EST. there are different time zones within Europe and the Pacific and different hours for specific schools throughout DoDEA, the normal business hours for the regions roughly correspond to the following:

Americas, 0700-1500 EST; Europe, 1300-2100 EST; and Pacific, 2000-0400 EST.

3.4 Availability: The Contractor shall make all resources available for the life of the contract.

3.5 Anti-Bias, Diversity, and Inclusion—The Contractor shall provide resources free of age, racial, color, national origin, disabling conditions, sexual, gender, religious, and ethnic bias and present balanced coverage of multi-cultural contributions and representation, where appropriate.

3.6 Privacy—The Contractor shall:

3.6.1 User Accounts: Require, wherever applicable, that individual accounts possess unique usernames and passwords that do not require personally identifiable information (PII) to access online content, i.e., first & last name and any other unique personal information.

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3.6.2 Contractor Personnel

Ensure personnel assigned to this contract take proper precautions to protect information from disclosure. Collect and/or store all agency-owned or agency-controlled PII in accordance with the relevant requirements of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C, which may be found at the following URL:

http://www.archives.gov/about/laws/privacy-act-1974.html.

All Contractor personnel that have access or may potentially have access to DoDEA data in any form shall be US citizens, including any third-party penetration (PEN)/security testers.

3.6.3 Privacy Training: Ensure Contractor staff who have access to DoDEA’s student, teacher and/or staff personally identifiable information successfully complete the DoD Privacy Act/Personally Identifiable Information (PA/PII) training before gaining access to the data and yearly thereafter. Provide copies of the certificates of completion to the COR which can be audited at any time by the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) or his/her designee.

3.6.4 Privacy Verification: Provide the COR written verification of compliance to the Privacy requirements (listed above) 120 calendar days prior to the expiration of each year’s contract option period or annually, as required. Note: After reviewing the Contractor’s verification, DoDEA reserves the right to ask for further verification data in order for DoDEA to comply with DoD’s evolving privacy mandates.

3.7 Section 508 Compliance—The Contractor shall:

3.7.1 Background: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220) requires Federal agencies that develop, procure, maintain, or use information and communication technology (ICT) to endure they are accessible to people with disabilities.

Federal employees and members of the public who have disabilities must have access to and use of information/data that is comparable to people without disabilities.

3.7.2 Requirement: Ensure that products, platforms, and services delivered as part of this work statement that are ICT or contain ICT conform to the Revised 508 Standards, 36 C.F.R. § 1194.1 & Apps. A, C & D which are located at the following URL: https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines.

3.7.3 ARS: See the attached ICT Accessibility Requirements Statement (ARS). All functional performance criteria apply when using an alternative design or technology that achieves substantially equivalent or greater accessibility and usability by individuals with disabilities, than would be provided by conformance to one or more of the requirements in Chapters 4-6 of the Revised 508 Standards or when Chapters 4-6 do not address one or more functions of ICT. Note the guidance in the table below:

Applicable Requirements Directions

Software Features and Components

Applies to all WCAG Level AA Success Criteria, 502 Interoperability with Assistive Technology, and 503 Applications.

Hardware Features and Components All requirements apply.

Support Services and Documentation All requirements apply.

Outputs/Deliverables Ensures that outputs/deliverables do not adversely affect accessibility features of the existing EIT technologies.

3.8 Optical Character Resolution (OCR): The Contractor shall provide, upon request, two digital OCR copies of print materials in one or more of the following five formats: Digital Accessible Information System/National Instructional Materials; Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) with cascading style sheet; HyperText Markup Language (HTML); Portable Document Format (PDF, unlocked, embedded fonts, single page); and Rich Text Format (RTF)/Word document.

3.9 Sharable Content Object Reference Model® (SCORM®) Compliance: Provide digital modules, if included among the proposed/required resources, that are SCORM®-compliant. Note: The Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1322.26 mandates that modules comply with the latest possible version of SCORM®, per https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/132226_dodi_2017.pdf?ver=2017- 10-05-073235-400.

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3.10 Data & Data Rights: All data developed from any work awarded under this contract is and shall remain the property of the Government. The Contractor shall ensure that digital rights to all visual materials embedded in the resources will be given so that DoDEA for DoDEA’s internal use only may use resources without incurring copyright costs or infringing on copyright laws. All data developed from any work awarded under this contract is and shall remain the property of the Government.

3.11 Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI): The Contractor (including any subcontractor) personnel performing work under this contract may receive, have access to, or participate in the development of, proprietary or Privacy Act information (e.g., personal information, education, etc.) may create a current or subsequent OCI as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. Whenever the Contractor becomes aware that such access or participation may result in actual or potential OCI, the Contractor shall (1) immediately notify the Contracting Officer (KO) in writing and (2) promptly submit a plan to the KO to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. Note: The KO will unilaterally determine if the Contractor’s plan is acceptable. If the KO determines the plan cannot satisfactorily avoid or mitigate an OCI, s/he may implement other remedies to include prohibiting the Contractor’s further participation in contracted requirements.

4 Government-Furnished Information / Resources None

5 Contract Deliverables

Milestone/Deliverable Word / Excel

Digital Copies PWS Planned

Frequency Assessment System, including Live Testing Window Technical Support

Yes Yes 2.2 Ongoing three business days after post-award Testing window determined post-award

Reporting --Annual Summary Report Yes Yes 2.3.1 30 business days after assessment window ends --Student Testing Results Yes Yes 2.3.2 15 business days after assessment window ends --Tracking data Yes Yes 2.3.3 Ongoing Virtual Product Training & Professional Learning

--Plan Yes Yes 2.4.1 Draft plan ten business days after post-award conference. Final ten business days after receipt of written feedback from COR.

--Product Training Yes Yes 2.4.2

Provide draft and final trainings/professional learnings, per the Plan.

Delivered per schedule determined post-award Posted in LMS per the Plan (PWS 2.4.1) o Evaluation Yes Yes 2.4.2.1 o Educators Yes Yes 2.4.2.2 o Various Staff Yes Yes 2.4.2.3 o Assessment Administrators Yes Yes 2.4.2.4

--Professional Learning Yes Yes 2.4.3 Industry-Standard Technical Support Yes Yes 2.5.3 Ongoing after receipt of initial delivery order

Privacy Training Yes Yes 3.6.3 Three days after receipt of a written request

Privacy Verification Yes Yes 3.6.4 120 calendar days prior to the end of each contract year

6 Acronyms and Definitions

CCRS College and Career Ready Standards PA/PII Privacy Act/Personally Identifiable Information SCORM® Shareable Content Object Reference Model®

Contract Line-Item Number (CLIN) – Basic structural element in a procurement instrument describing and organizing the required product or service for pricing, delivery, inspection, acceptance, invoicing, and payment. The use of the term “line item” includes “subcontract line number”, (SLIN), as applicable.

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Contracting Officer (KO) – The only individual with expressed authority to obligate (bind) the Government by means of entering, administering, and terminating contracts within the limits of the authority delegated via a Contracting Officer’s warrant.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) – Qualified and trained Government employee, nominated by the requiring activity (RA) and appointed in writing by a KO primarily to perform specific technical or administrative functions on a specific contract(s); serves as the ‘eyes and ears’ of a KO to assure the Government’s best interests are protected via the terms and conditions of the contract(s) appointed. COR’s do not have authority to obligate (i.e., bind) the Government.

Contractor - Supplier or vendor having a contract to provide specific supplies or service to the Government. The term used in this contract refers to the prime.

Deliverable – Usually physically delivered items but may include such items as digital documents/reports.

Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) – Tabular listing of performance objectives and standards that provides the basis for a meaningful QASP.

Performance Work Statement (PWS) - A statement of work for performance-based acquisitions describing the required results in clear, specific, and objective terms with measurable outcomes.

7 Performance Requirement Summary

Performance Objective

Performance Standard Acceptable Quality Level Inspection Method

Task 1, Assessment System, PWS 2.2

PWS-

compliant

No more than one unscheduled downtime per year.

Resolve 90% of requests within 30 minutes during the live testing window.

COR inspection and stakeholder feedback

Task 2, Reporting

PWS 2.3

PWS-

compliant

Provide annual summary report, student testing results, and longitudinal data within the required timeframe 90% of the time.

COR inspection and stakeholder feedback

Virtual Product Training and Virtual

Professional Learning

PWS 2.4

PWS-

compliant

Draft plan is 80% correct. Final plan is 100% correct except for possible errors in grammar and formatting.

Draft trainings/professional learning is 80% correct. Final is 100% correct except for possible errors in grammar and formatting.

No more than one synchronous webinar will be rescheduled each year due to Contractor issues.

Participants will rate the webinars as good or better.

COR inspection and stakeholder feedback

Technical Support

PWS 2.5.3

PWS-

compliant

Acknowledge receipt of request within two hours. Resolve 90% of requests within one business day. Resolve remaining 10% within five business days.

COR inspection and stakeholder feedback

Privacy Training

PWS 3.6.3

PWS-

compliant

No more than one certificate per year sent to the COR more than three business days from the date of the COR’s request for it.

COR inspection

Privacy Verification

PWS 3.6.4

PWS-

compliant

Submitted 120 calendar days prior to the end of each contract year. COR inspection

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Technical Exhibit #1 - TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall comply with the applicable technical requirements detailed below.

1.1 Software and Cloud Security Requirements—The Contractor shall:

1.1.1 Ensure all online resources, cloud-based services and instructional software meet the Department of

Defense (DoD) and DoDEA Cybersecurity requirements as defined below. Note: Software, cloud services and associated websites are rigorously tested to ensure no security risks are posed to DoDEA infrastructure and its users.

1.1.2 Complete the Cloud Services questionnaire that was submitted as part of the proposal submission and provide copies of and/or access to any software listed in the proposed solution.

1.1.3 Ensure on-premises software support post-installation integration of the necessary Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIG) for applicable systems and applications, including Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Microsoft Windows IIS, Apache, Oracle databases, and Microsoft SQL Server databases. Note: The application to obtain the STIG Viewer is found at https://public.cyber.mil/stigs/srg-stig-tools/, and the STIGs themselves may be downloaded from https://public.cyber.mil/stigs/downloads/.

1.1.4 Ensure its content accessible from the web is compatible with the following browser platforms: Google Chrome, and Edge. Ensure that any applicable STIGs are implemented.

1.1.5 Ensure on-premises software, which is subject to static and dynamic analysis testing, imposes no risk to DoDEA systems, users and/or data. Note: DoDEA assesses software products to ensure compatibility with existing system configurations and software, testing may also include reverse engineering analysis.

1.1.6 Provide a plan of actions and milestones (POA&M) to mitigate any cybersecurity findings resulting from non-compliant and/or vulnerable components within 30 calendar days of written notification from DoDEA.

1.1.7 Be able to meet Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Level 2 standards for all proposed software/digital resources and ensure that any third-party resources that are part of its proposed solution also meet the FedRAMP Level 2 standard. For more information on FedRAMP, see the following URL: www.fedramp.gov. Participate, if required, in interviews and deep system architecture inspections. Note: Per DoD policy for cloud-based services, DoDEA conducts a supplemental series of validations, which closely mirror the FedRAMP Internet Cloud vetting processes. Contractor participation/ cooperation is normally required to complete this process.

1.2 System Requirements—The Contractor shall:

1.2.1 Provide, per Section 1.1 (above), any software installed and/or accessed in or by a DoDEA system, network whether stand-alone or web-based, is compatible with the standards cited herein.

1.2.2 Provide minimum desktop/server system technical specifications, available reference architectures, networking specifications and diagrams, and applicable systems configuration documentation for the proposed product solution.

1.2.3 Provide software that is compatible with the following minimum baseline:

Specifications Minimum Memory 4 GB

Hard Drive 100 GB

Processor Intel® Core™ i5-8365U Processor 8th Generation (up to 4.1GHz, 6MB cache) equivalent or better (Must show benchmark/passmark scores)

Video Graphics Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 (1920x1080) equivalent or better Operating System Windows 11

Browser Environment Chrome, Edge, Edge Chromium

1.2.4 Provide software that is completely functional on a standard DoDEA desktop without the need or requirement for administrative-level user rights and/or permissions or the requirement to use or insert external media to execute the software.

1.2.5 Provide software that does not require modifications to folder permissions while executing.

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1.2.6 Provide, if applicable, software packages that support unattended installation methods used by enterprise software packaging and deployment systems. Note: DoDEA currently distributes software packages via Microsoft’s System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). Older 16-bit software are automatically denied.

1.3 Data Management Requirements—The Contractor shall:

1.3.1 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). The mechanism shall provision and manage data objects within the Contractor’s system, including but not limited to organizational structures, student accounts, staff accounts, courses, and class rosters.

1.3.2 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.

1.3.3 Provide a single point of contact to support DoDEA in performing the required data integration activities within the Contractor’s system.

1.3.4 Configure DoDEA enterprise within its system and/or databases as the appropriate organizational entity (i.e., region, district, school) upon a request in writing from the contracting officer’s representative (COR).

Note: DoDEA’s organization hierarchy consists of the following: one system, three regions, eight districts, 62 communities, and 160 schools, including the K-12 virtual school programs.

1.3.5 Participate in a technical meeting with DoDEA within ten business days after award for the purposes of preparing for onboarding of new services and initial configuration of administrator-level accounts.

1.3.6 Ensure the transfer of any Sensitive, Confidential data including but not limited to PII data be transferred in a secure means meeting any requirements set by DoDEA’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

1.4 DoDEA Software License Keys: The Contractor shall provide (1) license keys and electronic downloads for software required under this Contract to the COR and (2) software directly to DoDEA schools, districts, or regions only if explicitly required to do so in the contract or in writing by the COR.

1.5 Cybersecurity Supporting Elements/Requirements and Scalability—The Contractor shall:

1.5.1 Comply with the same Federal law and DoD policies and guidance to which DoDEA is subject. These requirements include but are not limited to the cybersecurity requirements defined in the following documentation:

DoD Directive (DoDD) 8500.01E, Information Assurance, be found at the following URL:

https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/850001_2014.pdf.

DoD Security Technical Implementation Guidance (STIG), found at the following URL:

https://public.cyber.mil/stigs/downloads/.

DoD Risk Management Framework (DODRMF) per DoD Instruction 8510.01, which may be found at https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/851001p.pdf?ver=2019-02- 26-101520-3004.5.2.

1.5.2 Provide security patches/upgrades to include third-party applications in response to public-released security vulnerabilities associated with its software solution. Provide a POA&M for any security vulnerabilities within five business days of discovery. Software upgrades/patches shall be included in the licensing cost and be performed at the least disruptive times as determined by DoDEA in writing.

Note: Any exception to this requirement must be approved in advance and in writing by DoDEA’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) or designated official.

1.5.3 Protect DoDEA data against all cyberattacks, notifying DoDEA within 72 hours of an identified and confirmed intrusion.

1.5.4 Perform security incident investigations upon identification of an event or at the request of DoDEA.

1.5.5 Address all Information Assurance Vulnerability Messages (IAVM) within the defined timelines. IAVM messages include IA Vulnerability Alerts (IAVA), IA Vulnerability Bulletins (IAVB), and Technical Advisories (TA).

1.5.6 User passwords must not be readable by anyone having access to the system.

1.5.7 Ensure any portion of its solution that involves Internet access by DoDEA students complies with the relevant requirements of the Children's Internet Protection Act, Public Law 106-554, § 1(a)(4) [Div. B, 11 Mar 24 12

Title XVII, § 1701], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A-335. Note: If its solution does not involve Internet access by DoDEA students, please ensure the following are included:

1) Maintaining system security IAW the latest versions of the (1) DoD Cloud Computing Security

Requirements Guide, (2) Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and (3) Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).

2) Providing a solution robust enough to serve the needs of a large community of learners dispersed across the world using a variety of bandwidths and scalable to meet future growth, both in terms of instruction and the number of users.

3) Ensuring Contractor staff who have access to DoDEA’s student, teacher and/or staff personally identifiable information take the DoD Privacy Act/Personally Identifiable Information (PA and PPI/PII) training before gaining access to data and yearly thereafter. Provide copies of the certificates to the COR which can be audited at any time by the CISO or his/her designee.

1.6 Program and System Integration—The Contractor’s solution shall:

1.6.1 Provide Single Sign-On (SSO) Capabilities / Platform which (1) integrates with an Industry Standard SSO login solution. (ClassLink, Google, Azure, etc.); (2) supports Oauth 2.0, Security Assertions Markup Language (SAML) for integration with Azure, or Google; and (3) authenticates using Azure Active Directory (AD) or Google AD. Authenticates using Azure Active Directory (AD) or Google AD.

1.6.2. Support industry-standard data rostering standards via ClassLink and standard data formats such as OneRoster.

1.6.3. Ensure that data storage, handling, and security meet the following minimum standards:

1) DoDEA’s information and data shall be secured in data center located in the United States.

2) The system, including its server(s) and network devices, shall be in an environmentally controlled and secure facility under controlled circumstances (e.g., authorized personnel access lists, ID cards, entry logs).

3) All Contractor personnel that have access or may potentially have access to DoDEA data in any form shall be US citizens, including any third-party penetration (PEN)/security testers.

4) All data transit shall be secured with Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption.

5) All data at rest shall be secured with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)-256 encryption.

1.6.4 Ensure that data integration includes the following:

1) Automated industry standard form of data integration using Representational State Transfer Application

Program Interface (RESTful API), Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI), or Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) data sets (ClassLink, OneRoster, etc.).

2) Encryption of DoDEA’s data at rest to include unique encryption keys for each customer on systems hosting multiple customers.

3) Notification of DoDEA in writing within 72 hours of any changes made to corporate policies for data protection.

4) Use of only masked student data in a non-production environment.

5) Integration scheduling that meets DoDEA’s required timeframes.

6) Provision of fully automated data uploads per Agency schedule(s) and Agency requirements.

7) Support of SFTP capabilities using a single set of login credentials.

8) Provision of a single data set of DoDEA information. Note: The Contractor’s solution shall support

DoDEA at all levels: school, community, district, region, and HQ.

9) Maintenance of a backup and restore plan for DoDEA data in the event of a disaster.

10) Provision of detailed feedback of what caused errors if an integration transmission results in errors.

1.6.5 System Features—The system shall:

1) Allow user accounts to be created automatically based on a file provided by DoDEA either nightly or on another pre-determined scheduled feed.

2) Allow DoDEA to be able to choose the format of user login identification, e.g., an email address, and be able to create manual accounts, if needed.

3) Require the user—for manually created accounts—to reset the password on the user’s initial login or, upon request, a password reset.

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT