26RFI0006_Questions and Answers_051226.pdf

Question # Question Answer

LMS Integration KIMR’s COTS courseware is an LTI-compliant and SCORM-packaged solution designed to be hosted within an agency-provided Learning Management System

(LMS) to ensure data sovereignty and centralized student reporting. Does DoWEA utilize a specific LMS (e.g., Canvas, Schoology, or Blackboard) across the 41 school sites, or is the contractor expected to provide a standalone hosting environment?

DoWEA utilizes a specific LMS. The contractor doesn't provide a standalone hosting environment.

Security & Compliance Equivalency The RFI specifies FedRAMP Level 2 (or equivalent).

Will the government accept SOC2 Type II certification or evidence of hosting within a

FedRAMP-authorized infrastructure (e.g., AWS GovCloud) as meeting this "equivalent" threshold for the application layer?

SOC 2 Type II certification alone is not considered equivalent to FedRAMP

Moderate. The Government expects either a FedRAMP-authorized solution or demonstrated FedRAMP Moderate equivalency through a validated assessment against the full NIST SP 800-53 control baseline, including continuous monitoring.

Hosting within a FedRAMP-authorized cloud may be considered as part of the solution but does not, by itself, satisfy the requirement.

Global Implementation & Bandwidth Given the geographic spread across the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific, does the government have a requirement for "offline" capabilities or specific bandwidth optimizations for schools in regions with limited internet stability?

DoWEA has the internet bandwidth and excellent stability across all regions, all districts, and all schools in the U.S.A, and overseas.

Industry-Recognized Certification Standards Does DoWEA have a preferred third-party certification body (e.g., SkillsUSA, OSHA-10, or NOCTI) that the courseware must align with, or is a proprietary certification issued by the vendor acceptable?

DoWEA doesn't have any third-party preference for industry certification. The contractor provides the courseware with credential for our students who will complete the course.

Training Delivery for 132 Instructors Regarding the training of 132 instructors and CTE specialists: Does the government prefer a "Synchronous" virtual training model (live sessions) or an "Asynchronous" self-paced educator certification module?

DoWEA prefers a synchronous virtual training model.

Section 508 Accessibility Documentation Will the government require a formal Voluntary

Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) as part of the May 15th submission to verify compliance for the 12,727 high school students?

The Government may request a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or equivalent Section 508 documentation as part of the submission to validate accessibility compliance. While a VPAT is a standard and preferred method for demonstrating conformance, the Government may also consider alternative documentation that clearly maps the solution to Section 508/WCAG requirements.

Given the scale of deployment (12,727 high school students), vendors should be prepared to provide sufficient evidence of accessibility compliance, and additional validation (e.g., testing results, remediation plans, or accessibility statements) may be requested during evaluation.

HE1254-26-RFI0006 - Work Ethics Courseware - Questions and Answers

Pricing Structure Preference For the purposes of this market research, does the government prefer pricing to be estimated as an "Annual Per-Student License" or as a "Flat-

Fee Global Enterprise License" for the 41 participating schools?

For purposes of this Request for Information (RFI), the Government does not prescribe a specific pricing structure. Respondents are encouraged to propose a pricing approach that best supports their solution and reflects industry practices.

Pricing information, if provided, will be used for market research purposes only.

8 Does the 20-page response limit include or exclude the cover page and transmittal letter?

The 20-page response limit applies to the primary response content. Cover pages and transmittal letters are not counted toward the page limit.

Does industry-recognized certification require a specific issuing body, or will the

Government evaluate the certification's employer recognition and market acceptance on its own merits?

The Government does not prescribe a specific certifying body. Respondents are encouraged to describe how proposed certifications are recognized within industry.

Information provided will be considered as part of overall market research.

Regarding the LMS Integration. What Learning Management System is currently used by

DoWEA’s virtual high school, and are SCORM or xAPI standards required for courseware integration?

DoWEA's learning management system is currently used in CTE for teachers and students = Schoology and Google Classroom.

Should pricing information be included in the RFI response, or will it be requested at the

RFP stage?

Pricing information is not required as part of the RFI response; however, respondents may include non-binding pricing information if it assists the

Government’s market research and acquisition planning.

Does DoWEA intend the required ½-credit course to be delivered as a fully asynchronous virtual course, a teacher-facilitated blended course, or a flexible model that supports both?

DoWEA intends to offer this 1/2 credit course to all brick-and-mortar schools. Our teachers will be the facilitators and fully in-person model.

What instructional seat-time or clock-hour expectation does DoWEA associate with the ½-credit course?

It will be a semester-long course, and the schedule varies by school. It is 18 weeks long.

Should the solution be designed for a specific grade level, such as grade 9, grade 10, or upper high school students, or should it be appropriate for all students in grades 9–12?

DoWEA will offer this class to all students in grades 9-12.

Will DoWEA require the solution to align to a specific existing DoWEA course code, CTE pathway, graduation requirement, or elective category?

DoWEA will not require the solution to align to a specific course code or CTE pathways.

Does DoWEA expect the selected solution to include all instructional content, or may the contractor provide courseware that is supplemented by DoWEA instructors?

The contractor will provide all instructional content, lesson plans, and activities/projects for our instructors who will be the facilitators.

Should the solution focus primarily on work ethic, or should it also include broader career-readiness, employability, and career-exploration content?

It also includes broader career-readiness, employability, and career-exploration content along with work ethics.

How much emphasis should be placed on skilled trades compared with other career pathways such as healthcare, information technology, logistics, public service, military-connected careers, and entrepreneurship?

The main emphasis is on work ethics, career readiness, employabilitiy, and career-exploration content.

Does DoWEA have a preferred definition of “work ethic” that respondents should use when mapping the solution content to the requirement?

DoWEA doesn't have a preferred definition of work ethics.

Does DoWEA require the solution to culminate in a nationally recognized credential, an industry-recognized certificate, a certificate of completion, or some combination of these?

DoWEA would like for our students who will complete the course with credentials, a certificate of completion and/or industry-recognized certificate.

What criteria will DoWEA use to determine whether a certification has sufficient “brand weight” among employers in the skilled trades?

The Government does not prescribe a specific set of criteria for determining “brand weight” at this stage. Respondents are encouraged to describe how proposed certifications are recognized within relevant industries, including evidence of employer acceptance, workforce alignment, or other indicators of value.

Are employer endorsements, workforce board recognition, state adoption, or labor-market alignment acceptable evidence of industry recognition?

Respondents are encouraged to describe and provide supporting information demonstrating industry recognition of proposed certifications. This may include, but is not limited to, employer endorsements, workforce board recognition, state adoption, or alignment with labor market needs.

Will DoWEA accept a soft-skills or career-readiness credential if it is not specific to a single skilled trade?

The Government is interested in understanding available solutions and does not limit responses to certifications tied to a single skilled trade. Respondents are encouraged to describe how proposed credentials support work ethic, career readiness, and workforce preparation.

24 Does DoWEA expect the certification assessment to be proctored? DoWEA instructors will proctor all assessments.

Should the summative assessment be administered inside the contractor’s platform, DoWEA ’s digital learning platform, or both?

DoWEA has no requirements for the summative assessment to be administered either on DoWEA's digital learning platform or contract's platform.

Will DoWEA require student-level reporting on assessment attempts, scores, credential attainment, seat time, course progress, and completion status?

No, DoWEA will not require any reporting.

Should the contractor provide a complete grading schema for the solution, including weights for formative assessments, summative assessments, participation, reflection, and capstone activities?

No, DoWEA instructors will complete the grading scheme.

Does DoWEA require the solution to include a student pledge, affirmation, reflection, or values acknowledgment as a formal course component?

No, DoWEA doesn't require students to pledge.

Should the student affirmation be required for course completion, optional, or used only as an instructional activity?

Students' affirmation and pledges will not be required for the course completion.

Does DoWEA expect a final project, capstone activity, portfolio, or performance task in addition to a final assessment or certification exam?

No, DoWEA instructors may use the capstone activity, firnal project, and ePofolio in addition to the final assessment/certification exam.

What instructor materials does DoWEA expect beyond a facilitator guide, such as pacing guides, lesson plans, discussion prompts, rubrics, slide decks, answer keys, and implementation checklists?

Nothing

Should instructor resources be editable by DoWEA , or must they remain as contractor-controlled copyrighted materials?

DoWEA would like to have the edit rights to the resources to meet the needs of the students.

Will DoWEA require the contractor to map all solution content to specific academic, employability, CTE, or workforce-readiness standards?

No, DoWEA doesn't require contractor to map all solution content.

Does DoWEA have preferred standards that respondents should adopt, or should respondents propose the standards used in their solution?

DoDEA would like to have the current standards for the course.

Should the solution include differentiated supports for English learners, students with disabilities, and students requiring accommodations?

DoWEA would love to have a variety of differentiated supports for our students with special needs.

36 Does DoWEA require the course to be available in languages other than English? No

What level of Section 508 or WCAG documentation will DoWEA require with the response or future proposal?

Basic level of Section 508

Does DoWEA require a current VPAT or Accessibility Conformance Report for the courseware platform?

Yes—DoDEA requires a current VPAT or Accessibility Conformance Report to verify

Section 508/WCAG compliance, with additional evidence provided upon request.

What federal security documentation will DoWEA require to establish FedRAMP Level 2 or equivalent compliance?

Vendors shall provide sufficient federal security documentation to demonstrate alignment with the FedRAMP Moderate (Level 2) baseline, or equivalent controls, in accordance with NIST SP 800 53. At a minimum, vendors shall submit documentation that demonstrates the following:

• System security architecture and control implementation, including documentation equivalent to a System Security Plan (SSP), describing system boundaries, data flows, and implemented security controls

• Independent security assessment results evidencing that controls have been tested and validated (e.g., assessment report or equivalent artifacts)

• Documented risk and vulnerability management processes, including tracking and remediation of identified findings (e.g., POA&M or equivalent)

• Security policies and procedures aligned to applicable NIST SP 800 53 control families (e.g., access control, incident response, configuration management, and contingency planning)

• Evidence of continuous monitoring and ongoing risk management, including vulnerability scanning and incident response capabilities

Formal FedRAMP authorization is preferred but not required. However, vendors shall demonstrate that their solution meets the intent and rigor of the FedRAMP

Moderate baseline, and DoDEA reserves the right to request additional documentation or validation artifacts to support risk based authorization determinations.

If the proposed platform is not FedRAMP-authorized, what waiver process or alternative security documentation would DoWEA consider acceptable?

DoWEA does not employ a formal “waiver” process for FedRAMP requirements. If a proposed platform is not FedRAMP‑authorized, vendors shall demonstrate compliance through acceptable alternative security documentation that evidences alignment with the FedRAMP Moderate (Level 2) baseline.

Acceptable alternatives include submission of a FedRAMP‑aligned Body of Evidence

(BoE) or equivalent documentation set, which may include:

• Documentation equivalent to a System Security Plan (SSP) describing system architecture, authorization boundary, data flows, and control implementation

• Independent security assessment results demonstrating that required controls have been tested and validated

• Risk and vulnerability management artifacts (e.g., POA&M or equivalent) documenting identified findings and remediation efforts

• Security policies and procedures aligned to NIST SP 800‑53 control families

• Evidence of continuous monitoring, including vulnerability scanning, incident response, and ongoing risk management processes

All alternative documentation must demonstrate full implementation of controls equivalent to the FedRAMP Moderate baseline and be subject to independent validation, where applicable.

DoDEA will evaluate submissions using a risk‑based authorization approach, and reserves the right to request additional artifacts, validation evidence, or third‑party assessments to support authorization decisions.

Will the contractor be required to integrate with DoWEA ’s existing learning management system, student information system, identity provider, or single sign-on environment?

The contractor shall support integration with DoWEA’s existing enterprise systems, including the learning management system (LMS), student information system (SIS), identity provider (IdP), and single sign‑on (SSO) environment, as required to enable interoperability, user provisioning, and secure access.

At a minimum, the proposed solution shall demonstrate the capability to:

• Integrate with DoWEA’s enterprise Identity, Credential, and Access Management

(ICAM) environment for authentication and authorization

• Support single sign‑on (SSO) using industry‑standard protocols (e.g., SAML, OAuth, or OpenID Connect)

• Enable data exchange and synchronization with LMS and SIS platforms, as applicable

• Comply with DoWEA security, privacy, and data governance requirements for system integration

Specific integration requirements, interfaces, and technical specifications will be defined and coordinated during the implementation phase.

What systems or platforms should respondents assume will be used for digital learning delivery and rostering?

Respondents should assume integration with DoWEA LMS (e.g., Schoology), SIS, and enterprise ICAM/SSO services, with support for automated rostering and standard data exchange protocols.

Does DoWEA require Clever, ClassLink, SAML, LTI, Common Cartridge, OneRoster, or another integration method?

Vendors are not required to integrate with a specific commercial product (e.g., Clever or ClassLink), but must support standard-based integration (SAML, LTI, OneRoster, Common Cartridge) to ensure compatibility with DoWEA’s architecture.

Should the contractor include technical support for students, instructors, administrators, or all user groups?

The contractor shall provide comprehensive technical support for students, instructors, and administrators.

What are DoWEA ’s expected technical support hours, response times, and escalation requirements?

DoWEA requires responsive, enterprise‑grade support with defined SLAs, rapid escalation, and global coverage to ensure uninterrupted instructional delivery.

46 Will support need to cover DoWEA ’s global operating regions and time zones? Yes

Does DoWEA expect professional learning to occur before the start of the 2026–2027 school year?

Yes — professional learning is expected to occur prior to or in alignment with the start of the 2026–2027 school year.

Should professional learning be synchronous, asynchronous, train-the-trainer, or a combination of these delivery models?

Synchronous professional learning for our instructors who will be the trainers for other teachers.

49 How many CTE specialists does DoWEA anticipate supporting during the base period? 7 specialists

Does DoWEA require instructor certification, instructor assessment, or documented training completion before teachers may facilitate the course?

Yes, a certificate of completion

Should the contractor provide recurring annual refresher training for new and returning instructors throughout the anticipated contract period?

No, our trained teachers will be the trainers.

Does DoWEA expect the contractor to provide implementation management, adoption monitoring, usage reporting, and periodic stakeholder briefings?

No

What level of data export will DoWEA require for student progress, course completion, certification attainment, and instructor usage?

Students' course completion and credentials

Does DoWEA require all student data, assessment data, course-completion data, and reporting outputs to remain Government property?

No

Should the contractor assume that DoWEA requires post-contract access to historical reports and student completion records?

No

What internal-use rights does DoWEA require for embedded course materials, videos, images, worksheets, rubrics, and instructor resources?

DoWEA requires enterprise-level internal-use rights, including access, integration, reproduction, and modification of instructional content for educational purposes, with continuity of use and minimal restrictions.

Will DoWEA allow contractor-hosted proprietary courseware if DoWEA receives sufficient internal-use rights and data ownership protections?

DoWEA will allow contractor‑hosted proprietary courseware, provided that sufficient internal-use rights, data ownership protections, and security controls are established and clearly documented.

Should respondents provide pricing estimates in the RFI response, or should pricing be reserved for any future RFQ or RFP?

Pricing information is not required as part of the RFI response; however, respondents may include non-binding pricing information if it assists the

Government’s market research and acquisition planning.

Does DoWEA anticipate one award for the full courseware, professional learning, technical support, and certification requirement, or could these components be separated?

Market research is still being conducted, however, the Government anticipates a single award.

Is DoWEA seeking recommendations on revising the performance work statement to broaden competition, clarify credential requirements, or define minimum technical standards?

Yes. As part of this RFI, respondents are encouraged to provide recommendations that may improve the Government’s performance work statement, including suggestions to clarify requirements, expand competition, or identify appropriate technical standards.

Will DoWEA consider solutions that combine a prime contractor’s implementation support with another courseware provider as a subcontractor or solutions partner?

The Government does not preclude respondents from proposing a solution that includes a prime contractor with subcontractors or solution partners. Respondents are encouraged to describe their proposed approach and team composition.