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SOLICITATION ADDENDUM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
SOLICITATION NUMBER: NDERFI260504
CLSD Approved Provider Opening Date: 7/14/26 2:00 pm Local Time
Questions and Answers
Following are the questions submitted and answers provided for the above-mentioned solicitation. The questions and answers are to be considered as part of the solicitation. It is the responsibility of bidders to check the State Purchasing Bureau website for all addenda or amendments.
| Solicitation Section Reference |
| Solicitation Page Number |
| Questions |
| Answer |
| Not Provided |
| Not Provided |
| Is this RFI to add vendors to the list that was released in 2025? |
| Yes |
| Not Provided |
| Not Provided |
| If a vendor is on the approved list, does that vendor need to submit again? |
| No |
| III. A. Purpose and Background |
| Pg. 4 |
| If providers are currently included in the current Approved Provider List (dated 2/19/2026), will they have to resubmit their information? If yes, is this expected to be an annual process? |
| No |
| III. A. Purpose and Background |
| Pg. 4 |
| In the current Approved Provider List, providers included in Rivet Education’s Professional Learning Partner Guide (PLPG) were approved as a provider for Materials Implementation. |
If a provider is included in Rivet’s PLPG, are they an approved professional learning provider for Materials Implementation?
Yes
| Form A – Professional Learning Rubric |
| Pg. 6 |
| The professional learning rubric notes that it is “intended to serve as a baseline for what constitutes a high-quality professional learning opportunity focused on evidence-based reading instruction for teachers of 4-year-olds through grade 3.” |
Should this rubric be used for professional learning opportunities for upper elementary/secondary (Grades 4-12) educators as well?
Yes
| Introduction |
| 1 |
| Are all signatures required to be wet ink? |
| Yes |
| III.B. |
| 6 |
| Should Amplify include product specific PL (e.g. mCLASS or CKLA PL offerings)? Or is this RFI only for product agnostic/science of reading related to PD? |
| Providers may include Science of Reading professional learning that is specific to an instructional product (e.g., implementation of instructional materials or assessment platforms), provided the professional learning aligns with the Nebraska Literacy Project Professional Learning Rubric. Product-specific professional learning is not excluded; however, only the Science of Reading professional learning offering, not the product itself, will be evaluated for consideration on the Approved Provider List |
| II.F – Submission of Response |
| 3 |
| Are there page limits for the narrative responses and/or supporting documentation submitted with Form A? |
| There is no established page limit for narrative responses or supporting documentation. Providers should submit only the information necessary to clearly demonstrate how the professional learning aligns with the Nebraska Literacy Project Professional Learning Rubric. Supporting documentation should be relevant, concise, and directly related to the criteria being addressed. |
| II.F – Submission of Response |
| 3 |
| Are there font type or font size requirements for the response? |
| No |
| II.F – Submission of Response |
| 3 |
| What file format(s) are accepted for submission (e.g., PDF, Word)? |
| PDF |
| II.F – Submission of Response |
| 3 |
| Are there file naming conventions vendors should follow when submitting their response? |
| The RFI does not specify file naming conventions. Vendors should use clear, professional naming that identifies the vendor name and form type (e.g., 'VendorName_FormA.pdf'). |
| II.F – Submission of Response |
| 3 |
| Should Forms A, B, and C be submitted as separate files or combined into a single document? |
| Vendors should submit Forms A, B, and C as separate files for clarity and ease of evaluation, unless otherwise instructed. |
| III.A – Purpose and Background |
| 4 |
| How long will the approved provider list remain valid? Is this a one-time application or will providers need to reapply periodically? |
| The approved provider list will remain through the life of Nebraska's CLSD grant |
| III.A – Purpose and Background |
| 4 |
| Will providers have the opportunity to apply for inclusion on the approved list after the August 11, 2026 publication date, or is this a closed cohort? |
| The current application window will close with this RFI. The Nebraska Department of Education may issue future RFIs to update or expand the Approved Provider List. Any future application opportunities and timelines will be communicated on the DAS website. |
| III.A – Purpose and Background |
| 4 |
| Will providers be individually notified of their approval or rejection, or will results only be communicated through the public list publication? |
| Results are communicated through the public list publication. |
| III.D – Rubric |
| 5 |
| Is there a minimum score threshold required for approval, or are submissions reviewed holistically if all qualifying criteria are met? |
| Submissions are reviewed for alignment to the Nebraska Literacy Project Professional Learning Rubric. To be approved, professional learning must address all six components of the rubric (fluency is optional for Pre-K professional learning) and meet the required qualifying criteria. In limited cases, a provider may receive conditional approval if minor rubric indicators require clarification or additional information. However, conditional approval is not intended for professional learning that omits one or more of the six required components. |
| III.D – Rubric |
| 5 |
| If a provider scores below 42 points but meets all qualifying criteria, are they automatically excluded or reviewed on a case-by-case basis? |
| Submissions are reviewed for alignment to the Nebraska Literacy Project Professional Learning Rubric. To be approved, professional learning must address all six components of the rubric (fluency is optional for Pre-K professional learning) and meet the required qualifying criteria. In limited cases, a provider may receive conditional approval if minor rubric indicators require clarification or additional information. However, conditional approval is not intended for professional learning that omits one or more of the six required components. |
| Form A, Component 4 |
| 8 |
| Since fluency components are noted as optional for pre-K professional learning, does this affect scoring or eligibility for providers whose offerings focus on pre-K? |
| No |
| III.B – Scope of Work |
| 4 |
| Can a provider apply for approval covering a subset of the six core components, or must all six be addressed to be considered for the approved list? |
| All six must be addressed to be considered |
| III.A – Purpose and Background |
| 4 |
| Does one application cover both professional learning and materials implementation, or are these treated as separate categories requiring separate submissions? |
| One application covers both. Organizations should submit a single response for the Science of Reading professional learning offering they wish to have considered, including Science of Reading professional learning provided as part of materials implementation support. There is not a separate application or evaluation process for materials implementation. |
| III.A – Purpose and Background |
| 4 |
| Can you clarify what "materials implementation" encompasses - for example, does it include curriculum adoption support, coaching on specific materials, or something else? |
| For purposes of this RFI, 'materials implementation' refers to professional learning that supports educators in the effective implementation of instructional materials in alignment with the Science of Reading and the Nebraska Literacy Project Professional Learning Rubric. |
This may include training on the instructional materials, implementation support, instructional coaching, lesson internalization, classroom application, and other professional learning designed to support effective use of the materials.
This RFI is not intended to create a separate approved list of instructional materials or curriculum providers. Organizations that provide instructional materials may submit a response if they also provide Science of Reading professional learning, including professional learning offered as part of their materials implementation support, that aligns with the rubric. In those cases, the professional learning associated with implementing the instructional materials will be evaluated.
| II.E – Oral Interviews/Presentations |
| 3 |
| Will oral presentations or demonstrations be required for all applicants, or only a subset? If only a subset, what criteria determine who is selected? |
| Per Section II.E, oral interviews/presentations may be requested at NDE's discretion. Not all applicants will be required to present. Selection criteria are determined by the evaluation committee based on the submitted response. |
| II.E – Oral Interviews/Presentations |
| 3 |
| If selected for an oral presentation, how much advance notice will vendors receive? |
| No demonstrations are planned for this RFI |
| RFI Submission |
| Page 4-5 |
| Does the submission allow for the vendor’s proposal narrative/scope of work in addition to the required completion of Form A, or is the vendor only permitted to submit Forms A, B, and C? Please clarify. |
| Providers must complete and submit Forms A, B, and C as required by the RFI. In addition, providers may include relevant supporting documentation (e.g., proposal narratives, scopes of work, agendas, course outlines, or other evidence) to support the information provided in Form A. Supporting documentation should be limited to information that is necessary to demonstrate alignment with the Nebraska Literacy Project Professional Learning Rubric. |
SPB Form 26 Last Revised 4-17-2025