NIES Draft PWS.docx

NCES: NIES – Support Service Attachment A-Performance Work Statement

U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education Statistics

Performance Work Statement

National Indian Education Study (NIES): Support Service Contract

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) has a need for a contract to: 1) gain cooperation from the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools to participate in the National Indian Education Study (NIES) and 2) provide technical support for various components of NIES. This resultant contract will be for a base period of one year with annual options to extend the contract for additional years (up to four additional option years). The final option year (if exercised) would encompass a 30-day transition period to the next NIES support services contractor.

The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducts the NIES, for the Department’s Office of Indian Education (OIE). This study is conducted in support of Executive Order 14049 – Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities which calls for “supporting and improving data collection related to Native American students and the implementation of evidence-based strategies to increase the participation and success of Native American students in all levels of education and prepare them for careers and civic engagement.”

NIES was first administered in 2005 as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The study was initially conducted every two years (2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011). NCES and OIE mutually agreed that following the 2011 NIES administration, the study would shift from once every two years to once every four years. NIES was most recently administered from January 2024 to March 2024 (postponed by one year as a result of changes to the NAEP assessment schedule caused by the COVID-19 pandemic). The study will be conducted again from January 2028 to March 2028.

Legislative Authority

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) signed December 2015, reauthorizes the following provisions for NAEP:

‘‘(D) the State will participate in the biennial State academic assessments in reading and mathematics in grades 4 and 8 of the National Assessment of Educational Progress carried out under section 303(b)(3) of the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9622(b)(3)) if the Secretary pays the costs of administering such assessments;

‘‘(1) SUBGRANTS.—A local educational agency may receive a subgrant under this part for any fiscal year only if such agency has on file with the State educational agency a plan, approved by the State educational agency, that— they participate, if selected, in the National Assessment of Educational Progress in reading and mathematics in grades 4 and 8 carried out under section 303(b)(3) of the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9622(b)(3));

The National Assessment of Educational Progress Improvement Act, Part C of the Public Law 100-297, which is now part of U.S. Code (20 U.S.C. 9010 and 9011), legislatively defines the purpose of the NAEP “to improve the effectiveness of our nation's schools by making objective information about student performance in selected learning areas available to policymakers at the national, state and local levels. To enhance its utility, such information should be both representative and comparable, and should be maintained in a manner that ensures the privacy of individual students and their families.”

A critical aspect of NAEP is the reporting of trends in student performance over time.

Background

The focus of the federally funded NIES is on the academic achievement and educational experiences of the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the United States. The goal of the study is two-fold: assessing the performance of these students in reading and mathematics and evaluating AI/AN students’ experiences with their native language and culture.

NIES is a collaborative effort between NCES and OIE within the Department. The study requires support from the BIE, U.S. Department of Interior. The success of this study depends on the collaboration of state and local educational agencies, Indian tribal nations and organizations, and building positive relationships with American Indian and Alaska Native educational stakeholders leading up to and through recruitment in 2027 for the 2028 study. This relationship building is particularly critical at the BIE-school level as all BIE schools serving grades 4 and/or 8 students are sampled in the study). Prior to 2019, previous NIES studies had been administered via paper and pencil. Since 2019, NIES has been administered on a digitally-based platform to students. In 2026 (a non-NIES administration year), NCES plans to transition to using devices and Internet managed by schools or districts to administer NAEP, where schools and districts are willing and able to do so. This transition is intended to improve the assessment experience for schools and students and if successful in 2026 it would be done for the 2028 NIES administration too. However, schools and districts that do not meet technical specifications or have policies prohibiting the use of their devices and Internet by outside agencies may still use NAEP-provided devices and networks.

NIES has two components:

· Component I: An augmentation of the NAEP reading and mathematics assessment samples at 4th and 8th grades to provide better representation of AI/AN students. This part of the study is intended to provide more reliable estimates of AI/AN student performance. The assessment is administered in late January through early March of the scheduled year. In addition to the national sample that includes any AI/AN students in all states, select states are identified as high proportion states with sufficient sample sizes to report the AI/AN achievement results at the state level.

· Component II: A separate survey to explore the educational and cultural experiences of AI/AN students in the subject areas of reading and mathematics in the same assessment window, i.e., January through March (visit: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nies/ for more information on NIES). AI/AN students who participate in Component I are also asked to participate in this separate survey. The sample includes students attending schools that are identified by the State Education Agency as being public or non-public, as well as schools that are under the BIE. There are three types of BIE schools: 1) BIE directly-operated, 2) BIE-operated under the BIE grant program (this second type is also called tribal or grant schools), and 3) dual-funded schools who are both BIE-funded and state-funded.

The process of contacting schools to gain cooperation begins about 9 to 10 months prior to the administration of the study.

NCES designs and conducts this study with support from various contractors. NCES is in the process of awarding the next Alliance contracts. This involves the contractors that the NIES Support Service Contractor will work with closely (e.g., Sampling and Weighting (SW), Data Collection (DC), NAEP Support and Service Center (NSSC), and Assessment Content Development). Once these awards have been made a list of the NAEP contractors will be provided. Additional information regarding current NAEP contracts, which NCES administers and provides technical direction for, is available at the NCES website at https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/support.aspx

A Technical Review Panel (TRP), comprised of AI/AN educators from across the country, provides suggestions and makes recommendations for the study. The NAEP Program and Operations Coordination (POC) contractor manages and conducts the NIES TRP. The key to successful completion of the study is gaining cooperation from all proposed participants – various education agencies, their schools selected for the study, AI/AN students attending those schools, and parents of the students selected for the study. Issues that must be resolved in gaining cooperation include: lack of information about the appropriate education agency contact persons, lack of timely communication with the selected participants, lack of coordination among the role players (e.g., BIE school principals and Education Resource Centers), and falling behind or not maintaining the schedule set for data collection of the study. It is critical to have the selected schools participate in the study. It is also essential that the schools agree to participate in a timely manner to maintain the overall data collection timeline. However, previous NIES administrations have entailed continuing recruitment of some schools after the NIES administration window has begun. When schools do not sign up on time, it adds to school/student non-participation, which increases the risk of invalidating the information collected for the study.

Some schools or school systems within BIE (e.g., Navajo Nation) require seeking permission from their governing body (e.g., school board, institutional review board, etc.) before contacting their schools. For example, Navajo Nation requires providing quarterly and annual reports, filing an annual continuation request, and preparing other material for their Human Research Review Board (HRRB). The Principal Investigator (the NIES Contracting Officer’s Representative COR) will attend this review board meeting annually as well as a research conference that typically occurs every other year in October. The NIES Support Service contractor needs to ensure that NCES maintains permission from Navajo Nation’s HRRB.

The school and student participation rates for this study must meet the response rate standards established by NCES. These targets are 85% for both school and students weighted and unweighted percentages. Response rates less than 85% will require a non-response bias analyses prior to reporting the collected data.

For reporting BIE results in the NAEP reading and mathematics assessments at grades 4 and 8, the school participation rate must be at least 70%. Previous recruitment efforts that have been successful (especially among BIE schools) have often occurred when the contractor has established contact with schools in the years leading up to recruitment for the next NIES (e.g., through providing informational materials about the study, including previous results). This includes establishing contact with a “gatekeeper”, which is often administrative staff at a school, who will help facilitate this school agreeing to participate in NIES.

Purpose

The contractor shall perform the following activities:

Secure participation of BIE schools, and their students, selected for the study. Compile necessary school and agency information collected by various sources such as the NCES Common Core Database, BIE database, the US Census and various other public and private sources to support selection of schools and students. Compile lists of students enrolled in relevant grades from the BIE schools that have agreed to participate in the study. The lists of students shall include all information (e.g., information on school location, student characteristics, names of school coordinators) identified by NCES necessary for sample selection.

Provide other support such as coordinating with various government agencies and contractors involved in the study, preparing informational materials for the participants, coordinating distribution of the study reports through supporting various conferences and workshops, and providing support for web-based NIES relevant products.

Provide NCES with other support in various efforts including NIES TRP meetings and coordination with the NAEP Support and Service Center, and states’ representatives in accomplishing the objectives of the study.

Participate in meetings, workshops, and conference calls. Also provide updates to the NCES NIES COR on a regular basis via progress meetings which would be held approximately every other week.

For specific subtasks required within this contract, please see the scope of work section.

Technical Proposal

In the technical proposal, the offeror should indicate plans and procedures most effective for NCES to achieve its goals identified for this procurement. The proposal shall indicate familiarity with NAEP and implications of maintaining NAEP timelines. The proposal needs to include a description of how confidentiality of all participants (schools, students, and teachers) and procedures essential to conduct the study shall be maintained. Further, as part of their technical proposal, offerors shall include a detailed recruitment plan with back-up plans. The offeror must identify a lead person for this project. The Government requires, at a minimum, the following qualifications:

· The contractor staff should have documented knowledge and experience working with American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population - children and adults, various education agencies (e.g., Bureau of Indian Education [BIE], district and state levels), and different types of schools (or agencies) dealing with AI/AN students and their educational issues.

· The contractor should have experience in recruiting schools and/or agencies in large sample surveys on minority population(s).

· The contractor must have facilities – staff and technology – to communicate with all Bureau of Indian Education schools serving grades 4 and/or 8 students simultaneously.

· The contractor staff shall have knowledge of education survey research, and implications of sampling and participation, timeline, and awareness of sensitive aspects of communication with various parties involved. It is beneficial to have previous experience working with a large corporation that conducts sample surveys for educational research.

· The contractor staff shall have familiarity/experience with NAEP procedures, products, schedules, and confidentiality of the NAEP assessments data collection and personal information collected in the survey.

· The contractor staff should have working experience/familiarity with large data sets, for example, Common Core of Data (CCD).

· The contractor staff assigned to this project must have knowledge and experience with sampling and participation issues to understand the importance of gaining cooperation.

· The contractor staff assigned to this project must have good communication (both verbal and written) and presentation skills, especially related to explaining technical information to non-technical audiences. Those skills are necessary to prepare informational materials, presentations, memos, briefing reports, summary of quick-turn-around studies such as focus groups, and communicate effectively with schools, etc.

· The contractor must be familiar with the structure of the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Interior and working experience with various federal agencies.

· The contractor staff must be familiar with the NCES statistical and reporting standards to conduct, analyze and report results from a study.

· The contractor staff must have experience interacting (communicating) with students and educators.

· The contractor should assure capabilities for communicating readily with NCES and NCES contractors.

The technical proposal shall indicate staff background in relation to the activities/tasks identified for the National Indian Education Study (NIES) and indicate the staff allocations by task. Only one person shall hold the project director’s position. The project director needs to have a minimum of a Master’s degree (or equivalent) with management experience for at least 5 years. Other responsibilities/positions may be assumed by one or more than one person. And, one individual may be responsible for more than one position. The proposal must give a clear description of who shall be responsible for the work assigned to each major position.

Equipment and Services

The contractor shall have available suitable data and word processing equipment for accomplishing activities under this contract. The contractor shall use computer equipment and software that meet Government requirements for all pertinent computer hardware and software compliance. The equipment includes computers, modems, laser printer, and graphics capabilities. The contractor shall have available or make available electronic mail capabilities to ensure rapid exchange of information with the COR. In addition, the contractor shall provide courier service as required for the transportation of material used in the contract. Offerors are encouraged to visit the following websites for further information on:

NCES: https://nces.ed.gov/ NIES: https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nies/ NAEP: https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ NCES Statistical Standards: https://nces.ed.gov/statprog/standards.asp Office of Indian Education (OIE): Office of Indian Education - Office of Elementary and Secondary Education BIE: https://bie.edu/

Scope of Work

This section specifies the tasks and subtasks that the contractor shall perform. All deliverables shall be submitted electronically to the Department’s COR, Contract Specialist (CS), and the Contracting Officer (CO).

The NIES Support Service Contract is designed to meet participation challenges so that selected schools participate in the study. Since 2007, all BIE schools serving students in grades 4 and/or 8 have been included in the NIES sample. The cooperation of schools and students must be obtained following the timeline set by the NCES DC contractor. The timely communication to all selected schools and their education agencies is critical to the success of the study. Focused recruitment of BIE schools for 2028 NIES does not begin until 2027. However, the contractor should share information related to the study in the years prior to the recruitment period with a variety of AI/AN constituencies (including BIE schools) to help maximize awareness of the study and to better facilitate 2028 study participation leading up to recruitment period.

Task 1: Support for Gaining Cooperation from BIE Schools to Participate in NAEP and NIES

Previous recruitment efforts for BIE schools have revealed the importance of building relationships and securing trusted points of contact with these schools in the years prior to NIES administration. To help facilitate this, NCES is including in the contract for the NIES Support Service contractor to recruit BIE schools to participate in 2026 NAEP as well as 2028 NIES. Recruitment for 2026 NAEP prior to 2028 NIES will help build relationships between the contractor and BIE schools that could be utilized leading up to the 2028 NIES recruitment period. Moreover, 2028 NIES recruitment would be informed by 2026 NAEP.

Based on recent sampling designs in NAEP state-level years in which NIES is not conducted (e.g., 2022), NCES estimates that between 10 – 15% of BIE schools would be in the 2026 NAEP sample at grades 4 and 8. This contrasts with the expected 2028 NIES sample which would likely include all BIE schools serving grades 4 and/or 8.

· Subtask 1.1 - Create a recruitment plan for BIE schools for 2026 NAEP.

The plan should identify resources, schedule, training for recruitment staff, potential challenges, as well as strategies to minimize problems and maximize participation. In order to standardize the procedures for communicating with schools/education agencies, the contractor staff (i.e., school recruiters) involved in gaining cooperation shall have formal training. The contractor shall develop a protocol of communication to be used by their staff and ask the COR’s review before the protocol is considered final. The contractor needs to provide a draft protocol to the COR three weeks before conducting the training. Once approved, the contractor shall conduct the training at the contractor’s facility and shall invite the COR to attend. The COR may attend the training(s) virtually (i.e., Webex or teleconference), should it be held outside of the Washington, DC metro area.

· Deliverable: Recruitment plan for BIE schools.

· Subtask 1.2 - Coordinate with the NAEP Support and Service Center (NSSC) and DC contractor staff to ensure successful recruitment and administration of the study.

Coordination entails participating in training calls, workshops, and regularly scheduled check-in calls that detail the duties and tasks of recruiting BIE schools (e.g., how to set student list submission designations, edit/provide instructions to NAEP’s web-based school information portal, edit student lists, submit student lists, track submitted student lists, and update information throughout the recruitment and assessment cycle).

· Deliverable: Reports summarizing coordination with NSSC and DC contractor staff.

· Subtask 1.3 - Interact with databases to provide necessary information in support of school participation (e.g., access database maintained through the DC contractor, database maintained by BIE).

The contractor shall collect a list of all students enrolled in grades 4 and 8, from each of the selected schools, in order for the DC contractor to draw the student sample. This task involves coordinating with NCES, OIE, BIE, and various education agencies. The contractor shall collect all required information (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, National School Lunch Program eligibility, students with disabilities (SD) designation, English Learner (EL) designation) on each student identified by NCES in collaboration with the DC contractor.

· Deliverable: Report summarizing work related to interaction with databases, including 1) any congruency problems between databases, 2) implications, and 3) lessons learned.

· Subtask 1.4 - Submit reports regarding the eligibility status of BIE schools in the 2026 NAEP sample (including confirmation that schools have received specific materials).

The contractor shall review a list of all BIE schools that have at least one AI/AN student sampled for the NAEP assessment. The purpose of this review is to identify any schools ineligible for the sample or any errors in school information included in the list. The contractor shall summarize the review and report this information to the COR, DC COR, and the DC Contractor, and update the DC database with correct information on the sampled schools. The contractor shall conduct data checks to ensure the accuracy of the demographic information collected from sampled schools and students at both pre- and post- data collection for the study, and keep the COR informed. Data checks that are post-data collection may be considered preliminary checks and may need to be finalized within the next NIES Support Service Contract.

· Deliverable: Report summarizing eligibility of BIE schools in sample.

· Subtask 1.5 - Contacting BIE schools (via email, mail, and phone) to secure participation in 2026 NEAP.

Upon obtaining agreement to participate from schools, the contractor shall update the DC database with the status of school participation, school contact person name, and other relevant information (related to school and students and teachers included in the data collection sample) as identified by NCES. The contractor shall ensure that the school and student participation rate for this study shall meet the standards set by NCES for reporting the collected data. To ensure the participation, the contractor shall monitor the ongoing data collection effort conducted by the DC contractor staff in schools that agreed to participate.

· Deliverable: Monthly summary reports of recruitment status of BIE schools during the period of recruitment (approximately August 2025 through February 2026). The expectation is the vast majority of schools would be recruited before the NIES administration window begins in January 2026, but historically recruitment of some schools needs to continue into the administration window.

· Subtask 1.6 - Provide informational materials to schools regarding the study and their respective Education Resource Centers (e.g., parent notification letter, NAEP information flyers/brochures, endorsement letter(s), and other field materials developed by other NAEP contractors).

The contractor shall prepare a list with information that schools are told about the parental notification requirement, and that this notification takes place prior to when the field staff (recruited by the NAEP DC contractor to conduct the study) arrives at the schools for data collection. The contractor shall prepare and distribute sample parent letters to schools for schools to communicate with parents. The contractor shall also instruct the participating schools to provide proof of notification to the field staff prior to data collection. When needed, the contractor shall also make presentations to institutional review boards, tribal councils, and/or school boards to facilitate participation of BIE schools. Historically, this has ranged from 0 schools to approximately five schools an NIES sample year (i.e., during a non-NIES year this would likely be 0 or very few). The level of required effort varies based on the school. However, previous contractors have not typically had to travel to meet face-to-face with these governing bodies. Instead, it has required participating in a meeting via teleconference or providing a governing body additional information about NIES in advance of a meeting.

· Deliverable: Notification that materials have been sent. Each mailing sent to schools and/or Education Resource Centers should also be sent to the COR. When needed, short summary of the outcome of presenting and/or providing information to institutional review boards, tribal councils, and/or school boards.

· Subtask 1.7 - Track scheduled dates of each BIE’s school assessment (as well as pre-assessment activities).

The contractor shall provide the NSSC, SW, and DC contractor information about dates that the selected schools agreed for data collection. The contractor shall update the DC database when rescheduling any of these dates. The contractor shall also work with the NSSC, SW,and DC contractors to resolve data collection issues that may arise due to these changes and keep the COR informed.

· Deliverable: Notification that all scheduled BIE school assessment dates have been communicated with the DC contractor.

· Subtask 1.8 - Updated recruitment plan from 2026 NAEP (see subtask 1.1.) for BIE schools for 2028 NIES/NAEP.

Where necessary, the contractor shall update the recruitment plan resources, schedule, training for recruitment staff, potential challenges, as well as strategies to minimize problems and maximize participation. In order to standardize the procedures for communicating with schools/education agencies, the contractor staff (i.e., school recruiters) involved in gaining cooperation shall have formal training. Where necessary, the contractor shall update the protocol of communication to be used by their staff and ask the COR’s review before the updated protocol is considered final. The contractor needs to provide a draft updated protocol to the COR three weeks before conducting the training. Once approved, the contractor shall conduct the training at the contractor’s facility and shall invite the COR to attend. The COR may attend the training(s) virtually (i.e., Webex or teleconference), should it be held outside of the Washington, DC metro area.

· Deliverable: Updated recruitment plan for BIE schools for 2028 NIES/NAEP.

· Subtask 1.9 - Coordinate with the NAEP Support and Service Center (NSSC), Sampling and Weighting (SW), and Data Collection (DC) contractor staff to ensure successful recruitment and administration of the study.

Coordination entails participating in training calls, workshops, and regularly scheduled check-in calls that detail the duties and tasks of recruiting BIE schools (e.g., how to set student list submission designations, edit/provide instructions to NAEP’s web-based school information portal, edit student lists, submit student lists, track submitted student lists, and update information throughout the recruitment and assessment cycle).

· Deliverable: Reports summarizing coordination with NSSC, SW, and DC contractor staff.

· Subtask 1.10 - Interact with databases to provide necessary information in support of school participation (e.g., access database maintained through the SW and DC contractors, database maintained by BIE).

The contractor shall collect a list of all students enrolled in grades 4 and 8, from each of the selected schools, in order for the SW and DC contractors to draw the student sample. This task involves coordinating with NCES, OIE, BIE, and various education agencies. The contractor shall collect all required information (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, National School Lunch Program eligibility, students with disabilities (SD) designation, English Learner (EL) designation) on each student identified by NCES in collaboration with the DC contractor.

· Deliverable: Report summarizing work related to interaction with databases, including 1) any congruency problems between databases, 2) implications, and 3) lessons learned.

· Subtask 1.11 -Submit reports regarding the eligibility status of BIE schools in the 2028 NIES/NAEP sample (including confirmation that schools have received specific materials).

The contractor shall review a list of all BIE schools that have at least one AI/AN student sampled for the NAEP assessment. The purpose of this review is to identify any schools ineligible for the sample or any errors in school information included in the list. The contractor shall summarize the review and report this information to the COR, SW and DC CORs, and the SW and DC Contractors, and update the database with correct information on the sampled schools. The contractor shall conduct data checks to ensure the accuracy of the demographic information collected from sampled schools and students at both pre- and post- data collection for the study, and keep the COR informed. Data checks that are post-data collection may be considered preliminary checks and may need to be finalized within the next NIES Support Service Contract.

· Deliverable: Report summarizing eligibility of BIE schools in sample.

· Subtask 1.12 - Contacting BIE schools (via email, mail, phone, etc.) to secure participation in 2028 NIES/NAEP.

Upon obtaining agreement to participate from schools, the contractor shall update the database with the status of school participation, school contact person name, and other relevant information (related to school and students and teachers included in the data collection sample) as identified by NCES. The contractor shall ensure that the school and student participation rate for this study shall meet the standards set by NCES for reporting the collected data. To ensure the participation, the contractor shall monitor the ongoing data collection effort conducted by the SW and DC contractors staff in schools that agreed to participate.

· Deliverable: Monthly summary reports of recruitment status of BIE schools during the period of recruitment (approximately August 2027 through February 2028). The expectation is the vast majority of schools would be recruited before the NIES/NAEP administration window begins in January 2028, but historically recruitment of some schools needs to continue into the administration window.

· Subtask 1.13 - Provide informational materials to schools regarding the study and their respective Education Resource Centers (e.g., parent notification letter, NIES information flyers/brochures, endorsement letter(s), and other field materials developed by other NAEP contractors).

The contractor shall prepare a list with information that schools are told about the parental notification requirement, and that this notification takes place prior to when the field staff (recruited by the NAEP SW and DC contractors to conduct the study) arrives at the schools for data collection. The contractor shall prepare and distribute sample parent letters to schools for schools to communicate with parents. The contractor shall also instruct the participating schools to provide proof of notification to the field staff prior to data collection. When needed, the contractor shall also make presentations to institutional review boards, tribal councils, and/or school boards to facilitate participation of BIE schools. Historically, this has ranged from 0 schools to approximately five schools. The level of required effort varies based on the school. However, previous contractors have not typically had to travel to meet face-to-face with these governing bodies. Instead, it has required participating in a meeting via teleconference or providing a governing body additional information about NIES in advance of a meeting.

· Deliverable: Notification that materials have been sent. Each mailing sent to schools and/or Education Resource Centers should also be sent to the COR. When needed, short summary of the outcome of presenting and/or providing information to institutional review boards, tribal councils, and/or school boards.

· Subtask 1.14 - Track scheduled dates of each BIE’s school assessment (as well as pre-assessment activities).

The contractor shall provide the NSSC, SW, and DC contractor information about dates that the selected schools agreed for data collection. The contractor shall update the database when rescheduling any of these dates. The contractor shall also work with the NSSC and DC contractors to resolve data collection issues that may arise due to these changes and keep the COR informed.

· Deliverable: Notification that all scheduled BIE school assessment dates have been communicated with the DC contractor.

Task 2: Support for other NIES activities

· Subtask 2.1 - Maintain the permission of the Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board (NNHRRB) to include Navajo Nation BIE schools in the 2028 NIES/NAEP.

The COR serves as principal investigator for NIES, on the review board. Having the cooperation of Navajo Nation schools is critical as these schools comprise approximately one-third of all BIE schools in the sample. In order to maintain permission, several documents are needed for the board (as outlined in the deliverable list).

· Deliverables: Quarterly and annual reports [Subtasks 2.1.1, 2.1.4, 2.1.5, 2.1.7 and 2.1.8] and data spreadsheets with a user-friendly accompanying document that instructs board members how to read this data[footnoteRef:2] [Subtask 2.1.3]. Data spreadsheets should contain 2024 NIES data and previous NIES data (when applicable) to facilitate comparisons and trend analysis. These deliverables for Navajo Nation must be sent to their board according to their specifications. Since 2021 this has been 10 copies for board members sent to the Navajo Nation’s Research Office. [2: The NAEP Design, Analysis, and Reporting (DAR) contractor is responsible for providing these spreadsheets to NCES and the NIES Support Services Contractor. The NIES Support Services Contractor is responsible for creating the user-friendly accompanying document. ]

· Additional internal Navajo Nation deliverables: Report identifying Navajo Nation BIE schools in the sample, a list of those schools that have elected to participate, and a list of these schools’ assessment dates [Subtask 2.1.2 and 2.1.6].

· Subtask 2.2 - Design and prepare information materials:

The contractor shall create informational materials for distribution to BIE schools and/or Education Resource Centers as well as at AI/AN-focused conferences. The contractor shall also make these materials available to other NAEP contractors in support of 2028 NIES recruitment, that extends beyond BIE schools. Informational materials should be targeted towards non-technical audiences. The format and range of these materials shall be negotiated with the COR in conjunction with an annual informational materials plan that outlines outreach support strategies. Historically, informational materials have included NIES branded envelopes, endorsement letters from senior-level government officials and BIE school level-educators, informational flyers and fact sheets, bookmarks, and poster calendars. One specific type of informational material that is required is the parental notification letter.

· Deliverables: Informational materials plan for outreach support strategies [Subtasks 2.2.1-2.2.5], design, production, and distribution of informational materials [Subtasks 2.2.6 -2.2.10], parental notification letters [Subtasks 2.2.11 and 2.2.12], plus additional informational materials.

· Subtask 2.3 - Distribution of NIES 2024 reports:

The contractor shall distribute copies of the NIES 2024 report(s) and the Setting the Context document [Subtasks 2.3.1, 2.3.2 and 2.3.3]. Recipients of NIES 2024 report(s) shall include the following: 1) all BIE schools serving students in grades 4 and/or 8, 2) all BIE Resource Centers, 3) BIE Director and leadership team (https://www.bie.edu/leadership), 4) NIES Technical Review Panel members, 5) Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board members, 6) National Advisory Council on Indian Education members, 7) OIE, 8) the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities, 9) tribal colleges and universities, 10) AI/AN studies programs at colleges and universities, 11) federal and state recognized tribes, 12) AI/AN focused media, research centers, non-profits, other organizations, and 13) conference participants.

· Deliverable: Notification that reports have been sent.

· Subtask 2.4 - Conduct a focus group on NIES 2024 report(s):

The contractor shall conduct a focus group on the 2024 report(s) to help inform 2028 reporting. This work shall entail meeting with NCES and NAEP contractors to discuss the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval process (if applicable), acquiring OMB approval for this activity (if needed), recruiting for and conducting a focus group that represents a diverse body of AI/AN educational stakeholders, and submitting a final report to NCES.

· Deliverable: Focus group report.

· Subtask 2.5 - Recommendations for 2028 NIES questions/constructs and 2028 report distribution:

The contractor shall review student, teacher, and school administrator survey questions given in the 2028 NIES study and recommend specific questions/constructs to spotlight, along with rationale as to why these questions/constructs should be featured. The contractor shall also provide recommendations for distributing 2028 NIES reports to relevant stakeholders.

· Deliverable: A report on recommended 2028 NIES questions/constructs and 2028 report distribution.

· Subtask 2.6 - Review NIES 2028 administration related data:

The contractor shall conduct a 2028 NIES post-assessment demographic data review, updating the demographic data review report from 2024, using data from 2028. The contractor shall also highlight (when applicable) any noteworthy differences between 2024 NIES and 2028 NIES. Additionally, the contractor shall track the participation rates of students with disabilities in BIE schools for the 2028 NIES administration. The contractor shall compare these exclusion rates with previous NIES administrations. This work may be considered a preliminary report and may need to be updated within the next NIES Support Service Contract (if finalized post-assessment demographic data is not available prior to the end of this contract).

· Deliverable: Preliminary report on post-assessment demographic data review and exclusion rate comparison.

Task 3: Perform General Activities

· Subtask 3.1 - Attend meetings and other events:

The contractor shall attend meetings that are relevant to this project upon approval by the COR. These meetings include: 1) a kickoff meeting (when the contract is awarded) [Subtask 3.1.1], 2) progress meetings with the COR and (if needed) with other NIES stakeholders (e.g., SW and DC contractors) [Subtasks 3.1.2-3.1.6], 3) annual NAEP design summit [Subtasks 3.1.7-3.1.11], 4) workshops, trainings, and other events help by the NSSC or SW or DC contractors (e.g., ensuring data quality workshop, Webex sessions for NAEP State Coordinators, Assessment Coordinator Trainings) [Subtasks 3.1.12 and 3.1.25-3.2.28 ], 5) NIES Technical Review Panel meetings (annual meeting, plus additional Webex meetings as scheduled) [Subtask 3.1.13-3.1.22], and 6) meetings and events related to the release of the 2024 NIES Reports [Subtask 3.1.23-3.1.24]. In recent years, nearly 100% of these meetings and other events have been virtual.

· Deliverable: Summary of meetings and other events.

· Subtask 3.2 - Conduct outreach at national level conferences:

The contractor shall conduct outreach at national level conferences (e.g., National Indian Education Association Annual Convention and Trade Show, National Congress of American Indians Convention and Marketplace) [Subtasks 3.2.1-3.2.10]. This shall include operating an exhibit booth, sharing information about NIES to conference attendees, and networking with stakeholders. If a session(s) is available, the contractor shall also prepare and deliver a presentation to attendees. Outreach may also be conducted at state-level or regional-level conferences (based on the contractor’s proposed conference and COR acceptance) in lieu of select national level conferences, should the target audience of these state-level or regional-level conferences be determined to be applicable to the NIES study [Subtasks 3.2.11 and 3.2.12].

· Deliverable: Summary of work at the conferences.

· Subtask 3.3 - Observe two administrations of 2026 NAEP and two administrations of 2028 NIES/NAEP:

The contractor shall attend an administration of 2026 NAEP in two participating BIE schools [Subtasks 3.3.1]. One of the two observations in a BIE school may be substituted with a school that is defined as “high density” (i.e., 25% or more students are AI/AN). As part of this activity, contractor staff conducting this observation shall obtain necessary permission (e.g., security clearance to be present in these schools for the NAEP/NIES administration). The contractor shall also attend an administration of 2028 NIES/NAEP in two participating BIE schools [Subtasks 3.3.2]. One of the two observations in a BIE school may be substituted with a school that is defined as “high density” (i.e., 25% or more students are AI/AN). As part of this activity, contractor staff conducting this observation shall obtain necessary permission (e.g., security clearance to be present in these schools for the NAEP/NIES administration).

· Deliverable: Summary of observations detailing lessons learned.

· Subtask 3.4 - Produce a yearly summary report:

The contractor shall produce an annual report that summarizes the major reporting activities, provides information for each project task regarding significant findings/events, detail challenges and problems encountered, notes resolutions to problems, and outlines lessons learned that will apply to future work [Subtasks 3.4.1- 3.4.5]. Any materials developed for the study (e.g., PowerPoint presentation for a conference) as well as all deliverables to date under this contract should be included with the deliverable in a format agreed upon by the contractor and COR (e.g., posting documents to a secure NAEP website).

· Deliverable: Yearly summary report and any materials developed for the study and all deliverables to date.

· Subtask 3.5 - Produce monthly reports:

The contractor shall produce a monthly report that indicates the status of tasks and deliverables within the contract, with particular emphasis on any issues that will arise during the next monthly reporting period [Subtasks 3.5.1- 3.5.5].

· Deliverable: Monthly reports.

Task 4: Transition to next NIES Support Services Contractor

· Subtask 4.1 - Meetings with the next NIES Support Services Contractor:

The contractor shall have a series of transition meetings with the next NIES Support Services Contractor who would assume the duties outlined in this contract starting in 2029 when this contract would end. The focus of these meetings would be on lessons learned, challenges encountered, and strategies to maximize participation in future administrations of NIES.

· Deliverables: A transition training plan to the next NIES contractor (whose contract would be awarded in 2030) and a summary of notes from transition meetings.

Other General Requirements

Attachment C contains other privacy/security/and confidentiality requirements that the contractor shall perform/adhere to under this contract.

NIES SOW - NCES/AD/SGTR - 10/25/2024