PRESTO Statement of Work DRAFT.pdf

U.S. Department of Education (ED)

Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

Procurement of Research Evaluation and Statistics Task

Orders (PRESTO)

Draft Scope Document

Overview

IES intends to re-compete the Education Statistics Service Institute Network (ESSIN) contract by issuing a vehicle that encompasses additional requirements that supports the entire IES mission and that is accessible to the entire Department of Education as applicable. This new vehicle has been titled Procurement of Research Evaluation and Statistics Task Orders

(PRESTO), and shall be a multiple award, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract vehicle.

This contract vehicle support IES in their role as the independent education research, evaluation, and statistics arm of ED, while providing a diversified and qualified pool of vendors to help IES and ED meet mission critical needs.

Background

The goal of IES is to provide national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood through postsecondary study, in order to provide parents, educators, students, researchers, policymakers, and the general public with reliable information about (A) the condition and progress of education in the United States, from early childhood through postsecondary education; (B) educational practices that support learning and improve academic achievement and access to educational opportunities for all students; and (C) the effectiveness of federal and other education programs.

The Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA, Title I of P.L. 107-279) established IES as an independent research arm of ED. Title I, Part A, of ESRA establishes IES as a research institute within ED intended to provide “national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood through postsecondary study.” IES is authorized to carry out these objectives by compiling statistics, conducting research and evaluations, and disseminating information.

IES consists of four national education centers and an Office of the Director:

• National Center for Education Research (NCER) which sponsors research leading to the accumulation of knowledge and understanding of education.

• National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) which collects and analyzes education information and statistics in a manner that meets the highest methodological standards.

• National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) which supports evaluation, technical assistance, development, and dissemination activities.

• National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) which sponsors research to expand knowledge and understanding of the needs of infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities.

• Office of the Director, which carries out specific duties, such as proposing research priorities and establishing procedures for technical and peer review. This includes the

Standards and Review Office (SRO), which carries out rigorous peer review of all research, statistics, and evaluation reports conducted by, or supported through, the

Institute.

Scope of Work

IES developed five distinct scope categories with associated NAICS codes assigned to each category. Offerors should review each category to understand which scope area(s) the offeror could best support. The scope of this vehicle is intended to be broad enough to capture the needs of IES throughout the entirety of the period of performance.

The scope categories of PRESTO are as follows:

1. Education Sciences Support Activities

2. Assessment Development Support

3. Communications and Outreach

4. Recruitment

5. IES Operational Support

Task orders will be awarded within a primary scope category; however, a nominal amount of scope from another scope category may be included within a task order.

Category 1: Education Sciences Support Activities

IES requires support to conduct surveys and evaluations that collect data and produce data products to support the mission of IES. Any effort that collects data from human subjects will require Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and/or Institutional Review Board (IRB) clearance packages.

Specifications and examples are available here:

https://pra.digital.gov/clearance-process/, https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAOMBHistory?ombControlNumber=1850-0944, https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202104-1850-001.

The activities defined in the following sections are reflective of the work required to support IES’ mission goals.

1.1 General Education Sciences Support

1.1.1 Sampling

Activities such as sample designs and drawing samples representative of target parameters.

The support provided must ensure that explanations of sampling frames, selection criteria, goals and related metrics, and all other applicable details are included in all sampling activities.

1.1.2 Data Collection

Various data collection activities, including all method development and management of the process. All data collection efforts should adhere to industry standard data security and respondent privacy and confidentiality.

1.1.3 Data Processing, Management, and Data Creation

Expert support managing and converting data gathered during a study or in an evaluation collection process into organized data in fully documented data files ready for secondary analyses by the government and the public.

1.1.4 Data Management and Information System Management

Support, to include, but not limited to, data processing, method recommendation, and data testing.

1.1.5 Weighting and Variance Estimation

Development and review of weights and variances, to include providing recommendations and completing applicable documentation. Weighting shall account for all industry standard information, including, but not limited to, sample performance with factors, differential nonresponse across subpopulations that might introduce bias, and adjustments to known population totals.

1.1.6 Statistics and Data Analysis

Support across the full range of statistical and data analysis, from complex multi-faceted approaches to specialized techniques to support various IES mission needs.

1.2 National Statistical, Evaluation, and Research Activities

1.2.1 Internal Expert Reviewing Activities

Provision of expert technical support for consultations on and review of a wide range of technical materials that go into the development and operations of surveys, assessments, and evaluations.

1.2.2 National Technical Assistance

Technical assistance services to external IES partners to meet applicable IES research, statistical, and/or evaluation standards, such as the NCES Statistical Standards, What Works

Clearinghouse (WWC) Standards, and Standards for Excellence in Education Research.

1.2.3 Data Dissemination and Training Support

Preparation of training materials to support the release of data files and facilitate the use of IES data by the government and the public.

1.2.4 Congressional Allocation Program Support

Expert support in the calculation of federal funds for allocation across education grant programs such as, but not limited to, Title 1. The support required includes assembling data needed under the formula allocation legislation, conducting data processing and analyses to prepare and verify assembled data, calculating annual formula allocation distributions, and preparing documentation to explain allocations.

1.2.5 Applied and Basic Research & Development (R&D) Studies

Conducting research and development to validate, test, and improve all aspects of education sciences activities.

1.2.6 Program-Based and Methodology Innovations

Development of innovative approaches, technologies, and procedures related to general education science support.

1.2.7 Report and Publication Production

Content generation and drafting support to aide in the development and production of all applicable IES reports (e.g., first look reports, stats-in-brief reports, datapoints, analytical reports, technical reports, and manuals); NCES annual reports (e.g., the Digest of Education

Statistics, the Condition of Education, Projections of Education Statistics) and special topical reports (e.g., report focused on rural education or children with disabilities), literature reviews, conference papers, journal articles, and evaluation, research, and grant reports.

1.2.8 Support for External/Internal Evaluation Activities

Analysis support for all external and internal evaluation activities, as well as research and development, to include evidence reviews, evaluation feasibility studies, design studies, and evaluation preparation.

1.3 Sample Survey Activity Support

1.3.1 Sample Survey Management

Management of cross-sectional sample survey work across the entire country including, at times, Puerto Rico and outlying territories.

1.3.2 Longitudinal Studies Management

Longitudinal panel management over long periods of time to ensure that data collection contractors can readily contact longitudinal panel members between data collection operations to maintain participation in the longitudinal panel studies.

1.3.3 Rapid Response Surveys

Support to prepare and conduct rapid response surveys, from the point of identifying and defining a data need, to completing a complete draft of a first look report and dataset.

1.3.4 International Studies Activities

Support for the ED’s participation in international studies and for collaboration with a variety of international organizations and partners.

Category 2: Assessment Development Support

IES requires support to develop assessment components for its sample survey studies and to develop and conduct large-scale assessments. The activities defined in the following sections are reflective of the work required to support IES’ mission goals.

2.1 Assessment Management

Conducting large-scale assessment studies and coordination across the entire country, including Puerto Rico and outlying territories.

2.2 Framework Development and Comparisons

Development of analytical and evaluative frameworks to define the scope and content of measurement targets or data collection instruments.

2.3 Item Development

2.3.1 Non-cognitive Items

Development, identification, documentation of sources, and evaluation of non-cognitive items to be used in non-assessment data collections.

2.3.2 Cognitive Items

Provision of cognitive item writing expertise, as well as content knowledge expertise support, in the core subjects of mathematics, reading, and science, and, with less frequency, in other subjects (e.g., civics, computer and information literacy, creativity, economics, financial literacy, technology and applications of STEM, social studies, and writing).

2.3.3 Process Data Items

Provision of expert item writing support in pursuance of designing and processing data measures and variables, the design of an instrument, assessment or questionnaire, the metadata measures to describe collected data, and the paradata measures to capture information regarding collection operations.

2.3.4 Item Scoring and Coding

Scoring and coding of survey, assessment, and evaluation items through manual and automated processes.

2.4 Psychometric Analysis

2.4.1 Cognitive/Non-Cognitive Items

Evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive/non-cognitive survey items and their interoperability with each other against baseline expectations.

2.4.2 Process Data

Evaluating process data, meta-data, and paradata.

2.5 Survey Feasibility Assessment

Evaluating the feasibility of any aspect of a survey or study, to include supporting framework and item development, questionnaires, instrument testing, field test settings, and data collection operation support (e.g., to determine whether planned procedures work in live data collection conditions), plans and procedures (e.g., recruiting strategies for full-scale data collections; for processes to enter schools, bring students into common assessment areas, provide respondents with access to instruments, and access and respond to on-line instruments in different browsers or on different hand-held devices).

2.6 Instrument Design

Design and the development of survey and assessment instruments for cross-sectional and longitudinal panel studies, including instruments with non-cognitive, cognitive, and process or paradata/metadata items.

2.7 Questionnaire Development

Developing questionnaires and ensuring there is a logical flow of content, clear notation of expected skip patterns, possible internal logic checks if the questionnaires are to be computer assisted for respondents or interviewers, and instructions and assistance for respondents and interviewers.

2.8 Assessment Development

Support for assessment development for cross-sectional and longitudinal panel studies.

Category 3: Communications and Outreach

IES requires expert support for communications activities to include strategic communications oversight, external communications support, and internal communications support. The activities defined in the following sections are reflective of the work required to support IES’ mission goals.

3.1 Communications Planning and Management

Support for a communications management office (CMO) to oversee communication operations across the agency, as well as to provide strategic direction as applicable. Support for strategic communications initiatives and events.

3.2 External and Internal Communications Content

Support creating, reviewing, editing, publishing, and monitoring the impact of external and internal communications for IES. Support developing branding recommendations, drafting brand guidelines, and creating templates. Support in broadening outreach and dissemination for communications, including IES-funded research and research training programs. Support formatting, editing, and providing graphics support for all applicable IES products. Support for the electronic display and dissemination of digital products.

Category 4: Recruitment

IES requires expert support to recruit educational entities and groups traditionally underrepresented in education research on a national and international scale. The activities defined in the following sections are reflective of the work required to support IES’ mission goals.

4.1 Recruitment for Education Sciences Activities

Assistance in the identification and recruitment of participants for IES-sponsored programs, surveys, and other education data collection activities. Recruitment targets include postsecondary institutions, professional organizations, schools, state and local education agencies, and other public or private enterprises to identify and recruit study participants to respond to surveys, participate in evaluations, and participate in other data collection activities concerning topics related to educational settings, as requested by individual IES Centers and divisions.

4.2 State Coordinators Recruitment Center

Support to maintain and manage a national recruitment center to work with applicable stakeholders at the state and local level, as well as private organizations.

4.3 Centralized Contract List

Support in maintaining a centralized contact list of schools for IES outreach purposes.

Category 5: IES Operational Support

IES requires support with general mission support to enable ongoing functions across the IES.

The activities defined in the following sections are reflective of the work required to support IES’ mission goals.

5.1 Project Management Support

5.1.1 Project Program Integration and Coordination

Coordinating work for multiple aspects of research project work (e.g., surveys, assessments, and evaluation data collection) when multiple vendors are developing separate components of the project.

5.1.2 Business Case Quality Management Support

Technical project management of specified IES IT investment planning, processes, and performance reporting (e.g., the Sample Surveys Division Information Technology Investment

Management (ITIM) Quality Assurance/Quality Control Support contract) to ensure that IES IT investments are well-monitored, accurate, and that they experience continuous improvement.

5.1.3 Institutional Monitoring and Modernization Activities

Provision of institutional monitoring to understand how IES work is being conducted, and to implement approaches to improve and modernize IES operations.

5.1.4 Compliance Support

Ensuring compliance with federally legislated or administratively determined mandates (e.g., Evidence Act, Federal Statistical Directive 4, IES public access policy) and the provision of compliance tracking support.

5.2 Logistics Support

5.2.1 Event Planning

This includes the provision of full logistical elements to plan, support, promote, and implement government-sponsored meetings, conferences, and other engagements as applicable.

5.2.2 Help Desk Support

Expert support to respond to requests for information about IES studies, data, and products from the public, other Department staff, or federal agencies. This includes, but is not limited to, providing information about IES products via e-mail, telephone, or regular mail; and, on an as-needed basis, providing special tabulations.

5.3 Subject Matter Expertise

5.3.1 IES Technical and Quality Reviews

Review support for draft deliverables and final products developed by IES or other entities to ensure that they are complete, thorough, accurate, neutral, and non-biased, of technical high quality, easily understood, and meet NCES’s Statistical Standards, tabular guidelines, as well as the IES Style Guide.

5.3.2 External Expert Help

Provision of support and assistance, to include access to a wide array of senior statisticians, senior survey methodologists, senior technical experts, and senior subject matter experts with expertise across the full range of IES education sciences work. This support shall provision IES with the expert help it needs to execute its mission goals, as applicable.

5.3.3 Geospatial Activities

Support for geospatial activities to address statutory data requirements; manage data assets;

design analytic tools; integrate additional data collections; and support inter-and intra-agency production and analytic needs.

5.3.4 Training and Technical Assistance

Expert support in the development and delivery of training materials and methods to aide in the use of IES products.

5.3.5 Cognitive Labs and Focus Groups

Provision of support in the piloting or testing of new survey and assessment items, especially open-ended or “constructed response” cognitive items, as well as new data collection formats or modes.

5.3.6 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Initiatives

Support for DEIA initiatives, to include training and professional development, strategic planning, data collection and analysis, grants management support, administrative and logistical support, and outreach and communications support.