RFI Bid S-58100-00009924-Dyslexia Related Training Opportunities 2024.pdf

RFI Bid S-58100-00009924 - Dyslexia-Related Training Opportunities

STATE OF OREGON

COVER PAGE

Oregon Department of Education

Request for Information (RFI)

Dyslexia-Related Training Opportunities

Oregon Buys Bid S-58100-00009224

Date of Issue: February 1, 2024

Closing Date: March 15, 2024 at 5:00 PM PST

Issuing Office: Oregon Department of Education, Procurement Services Mary Piper, Contract Officer 255 Capitol St NE Salem, OR 97310 Phone (voice): 971-208-0466 E-mail: mary.piper@ode.oregon.gov

It is the policy of the State Board of Education and a priority of the Oregon Department of Education there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability in any educational programs, activities, or employment. Persons having questions about equal opportunity and nondiscrimination should contact the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction at the Oregon Department of Education.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW………………………………………………………………………………Error!

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1.1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

1.2 CONTRACT AWARDS ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

1.3 COST OF PREPARING AND SUBMITTING INFORMATION...............................................................Error!

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SECTION 2: BACKGROUND…………………………………………………………………………Error!

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SECTION 3: TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES …………..…………………………………………….4

3.1 TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

SECTION 4: EVALUATION PROCESS AND LIST PLACEMENT ………………………………4

4.1 ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION

4.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA

4.3 FINAL DYSLEXIA-RELATED TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES LIST

4.4 NOTIFICATION AND APPEALS

SECTION 5: RFI PROCESS ………………………………………….……………………………..5

5.1 INSTRUCTIONS

5.2 CLARIFICATION OF SPECIFICATIONS OR QUESTIONS

5.3 PUBLIC INFORMATION

SECTION 6: LIST OF ATTACHMENTS …………………………….………………………………6

ATTACHMENT A Oregon Department of Education Dyslexia-Related Training Vendor Workbook (Returnable) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dSQAGGt2y1zL12pu6V13mzMav1tb-eIgprC_1GWLnUY/copy

SECTION 1 – OVERVIEW

1.1 Introduction

This Request for Information (RFI) is intended to solicit information from interested Vendors with regard to dyslexia-related training opportunities. Selected training opportunities will be included on an annual list developed by the Oregon Department of Education (Agency) to be released to school districts no later than June 15, 2024 and to be posted through June 14, 2025.

According to ORS 326.726, each school district shall ensure that at least one Kindergarten through grade five teacher in each kindergarten through grade five school has received training related to dyslexia. If the trained teacher leaves the school, districts must identify another teacher to complete the training by the beginning of the next school year. Designated teachers from each school will have the opportunity to select a training opportunity or combination of training opportunities from the annual list based on their needs for scheduling, location, and cost to fulfill the requirements of the legislation.

1.2 Contract Awards

No contracts will be awarded as a result of this RFI. Any contracts for services will be executed between the school district and the selected Vendor based on the annual list of qualified Vendors developed and released by the Agency to all school districts on or before June 15, 2024.

The school district is responsible for incurring the cost of the training(s) and will directly pay vendors offering training opportunities that are included on the Agency’s annual list.

1.3 Cost of Preparing and Submitting Information

All cost incurred in preparing and submitting a response to this RFI will be the responsibility of the Vendor and will not be reimbursed by Agency.

SECTION 2 – BACKGROUND

ORS 326.726 requires each school district to ensure that at least one kindergarten through grade five teacher in each kindergarten through grade five school has received training related to dyslexia. To support school districts in meeting this requirement, ORS 326.726 further requires the Agency to annually develop a list of training opportunities related to dyslexia that comply with the knowledge and practice standards of an international organization on dyslexia; enable participants to understand and recognize dyslexia; and enable participants to implement instruction that is systematic, explicit and evidence-based to meet the educational needs of students with dyslexia.

Related Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs):

OAR 581-002-1800 - Dyslexia-Related Training: Definitions OAR 581-002-1805 - Annual List of Dyslexia-Related Training Opportunities OAR 581-002-1810 - Waiver from Teacher Training Requirements OAR 581-022-2440 - Teacher Training Related to Dyslexia

The dyslexia-related training requirement went into effect in 2018, at which time the Department began annually publishing a List of Approved Dyslexia-Related Training Opportunities based on criteria included in OAR 581-002-1805 and in alignment with the International Dyslexia Association’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading. OAR 581-022-2440 requires each school district to ensure that at least one K-5 teacher in each K-5 school receives training related to dyslexia including content in all of the following focus areas:

https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_326.726 https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_581-002-1800 https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_581-002-1805 https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_581-002-1810 https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_581-022-2440 https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/SpecialEducation/RegPrograms_BestPractice/Documents/approveddyslexiatrainings.pdf https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_581-002-1805 https://dyslexiaida.org/knowledge-and-practices/ https://dyslexiaida.org/knowledge-and-practices/ https://oregon.public.law/rules/oar_581-022-2440

1) Understanding and recognizing dyslexia;

2) Using evidence‐based practices to systematically and explicitly teach the foundational skills in reading; and

3) Intensifying instruction to meet the needs of students with severe reading difficulties, including dyslexia.

Vendors/publishers may submit information for review of qualifications for training opportunities that focus on one, two or all three of these focus areas. To meet the requirements, a teacher’s overall training must include all three of the content areas. A teacher may choose to complete a comprehensive training offered by a single vendor or choose to complete trainings across vendors to collectively address all three areas.

The Agency requests that the training opportunities be program-neutral and not dependent on the use of a specific intervention program or curriculum. The Agency is seeking training opportunities that will provide teachers with knowledge and skills necessary to present systematic, explicit, and evidence-based reading instruction in a variety of settings.

SECTION 3 – TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

3.1 Training Opportunities

The Agency is collecting vendor information to develop a list of dyslexia-related training opportunities for use by Oregon school districts.

3.1.1 To be considered for inclusion on the annual list of dyslexia-related trainings, the Vendor shall complete the information as outlined in Attachment A Oregon Department of Education Dyslexia- Related Training Vendor Workbook (Returnable) and submit to the Agency for review

SECTION 4 – EVALUATION PROCESS AND LIST PLACEMENT

4.1 Eligibility Determination

Responses received prior to Closing will be reviewed for completeness using a checklist for eligibility. If the Response is unclear, the Dyslexia Specialist may request clarification from Vendor.

Completed Responses received by March 15, 2024 will be reviewed and may be accepted for inclusion on the Oregon Department of Education List of Approved Dyslexia-Related Training Opportunities released by the Agency on June 15, 2024.

4.2 Evaluation Criteria

Responses meeting the requirements outlined in section 3 will be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee.

Evaluators will review responses according to the criteria outlined within the Oregon Department of Education Dyslexia-Related Training Vendor Workbook (Returnable). Vendors are asked to respond to each required prompt and provide specific and explicit evidence that the training opportunity meets the associated criteria. Reviewers will evaluate the submission based on the vendor response and the presence of evidence in the submission and will assign one of the following rating values for each criteria:

Evidence is present and sufficient – Criteria Met

Some evidence is present, but not sufficient- Criteria Not Met No evidence present- Criteria Not Met https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dSQAGGt2y1zL12pu6V13mzMav1tb-eIgprC_1GWLnUY/copy https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dSQAGGt2y1zL12pu6V13mzMav1tb-eIgprC_1GWLnUY/copy https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/SpecialEducation/RegPrograms_BestPractice/Documents/approveddyslexiatrainings.pdf

In order to be approved for addition the ODE List of Approved Dyslexia-Related Training Opportunities, a submission must receive a rating of Evidence is present and sufficient- Criteria Met for all required components.

All content associated with a response will be shared within the Oregon Department of Education Dyslexia-Related Training Vendor Workbook (Returnable). The Dyslexia Specialist may request further clarification to assist the Evaluation Committee in gaining additional understanding of Response. A reply to a request for clarification must be to clarify or explain portions of the already submitted Response and may not contain new information not included in the original Response.

4.3 Final Dyslexia-Related Training Opportunities List

Approved training opportunities will be included on the Agency’s annual List of Approved Dyslexia- Related Training Opportunities to be released to Oregon school districts no later than June 15, 2024 and to be posted through spring of 2025.

4.4 Notification and Appeals

Vendors will be notified of their approval status via email no later than June 1, 2024. This is a request for information and does not have an appeals or protest process.

SECTION 5 – RFI PROCESS

5.1 Instructions:

Responses for training opportunities to be considered for inclusion on the Agency’s annual training list to be released to districts by June 15, 2024 will be accepted beginning the date this RFI was issued and the RFI process will remain open through March 15, 2024.

5.1.1 As outlined in Section 3.1.1, all content associated with a response will be shared within the

Oregon Department of Education Dyslexia-Related Training Vendor Workbook (Returnable) Vendors will be prompted to make a copy of this Google Sheets workbook. To submit a response for this RFI, please use the 2024-2025 Dyslexia-Related Training: Vendor Response Form linked here:

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/59e11b9bc252470d93a32e23f4086abd

Submitters will be prompted to share a link to the completed Oregon Department of Education Dyslexia-Related Training Vendor Workbook (Returnable). Upon receipt of a submitted response, the Agency will take over ownership of, and remove the vendor's access to, the Vendor Workbook. Vendors will not have access to the Vendor Workbook during the review process.

5.1.2 Current vendors do not need to respond to this RFI. Agency will issue a Renewal Form no later than March 15, 2024, to be returned to Agency for review no later than May 15, 2024.

The Renewal Form will request current vendors to certify that the training version previously approved through the Agency review process will continue to be implemented in the 2024- 2025 school year. Once renewed by Agency, vendor may continue to provide training only on the focus areas approved in the review process. Any new training opportunities must go through the annual Request for Information (RFI) process for approval.

5.2 Clarification of Specifications or Questions

Request for clarifications or other questions may be submitted at any time throughout the RFI process until March 8, 2024 at 5:00 PM PST via email. Submit the email as follows:

To: Sarah Thorud sarah.thorud@ode.oregon.gov https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dSQAGGt2y1zL12pu6V13mzMav1tb-eIgprC_1GWLnUY/copy https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/59e11b9bc252470d93a32e23f4086abd mailto:sarah.thorud@ode.oregon.gov

Email Subject: 2024 RFI S-58100-00009224 Dyslexia Training Questions To ensure accurate responses, requests must include Section/Cite heading and/or question number.

Responses to clarifications and questions will be answered as received. Replies will be sent to the Vendor via email. In addition, all questions and answers will be posted in OregonBuys and updated weekly. It is the Vendor responsibility to check OregonBuys for updates.

5.3 Public Information

All information submitted will be considered public information unless the Vendor indicates the information to be treated as confidential on the returnable documents, and the information is considered exempt under ORS 192.501 or 192.502.

SECTION 6 – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Downloadable Document - Oregon Department of Education Dyslexia-Related Training Vendor Workbook (Returnable)