RFP_2025-27_ELA_Math_Alignment.pdf.crdownload

STATE OF WASHINGTON

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON

PRE-BID CONFERENCE: 10:00 am, Pacific Time (PT) on April 2, 2025 | Zoom

LETTER OF INTENT: 3:00 pm, Pacific Time (PT) on April 25, 2025

PROPOSAL DUE DATE: 3:00 pm, Pacific Time (PT) on May 23, 2025

ESTIMATED CONTRACT PERIOD: July 28, 2025–June 30, 2026

CONSULTANT ELIGIBILITY: This solicitation is open to those Consultants who satisfy the minimum qualifications stated herein and that are available for work in Washington State.

SUBMIT PROPOSAL TO: contracts@k12.wa.us

All communications concerning this RFP must be directed only to the RFP Coordinator via email.

Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on OSPI. Consultants are to rely on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Consultant.

This RFP is available at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) website and at the Department of Enterprise Services, Washington Electronic Business Solution (WEBS)

Procurement website. All RFP amendments and/or Consultant questions and OSPI answers will be posted to these sites. All interested Consultants must be registered with WEBS under the following commodity codes to receive automatic notifications: 924-05: Advisory Services, Educational; 924-

18: Educational Services, Alternative; 924-19: Educational Research Services; 924-20: Examination and Testing

OSPI, and its contractors and subcontractors, must not discriminate in any programs or services based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, marital status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, and must comply with state and federal nondiscrimination laws, including

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at 360-725-6162/TTY: 360-664-3631;

or P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200; or equity@k12.wa.us.

Request for Proposals No. 2025-27 Alignment Study of Washington Comprehensive

Assessment Program https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88155567582?pwd=fuikTMlpG5uddhm4i3CEDEL9h2Ploh.1 mailto:contracts@k12.wa.us https://www.k12.wa.us/about-ospi/contracting-ospi/competitive-procurements https://des.wa.gov/sell/how-work-state https://des.wa.gov/sell/how-work-state mailto:equity@k12.wa.us

RFP No. 2024-25 Page 2 of 75

Rev. 11/21

Table of Contents

Section A. SCOPE & REQUIREMENTS

A.1. DEFINITIONS

A.2. ACRONYMS AND INITIALISMS

A.3. PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

A.4. BACKGROUND

A.5. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF WORK

A.6. BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

A.7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

A.8. FUNDING

A.9. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Section B. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS

B.1. RFP COORDINATOR

B.2. QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

B.3. ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES

B.4. PRE-BID CONFERENCE

B.5. LETTER OF INTENT

B.6. COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

B.7. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION/PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

B.8. ADDENDUMS AND AMENDMENTS TO THE RFP

B.9. SMALL BUSINESS, MINORITY & WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (MWBE), AND

VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS PARTICIPATION

B.10. ETHICS, POLICIES, & LAW

B.11. ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

B.12. RESPONSIVENESS

B.13. MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

B.14. CONTRACT AND GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

B.15. COSTS TO PROPOSE

B.16. NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT

RFP No. 2024-25 Page 3 of 75

B.17. REJECTION OF PROPOSALS

B.18. COMMITMENT OF FUNDS

B.19. STATEWIDE VENDOR PAYMENT REGISTRATION

B.20. WASHINGTON STATE BUSINESS REGISTRATION

B.21. INSURANCE COVERAGE

Section C. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

C.1. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

C.2. PROPOSAL OVERVIEW

C.3. LETTER OF SUBMITTAL

C.4. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

C.5. MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL

C.6. COST PROPOSAL

Section D. EVALUATION AND AWARD

D.1. EVALUATION PROCEDURE

D.2. EVALUATION AND SCORING

D.3. REFERENCE CHECKS

D.4. INTERVIEW/DEMONSTRATION

D.5. SELECTION OF APPARENT SUCCESSFUL BIDDER

D.6. NOTIFICATION TO BIDDERS

D.7. DEBRIEFING OF UNSUCCESSFUL BIDDERS

D.8. PROTEST PROCEDURE

D.9. ADDITIONAL AWARDS

Section E. RFP EXHIBITS

EXHIBITS A-H

EXHIBIT I

EXHIBIT J

EXHIBIT K

EXHIBIT L

EXHIBIT M

EXHIBIT N

EXHIBIT O

RFP No. 2024-25 Page 4 of 75

EXHIBIT P

EXHIBIT Q

RFP No. 2024-25 Page 5 of 75

Section A. SCOPE & REQUIREMENTS

This section describes the purpose of the RFP and provides information about this procurement, including the potential scope of the opportunity and requirements.

A.1. DEFINITIONS

Definitions for the purposes of this RFP include:

Agency or OSPI – The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; the entity issuing this RFP.

Amendment – A unilateral change to the Solicitation that is issued by OSPI at its sole discretion and posted on WEBS and OSPI’s website.

Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB) – A Bidder submitting a response to this Solicitation that is evaluated and is identified and announced by OSPI as providing the best value to the Agency.

Upon execution of a Contract, the ASB is referred to as the successful Bidder or the Contractor.

Assessment – An evaluation of student achievement related to knowledge and skills in a specific content area and/or a specific grade level.

Authorized Representative – Person representing a party to Contract who is authorized to make commitments and decisions on behalf of the party regarding the performance.

Bid – An offer, proposal, or quote for goods or services submitted in response to this RFP.

Bidder – Individual organization, public or private agency submitting a proposal to attain a contract with OSPI. For purposes of this Solicitation, the terms Bidder, Consultant, and Vendor are interchangeable.

Business Days – Monday through Friday, 8 am–5 pm, Pacific Time, excluding Washington holiday and business closure days unless otherwise stated.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) – Formally adopted as the Washington State K–12

Learning Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics in 2011 and revised in 2024, these standards form the basis of the Smarter Balanced assessment and Washington Access to

Instruction and Measurement (WA-AIM) assessment described in this solicitation.

Competitive Solicitation – A documented formal process providing an equal and open opportunity to Bidders or Consultants culminating in a selection based on predetermined criteria.

RFP No. 2024-25 Page 6 of 75

Complaint – A process that may be followed by a Consultant prior to the deadline for bid submission to alert OSPI of certain types of asserted deficiencies in the Solicitation.

Consultant – Individual organization, public or private agency submitting a proposal to attain a

Content Standards or Learning Standards – define what all students need to know and be able to do at each grade level.

Contractor – Individual or company whose proposal has been accepted by OSPI and is awarded a fully executed, written contract.

Debriefing – A short meeting an unsuccessful Bidder may request with the Coordinator or evaluation team member following the announcement of the Apparent Successful Bidder for the purpose of receiving information regarding the review and evaluation of that Bidder’s Response.

Essential Elements – Specific WA-AIM statements of knowledge and skills linked to the grade-level expectations identified in the Washington K–12 Learning Standards for English Language

Arts and Mathematics.

Fiscal Year – In Washington State, a 12-month period extending from July 1 of one calendar year to June 30 of the next calendar year.

Performance Task – A goal-directed assessment exercise that consists of an activity that is completed by the student.

Proposal – A formal offer submitted in response to this RFP.

Proprietary Information – Information such as patents, technological information or other related information that the Bidder or Consultant does not want released or shared with the public.

Protest – A process that may be followed by a Bidder after the announcement of the Apparent

Successful Bidder to alert OSPI to certain types of alleged errors in the evaluation of the

Solicitation.

Request for Proposals (RFP) – Formal procurement document in which a service or need is identified but no specific method to achieve it has been chosen. The purpose of an RFP is to permit the consultant community to suggest various approaches to meet the need at a given price. Consultants are invited to submit their bid, detailing their proposed approach, qualifications, and cost to complete the described activities.

RFP No. 2024-25 Page 7 of 75

Responsible Bidder – An individual, organization, public or private agency, or other entity that has demonstrated the capability to meet all the requirements of the Solicitation and meets the elements of responsibility. (See RCW 39.26.160 (2))

Responsive Bidder – An individual, organization, public or private agency, or other entity who has submitted a Bid that fully conforms in all material respects to the Solicitation and all its requirements, in both form and substance.

Revised Code of Washington (RCW) – The compilation of all permanent laws now in force.

RFP Coordinator – An individual or designee who is employed by OSPI and who is responsible for conducting this Solicitation.

Smarter Balanced – A member-led organization that works with educators to develop a high-quality, comprehensive assessment system designed to enhance instructional practice and improve student learning in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics for federal accountability.

Solicitation – A formal process providing an equal and open opportunity for Bidders culminating in a selection based upon predetermined criteria.

Subcontractor – An individual or other entity contracted by a Consultant to perform part of the services or to provide goods under the Contract resulting from this Solicitation. Subcontractors, if allowed, are subject to the advance approval of OSPI.

Summative Assessment – Test required by federal law to be used to evaluate students on state learning standards, administered in spring of a school year during a fixed administration window.

Test Blueprints or Test map – include critical information about the number of questions, score points, and other information about items associated with each part of the test. They guide the development of test questions, score reporting, and ongoing research.

Testlet – Refers to a set of five standard-aligned items grouped together based on their content area and complexity level when administering the WA-AIM assessment.

Vendor – Individual organization, public or private agency submitting a proposal to attain a

Washington State K–12 Learning Standards – Define what all students need to know and be able to do at each grade level.

WEBS – Washington’s Electronic Business Solution, the Consultant notification system found at

Washington Electronic Business Solution (WEBS) Procurement website and maintained by the https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/

RFP No. 2024-25 Page 8 of 75

Washington State Department of Enterprise Services. Consultants are encouraged to register with

WEBS to receive automatic notifications about this and other procurements.

A.2. ACRONYMS AND INITIALISMS

AA-AAAS – Alternate Assessment based on

Alternate Academic Achievement Standards

ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act

ALD – Achievement Level Descriptor

ASB – Apparent Successful Bidder

CAT – Computer Adaptive Test

CCSS – Common Core State Standards

DOK – Depth of Knowledge

ELA – English Language Arts

ELD – English Language Development

ESEA – Elementary and Secondary

Education Act

ESSA – Every Student Succeeds Act

MLs – Multilingual Learners

MWBE – Minority and Women’s Business

Enterprises

NTAC – National Technical Advisory

Committee

OMWBE – Office of Minority and Women’s

Business Enterprises

OSPI – Office of Superintendent of Public

Instruction

PDF – Portable Document Format

PE – Performance Expectations

PII – Personally-Identifiable Information

PT – Pacific Time

PT – Performance Task

RCW – Revised Code of Washington

RFP – Request for Proposal

SB – Smarter Balanced

SBA – Smarter Balanced Assessment

SBAC – Smarter Balanced Assessment

Consortium

SEA – State Education Agency

SEPP – Secondary Education and Pathway

Preparation

SWV – Statewide Vendor

WA-AIM - Washington-Access to

Instruction and Measurement

WCAP – Washington Comprehensive

Assessment Program

WEBS – Washington’s Electronic Business

Solution

A.3. PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The purpose of this Competitive Procurement is to receive competitive bids to evaluate and, as appropriate, award a Contract for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to procure goods and/or services as set forth herein. Pursuant to Washington’s Procurement Code for Goods and Services, RCW chap. 39.26, state agency purchases of goods and services must be based on a competitive solicitation.

Therefore, OSPI is initiating this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from Consultants interested in participating on a project to evaluate the alignment of Washington’s general and alternate assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics, including accommodated paper forms, to the revised State Learning Standards and for the English Language Proficiency general and alternate assessments’ Proficiency Level Descriptors to the revised State Learning

Standards.

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 9 of 75

Rev. 05/24

A.4. BACKGROUND

Led by Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public

K–12 education in Washington state. Working with the state's two hundred ninety-five (295) public school districts, seven (7) state-tribal education compact schools, and public charter schools, OSPI allocates funding and provides tools, resources, and technical assistance so every student in

Washington is provided a high-quality public education.

The Secondary Education and Pathway Preparation (SEPP) division, led by Assistant

Superintendent Becky Wallace, supports students by providing access to challenging coursework, a tailored secondary educational experience including culturally responsive and anti-racist curriculum, and pathways to graduation and beyond that reflect student interest and need. The

SEPP division coordinates, manages, administers, monitors, and provides guidance for the state general and alternate academic assessments in ELA, mathematics, and science; English language proficiency assessments, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The following state assessments are within the scope of this RFP:

• Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA): English language arts (ELA) and mathematics tests in grades 3–8 and 10 are required for federal and state accountability.

• Washington-Access to Instruction and Measurement (WA-AIM): ELA and mathematics alternate assessments in grades 3–8, and 10 for students with significant cognitive disabilities documented in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) are required for federal and state accountability.

• WIDA ACCESS Assessments: Annual tests given to all students in grades K–12 who qualify for English language development services to determine which students remain eligible to continue receiving English language development services.

• WIDA Alternate ACCESS: Test given to students in grades K–12 with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for English language development services to determine which students remain eligible to continue receiving English language development service.

Learning Standards Review General Information

As required by state law (RCW 28A.655.070), OSPI develops the state’s learning standards and periodically revises them based on the student learning goals in RCW 28A.150.210. Learning standards define what all students need to know and be able to do at each grade level.

Beyond state requirements, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires that a state’s assessment system assess the depth and breadth of the state’s grade-level academic content standards. Assessing the breadth and depth of a state’s academic content standards means that each state assessment covers the domains or major components within a content area.

For example, if a state’s academic content standards for mathematics identify the domains of number sense, measurement, geometry and data analysis, assessing the breadth and depth of https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/testing/state-testing/washington-state-smarter-balanced-assessment-consortium https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/testing/state-testing/assessment-students-cognitive-disabilities-wa-aim https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/testing/state-testing/english-language-proficiency-assessments https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/testing/state-testing/english-language-proficiency-assessments https://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=28A.655.070 https://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=28A.150.210

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 10 of 75 mathematics means that the assessment is aligned to all four of those domains. Assessing the breadth and depth of a state’s standards also means that specific content in a state’s academic content standards is not systematically excluded from a state’s assessment system. Assessing the breadth and dept of standards, however, does not mean that each state assessment must annually cover all discrete knowledge and skills represented within a state’s academic content standards;

rather, assessing the breadth and depth of a state’s academic standards means that a state’s assessment system covers all of the knowledge and skills over a period of time.1

In 2023, OSPI launched a periodic review through the Washington State Learning Standards

Review project resulting in refined and prioritized learning standards in English language arts and mathematics. The ELA and mathematics standards are on schedule for an initial adoption by July

2025 with final adoption occurring between August and December 2025.

English Language Arts:

The Washington K–12 Learning Standards for English Language Arts (2011) are the Common Core

State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, and Technical

Subjects. OSPI adopted these standards in 2011. The Washington K–12 Learning Standards for

English Language Arts (2011) are organized into four strands: Reading (Literary and Informational);

Writing; Speaking and Listening; and Language. Within each strand multiple standards are grouped into categories. The strands, categories, and individual standards have been revised in the Washington State K–12 Learning Standards for English Language Arts (2024). Overall revisions and additions in the Washington K–12 Learning Standards for English Language Arts (2024) include the following:

• Reorganization of all standards from four strands into the following five domains o Reading o Writing o Speaking, Listening, and Digital Forums o Language o Research and Media Literacy

• Priority Standards have been identified in each domain of the Washington State K–12

Learning Standards for English Language Arts (2024).

• Standards for comprehension strategies, reading of self-selected texts, and evaluation and use of texts have been added to the Reading domain.

• The concept of genre has been embedded throughout the standards and is used to restructure the reading domain and collapse the separate standards for literary and informational texts.

• Process standards have been added to the Writing domain.

• Voice has been added to standards in the Writing and the Speaking, Listening, and Digital

Forums domains.

1 A State's Guide to the U.S. Department of Education's Assessment Peer Review Process (September 24, 2018) PDF page 24–25 https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/learning-standards-instructional-materials/washington-state-learning-standards-review https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/learning-standards-instructional-materials/washington-state-learning-standards-review https://ospi.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/2024-08/draft-reading-standards-crosswalk.pdf https://www.ed.gov/sites/ed/files/2023/11/assessmentpeerreview.pdf

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 11 of 75

• The concept of genre has replaced text types in the writing standards and been used to restructure and revise the writing standards.

• Digital forums have been added to standards for discussion, presentation, and public speaking in the Speaking and Listening domain.

• Digital citizenship skills have been embedded in standards in the Writing and Speaking, Listening, and Digital Forums domains.

• Media literacy standards have been added to a new domain, Research and Media Literacy.

Draft crosswalks between Washington State K–12 Learning Standards for English Language Arts

(2011) and the Washington State K–12 Learning Standards for English Language Arts (2024) can be found at Exhibit A: Draft ELA Standards Crosswalk. These draft crosswalks provide a high-level overview of some of the revisions. Final versions will be provided upon contract award.

Mathematics

The Washington K–12 Learning Standards for Mathematics (2011) are the Common Core State

Standards for Mathematics. The Washington K–12 Learning Standards for Mathematics (2011) are defined by grade level and organized into several content domains in mathematics. While these domains vary across grade levels, taken together, they describe a coherent learning trajectory with the aim of developing student knowledge for students’ chosen pathways after high school. The content domains include Counting and Cardinality (Kindergarten only), Operations and Algebraic

Thinking (K–5), Numbers and Operations in Base Ten (K–5), Measurement and Data (K–5), Geometry (K–12), Numbers and Operations – Fractions (3–5), Ratio and Proportion (6–7), The

Number System (6–8), Expressions and Equations (6–8), Statistics and Probability (6–12), Functions

(8–12), Algebra (9–12) and Number and Quantity (9–12).

The Washington State K–12 Learning Standards for Mathematics have been revised to maintain the core structure of the Common Core State Standards while enhancing clarity to support local contexts. The updated standards encourage students to consider multiple approaches to problem-solving and communicate their thinking, promoting deeper understanding and engagement with mathematical concepts. Overall revisions and additions in the Washington K–

12 Learning Standards for Mathematics (2024) include the following:

• Priority standards have been identified.

• Revised language to emphasize flexibility, efficiency, accuracy in mathematical fluency, and the use of standardized algorithms.

• The addition of an additional Data Science K–12 domain.

A draft crosswalk between Washington State K–12 Learning Standards for Mathematics (2011) and the Washington State K–12 Learning Standards for Mathematics (2024) can be found at

Exhibit B: Draft Mathematics Standards Crosswalk. These draft crosswalks provide a high-level overview of some of the revisions. Final versions will be provided upon contract award.

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 12 of 75

Test Design Smarter Balanced English Language Arts and Mathematics

The Common Core State Standards are the content standards in ELA/literacy and mathematics that many states have adopted. Washington refers to these standards as the Washington State K–

12 Learning Standards for English Language Arts and for Mathematics. Because the CCSS were not specifically developed for assessment, they contain extensive rationale and information concerning instruction. Therefore, adopting previous practices used by many state programs, Smarter Balanced content experts produced content specifications in ELA/literacy and mathematics that extract assessment-focused elements from the CCSS. Item development specifications are then based on the content specifications. Each item is aligned to a specific claim and target and to a Common Core State Standard.

Washington administers an adjusted blueprints for ELA and an adjusted blueprints for mathematics that were developed by Smarter Balanced to measure the level of proficiency students have achieved in grades 3–8 and 10. The adjusted blueprints are based on the ELA and mathematics learning standards but have a shorter Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) portion than the “full” blueprint. The adjusted blueprints still include both CAT and Performance Task (PT) portions and both machine-scored and human-reader scored questions. Items in the SBA ELA and mathematics CAT are organized into claims and assessment targets. The claims for English

Language Arts/Literacy and the claims for Mathematics each have one overall claim and four specific content claims for that describe what students should be able to do and know to demonstrate mastery of the CCSS at each grade level. Within each claim, there are multiple assessment targets. For more information on assessment targets and how test items connect to academic standards see the Smarter Balanced Content Explorer.

WA-AIM

The WA-AIM assessment is the state alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The assessment measures student knowledge and skills in the content areas of English language arts, mathematics at grades 3–8 as well as science. The science component is out of scope of this solicitation. Learning standards for this assessment are reduced in depth, breadth, and complexity.

For each content area there are five learning standards per grade level assessed by the administration of testlets related to the key knowledge and skills of a specific learning standard.

The testlets are available at three different complexity levels also referred to as access points (Less

Complex, Intermediate Complex, and More Complex).

The educator most familiar with the student determines the appropriate access point complexity level to meet the communication mode of each student. The educator then chooses a form or assembles their own form using five of the fifteen standard-aligned items from the current item library for each standard being assessed. The teslets must include five items at the same complexity level for each content learning standard. The administration results in students completing 25 items in each tested content area.

https://portal.smarterbalanced.org/library/en/elaliteracy-adjusted-blueprint.pdf https://portal.smarterbalanced.org/library/en/mathematics-adjusted-blueprint.pdf https://portal.smarterbalanced.org/library/en/mathematics-adjusted-blueprint.pdf https://portal.smarterbalanced.org/library/en/claims-for-the-ela-literacy-summative-assessments.pdf https://portal.smarterbalanced.org/library/en/claims-for-the-ela-literacy-summative-assessments.pdf https://portal.smarterbalanced.org/library/en/claims-for-the-mathematics-summative-assessments.pdf https://contentexplorer.smarterbalanced.org/

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 13 of 75

The WA-AIM Access Point Frameworks

The WA-Access to Instruction and Measurement (WA-AIM), is built off Access Point Frameworks.

The Access Point Frameworks extend the five learning standards in each grade for ELA and

Mathematics into three complexity levels access points: Less Complex, Intermediate Complex, and

More Complex, where Intermediate Complex defines the “minimal mastery level” knowledge and skills of the grade level standard.

The access points are derived from the Essential Elements for ELA and mathematics which are specific statements of knowledge and skills derived from the identified grade-level Washington

K–12 Learning Standards. The purpose of the Essential Elements is to build a bridge from

Washington K–12 Learning Standards to the access points which define the achievement expectations for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

More information about WA-AIM Access Point Frameworks can be found at Exhibits C: WA-AIM

ELA Access Point Frameworks and Exhibit D: WA-AIM Mathematic Access Point Frameworks.

WIDA ACCESS Assessments

The WIDA ACCESS is Washington State's annual English language proficiency (ELP) assessment. It is given to all students in grades K–12 who qualify for English language development services to determine which students remain eligible to continue receiving English language development services. WIDA ACCESS is an online adaptive assessment given to all students in grades 1–12 who are eligible for English language development (ELD) services. Students in Kindergarten will take the WIDA Kindergarten ACCESS test as their annual ELP assessment. Both of these assessments measures students’ English language proficiency, both knowledge and skills, in four language domains (reading, listening, writing, and speaking).

Currently, WIDA ACCESS tests are aligned to the WIDA ELD Standards Framework (2012). WIDA plans to release the revised WIDA ACCESS test aligned to the WIDA ELD Standards Framework

(2020) by the 2025–26 school year.

In the 2020 edition, WIDA has expanded the K–12 performance definitions into Proficiency Level

Descriptors (PLDs). PLDs describe a continuum of language development for activities that target language expectations. They provide a detailed explanation of how students might develop language across six levels of English language proficiency.

More information about WIDA Proficiency Level Descriptors can be found at the end of each grade level section of Exhibit E: WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework, 2020

Edition.

WIDA Alternate ACCESS

WIDA Alternate ACCESS is Washington State’s annual English language proficiency test measuring the skills and knowledge of students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for English

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 14 of 75 language development services to determine which students remain eligible to continue receiving

English language development service. WIDA Alternate ACCESS is paper based and measures four language domains (reading, listening, writing, and speaking).

Information about 2023 WIDA Alternate ACCESS PLDs is available as Exhibit F: WIDA Alternate

ACCESS Proficiency Level Descriptors.

A.5. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF WORK

A.5.i. Objective

Examine and report to what extent can the existing in scope WCAP assessments be used to assess the depth and breadth of the revised 2024 Washington K–12 State Learning

Standards in ELA and mathematics. Specifically identifying:

• To what extent, or can our current assessments within the scope of this project be used to assess the revised learning standards?

• Under what conditions can our assessments, within the scope of this project, be used to assess the revised learning standards?

• As a result of the alignment studies, what are the recommendations for blueprint adjustments?

• Recommendations for item development to identify gaps in content coverage.

• For our English Language Proficiency assessments, examine and report to what extent the knowledge and skills identified in the revised Washington State K–12 Learning

Standards in ELA and mathematics are reflected in the English Language Proficiency

Level Descriptors.

A.5.ii. Scope of Work:

Evaluate the alignment of forty (40) grade level state assessments identified in the table below to the revised Washington State K–12 Learning Standards (2024).

Test Name/Content Area Assessed Grade Levels

Smarter Balanced ELA 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10

Smarter Balanced Mathematics 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10

Washington Access to Instruction and Measurement- ELA 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10

Washington Access to Instruction and Measurement-

Mathematics

3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10

WIDA ACCESS (for qualifying MLs) K, 1, 2–3, 4–5, 6–8, 9–12

WIDA Alternate ACCESS (for qualifying MLs with significant cognitive disabilities

K, 1, 2–3, 4–5, 6–8, 9–12

Bidders may submit a proposal for one (1), a combination, or for all three (3) of the following in scope state assessments:

1. Smarter Balanced Assessments to the revised English Language Art and

Mathematics learning standards, see

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 15 of 75

• Exhibit G: Public Draft WA State Learning Standards ELA

• Exhibit H: Public Draft WA State Learning Standards Math

Final versions will be provided upon contract award.

2. Washington Access to Instruction and Measurement (WA-AIM) to the revised

English Language Art and Mathematics learning standards, see Exhibits G–H and

• Exhibit C: WA-AIM ELA Access Point Frameworks

• Exhibit D: WA-AIM Mathematics Access Point Frameworks

3. WIDA ACCESS ELD and WIDA Alternate ACCESS ELD to the revised ELA and mathematics standards, see Exhibits G–H and

• Exhibit E: WIDA ACCESS ELD Standards Frameworks (2020)

• Exhibit F: WIDA Alternate ACCESS Proficiency Level Descriptors

The activities required to accomplish the primary objective will involve input from educators and/or subject matter experts who systematically gather judgments about selected dimensions of revised K–12 Learning Standards in ELA and Mathematics, to various components of current assessments. Working collaboratively with OSPI, Contractor will be responsible for identifying the best method of engagement (e.g. virtual, in-person, or digitally.)

For estimating purposes, any in-person meetings to conduct the alignment studies and one (1) post-study meeting with no more than fifteen (15) OSPI staff and six (6) National

Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) members should be proposed for locations in or around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Bidders should become familiar with the materials that are both global (applicable across content) and specific to the general and alternate assessments, regarding design and administration, and that will support plans and approaches to satisfactorily complete the objective of this RFP. The general and alternate assessments should be viewed as filling the prototypical role of a large-scale assessment, and WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Alternate

ACCESS are the state’s English language proficiency assessments.

A complete analysis, with conclusions drawn as a result of the alignment study, a gap analysis for each assessment, and blueprint adjustment recommendations shall be delivered to OSPI in the form of a technical report (see C.4.iv Deliverables for minimum contents requirements).

Contractor shall prepare and present a pre-study presentation of the alignment study to

OSPI and their National TAC to gather feedback on proposed methodology prior to study commencement estimated to occur in Fall 2025.

Contractor shall prepare and present a post-study presentation of the alignment study to

OSPI and their National TAC summarizing results from the draft technical report estimated to occur Winter 2025/2026.

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 16 of 75

Contractor shall deliver a draft technical report with supporting documentation to OSPI sixty (60) business days prior to the conclusion of the awarded contract. Following OSPI review, a final technical report shall be delivered to OSPI thirty (30) business days prior to the conclusion of the awarded contract.

Access to test items is not anticipated to accomplish the objective of this RFP. Should a

Bidder propose an alignment study methodology requiring either Smarter Balanced, WA-

AIM, and/or WIDA test items, it will be incumbent upon the Bidder to coordinate directly with the appropriate vendor, Smarter Balanced, Cambium, DRC, and/or WIDA respectively, to acquire access to their item bank independently from OSPI.

A.5.iii. Accessibility & Branding Requirements:

All documents, videos, audio records, presentations, or other deliverables required under the resulting Contract shall be produced in format, compliant with the Americans With

Disabilities Act and follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, OSPI’s formatting standard specified in Exhibit I: OSPI Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance:

Graphics and Colors, OSPI’s Brand Use Policy, OSPI’s Style Guide, and OSPI’s Videography

Style Guide which are hereby incorporated by this reference. For narrative or documentary style videos required under the resulting Contract, the final product and all raw footage shall be mailed to the OSPI Communication and Digital Media office on a hard drive furnished by the Contractor. In the event that the deliverables are not compliant, OSPI may require Contractor to promptly make modifications that will make the deliverables compliant. Additionally, OSPI shall have the right to modify or copy the deliverables in order to make them accessible and/or compliant.

A.6. BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications:

• Licensed to do business in the State of Washington. If not licensed, provide a written intent to become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as the Apparent Successful Bidder

• Experience with large-scale assessment, and associated knowledge of best practices in the field of test measurement

• Understanding of federal peer review processes and critical elements related to alignment

• Understanding of state academic learning standards and English language proficiency standards

• Experience conducting varied alignment study activities between standards and measurement instruments using appropriate defensible methodologies for varied assessment designs

• Knowledge of and/or experience in implementing sound alignment projects based in research https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/glance/ https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/communications/pubdocs/Agency-Brand-Use-Policy.pdf https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/communications/pubdocs/StyleGuide.pdf https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/communications/pubdocs/OSPI-Videography-Guidelines.pdf https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/communications/pubdocs/OSPI-Videography-Guidelines.pdf

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 17 of 75

Consultants who do not meet these minimum qualifications will be rejected as non-responsive and will not receive further consideration. Any proposal that is rejected as non-responsive will not be evaluated or scored.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience within the last five (5) years with Smarter Balanced and aligned large-scale assessments

• Experience with Washington K–12 Learning Standards and assessments

• Experience conducting alignment studies for English Language Proficiency and alternate assessments

A.7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFP is tentatively scheduled to begin on or about July 28, 2025, and end on or about June 30, 2026. The option to extend any contract resulting from this procurement shall be at the sole discretion of OSPI.

Additional services that are appropriate to the scope of this RFP, as determined by OSPI, may be added to the resulting contract by a written amendment mutually agreed to and executed by both parties.

A.8. FUNDING

OSPI has a total budgeted amount not to exceed one million, seven hundred eight thousand, nine hundred twenty-eight dollars ($1,708,928) for this alignment study project for SBA, WA-AIM, WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS; however, OSPI does not represent or guarantee any minimum purchase from the resulting contract. Proposals in excess of this amount will be rejected as non-responsive and will not be evaluated. The following table outlines the maximum amount by assessment for a resulting contract.

Assessment Maximum Amount

SBA $598,125

WA-AIM $598,125

WIDA ACCESS $256,339

WIDA Alt ACCESS $256,339

This project includes state funds tied to the state’s fiscal year, which runs July 1–June 30.

Contractor must invoice OSPI immediately following the June 30 deadline. Contractor may invoice sooner if their last deliverable(s) is completed sooner. Cost Proposal must identify the fiscal year itemized expenses are expected to occur.

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 18 of 75

Any applicable mileage, meals, lodging, or other travel-related expenses, will be reimbursed in accordance with Washington State travel regulations established by the Office of Financial

Management.

Any contract awarded is contingent upon the availability of funding. Bidders are encouraged to provide their most favorable and competitive cost estimate to perform the work.

Fifteen percent (15%) of the funds proposed for this project will be funded using Federal money provided by Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 84.369A (Award S369A240049). The selected contractor must therefore comply with Exhibit J: Federal Grant Terms and Conditions.

A.9. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

OSPI complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Consultants may contact the RFP

Coordinator to receive this Request for Proposals in an alternative format.

http://www.ofm.wa.gov/policy/10.htm

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 19 of 75

Section B. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS

This section describes the procurement timeline and includes useful information for Bidders such as procurement procedure and state requirements.

B.1. RFP COORDINATOR

The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in OSPI for this procurement. All communication between the Consultant and OSPI upon receipt of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator, as follows:

Contact Information

Name: Kyla Moore

Address:

600 Washington Street South

PO Box 47200

Olympia, WA 98504-7200

Email Address: contracts@k12.wa.us

B.2. QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

Any questions or communications concerning this RFP must be directed only to the RFP

Coordinator noted in Section B.1. Questions and/or inquiries must be sent via email and should include the RFP number. Consultants are to rely on written statements issued by the RFP

Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator will be considered unofficial and non-binding on OSPI, and may result in disqualification of the

Consultant. Answers or other applicable addenda will be posted to OSPI and WEBS in accordance with the schedule in Section B.3.

Bidders are encouraged to make any inquiry regarding the Competitive Solicitation as early in the process as possible to allow OSPI to consider and, if warranted, respond to the inquiry. If a Bidder does not notify the Procurement Coordinator of an issue, exception, addition, or omission, such matter may be considered to be waived by the bidder for protest purposes.

mailto:contracts@k12.wa.us

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 20 of 75

B.3. ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES

Action Date

OSPI issues RFP March 15, 2025

Question and Answer period March 15–April 25, 2025

OSPI hosts Pre-Bid Conference 10:00 am PT on April 2, 2025

OSPI posts Question and Answer Addendum or

Amendment resulting from Pre-Bid Conference (if necessary)

April 9, 2025

Letter of Intent due 3:00 pm PT on April 25, 2025

Last date to submit questions regarding RFP April 25, 2025

OSPI posts final Question and Answer Addendum or

Amendment (if necessary) May 9, 2025

Complaints due May 16, 2025

Proposals due 3:00 pm PT on May 23, 2025

OSPI conducts evaluation of written proposals May 27–June 6, 2025

OSPI conducts oral interviews with finalists (if determined necessary by OSPI) June 9–10, 2025

OSPI announces “Apparent Successful Bidder” and sends notification to unsuccessful Bidder(s) June 13, 2025

OSPI conducts debriefing conferences (if requested) As requested, per debriefing instructions

Contract negotiation begins June 13, 2025

Anticipated contract start date July 28, 2025

OSPI reserves the right to revise the above schedule.

B.4. PRE-BID CONFERENCE

A pre-bid conference is scheduled to be held on April 2, 2025 at 10:00 am PT. The purpose of the pre-bid conference is to clarify the Competitive Solicitation as needed and raise any issues or concerns that bidders may have.

The pre-bid conference will be held virtually.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88155567582?pwd=fuikTMlpG5uddhm4i3CEDEL9h2Ploh.1

Meeting ID: 881 5556 7582

Passcode: 049868

All prospective Consultants should attend; however, attendance is not mandatory. Written questions may be submitted in advance to the RFP Coordinator. OSPI shall be bound only to written answers to questions. Any oral responses given at the pre-bid conference shall be considered unofficial until OSPI releases a written copy of the questions and answers from the https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88155567582?pwd=fuikTMlpG5uddhm4i3CEDEL9h2Ploh.1

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 21 of 75 pre-bid conference. A copy of the questions and answers in the form of an Addendum will be published on the OSPI website and released on WEBS under the commodity code(s) listed on the cover page of this RFP within five (5) business days of the pre-bid conference.

Assistance for disabled, blind, or hearing-impaired persons who wish to attend the pre-bid conference is available with prior arrangement by contacting the Procurement Coordinator.

OSPI has the right to cancel or stop the pre-bid conference if no interested bidders join within thirty (30) minutes of the start.

B.5. LETTER OF INTENT

It is recommended that Consultants intending to submit a proposal provide a Letter of Intent to propose no later than 3:00 pm PT on April 25, 2025. The letter must be submitted via email to the RFP Coordinator.

B.6. COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

The complaint process is available to Consultants interested in this RFP. The complaint process allows Consultants to focus on the Solicitation requirements and evaluation process and raise issues with these processes early enough in the process to allow OSPI to correct a problem before proposals are submitted and time expended on evaluations.

A Consultant may submit a complaint based on any of the following:

• The Solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition;

• The Solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair or flawed; or

• The Solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a proposal.

Consultants may submit complaints up to five (5) business days prior to the proposal due date noted in the Estimated Schedule of Procurement Activities. However, Consultants are encouraged to submit complaints as soon as possible so OSPI can rectify the issue(s) early in the process.

Complaints must be submitted to the RFP Coordinator. To be considered a valid complaint, the complaint must meet the following requirements:

• Must be in writing.

• Should clearly articulate the basis for the complaint.

• Should include a proposed remedy.

Complaints not received by the deadline noted in the Estimated Schedule of Procurement

Activities will not be reviewed by OSPI. Failure by the Bidder to raise a complaint at this stage may waive its right for later consideration.

The OSPI Contracts Administrator or an employee delegated by the Contracts Administrator will review valid complaints and respond to the submitter in writing. OSPI will consider all complaints but is not required to adopt a complaint, in part or in full. OSPI’s response to the complaint is final https://www.k12.wa.us/about-ospi/contracting-ospi/competitive-procurements

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 22 of 75 and not subject to administrative appeal. The response, and any changes to the RFP, will be posted as an amendment to WEBS prior to the proposal due date. Any complaint addressed during the complaint process cannot be raised during the protest process.

B.7. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION/PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

Your entire response to this RFP is a public record and will be disclosed consistent with the Public

Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW. Bid submissions and evaluations are temporarily exempt from public disclosure until announcement of the ASB(s).

B.7.i. Confidential Documents

For the purposes of this RFP, do not include confidential or proprietary information unless specifically requested by OSPI.

If OSPI requests confidential or proprietary information, you must clearly print the word

“Confidential” on the lower right-hand corner of each page containing the confidential or proprietary information.

B.7.ii. Public Records Requests

If a public records request seeks your proposal and the proposal contains pages clearly marked “Confidential”, OSPI will take the following steps:

i. We will notify you. We will identify the requestor and the date that OSPI will disclose the requested records.

ii. We will give you an opportunity to seek a court order to stop OSPI from disclosing the records.

iii. We will not evaluate or defend your claim of confidentiality. We will not withhold or redact your documents without a court order.

If you have any questions, refer to the OSPI Public Records Office.

B.8. ADDENDUMS AND AMENDMENTS TO THE RFP

In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, an addendum or an amendment will be published on the OSPI website. For this purpose, the published Consultant questions and

Agency answers, and any other pertinent information, shall be considered an addendum to the

RFP. Additionally, all addenda referred to above will be released on WEBS under the commodity code(s) listed on the cover page of this RFP. Only consultants who have properly registered in

WEBS will receive automatic notification of amendments or other correspondence pertaining to this RFP. For those not registered in WEBS, it will be the responsibility of interested Consultants to check the website periodically for addenda and amendments to the RFP.

https://www.k12.wa.us/about-ospi/contact-us/ospi-public-records-request https://des.wa.gov/services/contracting-purchasing/doing-business-state/webs-registration-search-tips

RFP No. 2025-27 Page 23 of 75

B.9. SMALL BUSINESS, MINORITY & WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISES

(MWBE), AND VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS PARTICIPATION

In accordance with the legislative findings and policies set forth in chapter 39.19 RCW, the State of Washington encourages participation in all of its contracts by firms certified by the Office of

Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE). Participation may be either on a direct basis in response to this RFP or on a subcontractor basis. For more information on certification, contact the Washington Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises. However, no preference points will be included in the evaluation of proposals, no minimum level of MWBE participation shall be required as a condition for receiving an award, and proposals will not be rejected or considered non-responsive on that basis.

43.60A.200 encourages the participation of Veteran and Service Member…