RFP D27 031 Solicitation.pdf

HAWAII STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTS BRANCH

August 31, 2026

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP D27-031

SEALED PROPOSALS

TO

PROVIDE A ROBUST LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

FOR THE HAWAII STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

will be received through the State of Hawaii eProcurement System (HIePRO) at https://hiepro.ehawaii.gov until 4:30 p.m., Hawaii Standard Time (HST) on

OCTOBER 1, 2026,

or such later date as may be established by an addendum to this Request for Proposals (RFP)

Offerors interested in responding to this electronic solicitation must be registered on the HIePRO (https://hiepro.ehawaii.gov) in order to participate in this procurement. Registration is free. Once registered, Offerors can login to view and respond to the HIePRO solicitation.

Questions relating to this solicitation may be directed to Wendy Ebisui, Procurement and Contracts Support Specialist, at telephone (808) 675-0130, via facsimile (808) 675-0133, or via email at wendy.ebisui@k12.hi.us.

https://hiepro.ehawaii.gov/

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1. OVERVIEW OF PROCUREMENT PROCESS

1.1 Definitions and Acronyms

The following definitions apply to this solicitation.

a. Contract or Vendor List means the combination of the signed agreement, solicitation, including the scope of work, the special conditions, the general conditions, and any addenda to the solicitation; the offer and any best and final offer(s); and any amendments to the contract; and any terms implied by law.

b. CONTRACTOR means an individual, partnership, firm, organization, corporation, joint venture or other legal entity having a contract with the Hawaii State Department of Education and undertaking the execution of work under the terms of the contract and acting directly or through its agents, employees or sub-contractors.

c. Department or STATE means the Hawaii State Department of Education.

d. General Conditions means the General Conditions issued by the Department of the Attorney General of the State of Hawaii, referred to as Form AG-008, as revised, and included herein by reference. The applicable Form AG-008, as revised, included by reference, is the form in effect at the date the solicitation is issued.

e. HAR means Hawaii Administrative Rules.

f. HRS means Hawaii Revised Statutes.

g. Offer means a proposal submitted in response to this solicitation.

h. Offeror means any individual, partnership, firm, organization, corporation, joint venture, or other legal entity, submitting an offer in response to this solicitation.

i. Project means this RFP to develop a resulting Contract or Vendor List of the goods and/or services specified.

j. Proposal means the document submitted by an offeror in response to this solicitation.

k. RFP means Request for Proposals, the entire solicitation document, including all parts, sections, exhibits, attachments, and Addenda, whether attached or incorporated by reference.

l. STATE or Department means the Hawaii State Department of Education.

m. Vendor List or Contract means the combination of the signed agreement, solicitation, including the scope of work, the special conditions, the general conditions, and any addenda to the solicitation; the offer and any best and final offer(s); and any amendments to the contract; and any terms implied by law.

1.2 RFP Organization

This RFP is organized as follows:

Section 1. Overview of Procurement Process. Provides Offerors with a general overview of the RFP process.

Section 2. Purpose and Overview. Provides Offerors with general information about the objectives of this project and RFP, and critical success factors.

Section 3. Scope of Work and Requirements. Provides Offerors with a general description of the tasks to be performed, delineates Hawaii State Department of Education and CONTRACTOR’s responsibilities, stipulates Offeror qualifications, and defines deliverables.

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Section 4. Proposal. Describes the required format and content for the Offeror's submittal, and establishes requirements for the Price Proposal.

Section 5. Proposal Evaluation. Describes how proposals will be evaluated by the Hawaii State

Department of Education.

Appendix A. Offeror Identification and Information Form

Appendix B. Offeror Reference Form

Appendix C. Contract Minimum and Special Conditions

Appendix D. State of Hawaii’s General Conditions

1.3 Procurement Authority

This procurement is being conducted as a competitive sealed proposals procurement in accordance with the procedures set forth in §103D-303, HRS and Title 3, Subtitle 11, Chapter 122, Subchapter 6, HAR.

The relevant provisions of §103D, HRS, and their associated HAR, are incorporated by reference and made a part of this RFP.

1.4 Issuing Office and RFP Contact Person

The following person from the issuing office listed below is the sole point of contact for this RFP.

Communication with any other contact person from the date of release of this RFP until the selection of the successful Offeror(s) without approval, may result in disqualification.

RFP Point of Contact: Wendy Ebisui email: wendy.ebisui@k12.hi.us Phone: (808) 675-0130 Fax: (808) 675-0133

Issuing Office:

Hawaii State Department of Education Procurement and Contracts Branch Waipahu Civic Center 94-275 Mokuola Street, Room 200 Waipahu, Hawaii 96797

1.5 Procurement Timetable

Except as noted, the following schedule represents the STATE’s best estimate. All times indicated are Hawaii Standard Time (HST). If any component of this schedule is delayed, the rest of the schedule will likely be amended by the same number of days, however the STATE reserves the right to amend or revise the timetable without prior written notice when such revision or amendment is in the STATE’s best interest.

Activity Estimated Dates

Public Notice announcing Request for Proposals (RFP) August 31, 2026

Deadline for submission of written questions On or before 2:00 p.m., September 10, 2026

STATE’s responses to written questions on or about September 17, 2026

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Activity Estimated Dates Proposal Due Date/Time

Proposals will be received through the State of Hawaii eProcurement System (HIePRO) at https://hiepro.ehawaii.gov until 4:30 p.m., Hawaii Standard Time (HST)

THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS PROPOSAL DUE

DATE UNLESS THE DATE IS AMENDED IN WRITING BY THE

PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTS BRANCH.

4:30 p.m., October 1, 2026

Evaluation of Proposals October 2 through 14, 2026

Determination of Priority-Listed Offerors (if necessary) On or about October 15, 2026 Priority-listed Offerors discussions conducted and/or notified to schedule presentation to STATE (if necessary)

On or about October 16 through 30, 2026

Best and Final Offers (if necessary) TBD

Contractor(s) Selected On or about November 2026

Contract Award On or about January 2027

Contract Commencement Date/Notice to Proceed On or about February 2027

1.6 Cancellation of RFP; Rejection of Proposals

This RFP may be cancelled and any or all proposals may be rejected in whole or in part, when it is determined to be in the best interest of the STATE.

1.7 Electronic Procurement

1.7.1 The STATE utilizes the Hawaii State eProcurement (HIePRO) System to promote an open and transparent system for vendors to compete for contracts electronically. Offerors interested in responding to this solicitation must be registered on HIePRO. Registration information is available at the State Procurement Office (SPO) website: 44T https://hiepro.ehawaii.gov, select HIePRO Vendor Registration and then Vendor Registration Guide.

1.7.2 The STATE will use HIePRO to issue the RFP, receive Offers, and issue Addenda to the RFP. Addenda and the other information and materials shall be provided by the STATE through HIePRO, including additions or changes with respect to the dates specified herein. The STATE is not responsible for any delay or failure of any Offeror to receive any materials regarding this RFP on a timely basis.

1.7.3 As part of this procurement process, Offerors are informed that awards made for this solicitation, if any, shall be done through the HIePRO and shall, therefore, be subject to a mandatory .75% (.0075) transaction fee, not to exceed $5,000 for the total contract term, payable to Tyler Hawaii, the vendor administering HIePRO.

1.7.3.1 For resultant Price and/or Vendor Lists, the mandatory fee (.75%) is applicable for sales calculated on a quarterly basis, not to exceed $5,000, for the first year only. This transaction fee shall be based on the total sales made against this contract, payable to Tyler Hawaii, the vendor administering HIePRO.

1.7.4 HIePRO Special Instructions. Offeror shall review all special instructions located in HIePRO. Offerors are responsible for ensuring that all necessary files are attached to their offer prior to the proposal deadline.

https://hiepro.ehawaii.gov/welcome.html https://hiepro.ehawaii.gov/welcome.html https://hiepro.ehawaii.gov/welcome.html

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1.7.5 Payment to Tyler Hawaii. HlePRO is administered by Tyler Hawaii. Tyler Hawaii shall invoice the Contractor(s) directly for payment of transaction fees. Payment must be made to Tyler Hawaii within thirty (30) days from receipt of invoice. Tyler Hawaii is an intended third-party beneficiary of transaction fees, which are used to fund the operation, maintenance and future enhancements of the HlePRO system.

Offerors are advised that they should not wait until the last minute to submit their proposal on HIePRO. Offerors should allow ample time to review their submitted proposal, including attachments, prior to the proposal deadline.

1.8 Required Review and/or Written Questions

It is the Offeror’s responsibility to carefully review this solicitation for defects and questionable or objectionable matter. Solicitation documents include this RFP, any attachments, plans referred to herein, and any other relevant documentation.

Comments concerning defects, discrepancies, omissions, questionable or objectionable matter, or questions related to this RFP must be made in writing to allow issuance of any necessary amendments to the RFP. It will also help prevent exposure of Offeror's proposal prepared in response to a defective or inaccurate solicitation upon which award could not be made.

Comments related to this solicitation shall be communicated in writing to the RFP Contact Person identified via fax or e-mail by the date and time established for submission of written questions to ensure an official response. The STATE will not respond to verbal or informal questions.

Such comments shall contain pertinent information to identify the prospective Offeror, its telephone number, e-mail address, the RFP number, as well as reference to the specific page, section, and/or paragraph as applicable.

The response(s) to the prospective Offerors’ written questions received by the scheduled date shall be compiled, shall omit reference to the source(s) of the questions, shall be issued as an addendum to the RFP, and shall become a part of the RFP. The STATE will publish the questions as they are submitted including any background information provided with the question. The STATE at its sole discretion may omit questions which may be combined or may paraphrase questions and background content for clarity.

The STATE’s responses shall be communicated in writing via addenda and will be posted on the HIePRO. The STATE is not responsible for delays or non-receipt of any communications by the prospective Offerors.

If an Offeror submits a question after the scheduled date, the STATE may answer the question but does not guarantee that the answer will be provided prior to the Proposal due date.

1.9 RFP Addenda

The STATE reserves the right to amend this RFP at any time prior to the closing date, or prior to the due date for best and final offers. All addenda issued shall be incorporated into the resulting contract. Failure of any Offeror’s receipt of any such addenda or interpretations shall not relieve the Offeror of any obligation under this solicitation. It is the responsibility of the prospective Offeror to monitor the HIePRO to obtain RFP addenda or other information relating to the RFP.

1.10 Notice of Intent to Offer (Letter of Intent)

A notice of intent to submit a Proposal is NOT required.

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1.11 Deadline for Proposals

Proposals shall be received through HIePRO. Proposals received after the deadline will not be accepted.

Timely receipt of offers shall be evidenced by the date and time on HIePRO.

1.12 Proposal Opening

Proposals shall not be opened publicly, but the register of proposals and Offerors’ proposals shall be open to public inspection upon posting of the award.

1.13 Disqualification of Proposals

The STATE reserves the right to consider as acceptable only those proposals submitted in compliance with all the requirements set forth in this RFP and which demonstrate an understanding of the issues involved and the scope of work.

An Offeror shall be disqualified, and the Offeror’s Proposal shall be rejected for any one or more of the following non-exclusive reasons as solely determined by the STATE:

1.13.1 Proposal received after specified deadline.

1.13.2 Proposals not received on HIePRO.

1.13.3 Proposal not properly completed as required herein or containing any unauthorized additions or deletions, defects including but not limited to irregularities of any kind which may make the Proposal incomplete, indefinite, or ambiguous as to its meaning (e.g. un-initialed erasures, prices which are obviously unbalanced).

1.13.4 A Proposal which is incomplete or conditional Proposals including but not limited to a

Proposal which includes any other set of terms and conditions, or any terms or conditions contradictory to those included in this RFP.

1.13.5 A Proposal signed by other than an authorized individual.

1.13.6 More than one Proposal from an Offeror, under the same or different names, whereby all

Proposals from the Offeror shall be rejected.

1.13.6.1 Legally distinct Offerors such as subsidiaries or jointly-owned companies may submit Proposals and these Proposals may be accepted for evaluation and award if such Offerors submit with their Proposal a certificate of non-collusion which affirms that the Proposal is made freely and without collusion with another Offeror.

1.13.6.1.1. Legally distinct Offerors such as subsidiaries or jointly-owned companies shall submit business registration information indicating that the entities were not created after the RFP was released.

1.13.7 Evidence to the STATE’s sole satisfaction of collusion among Offerors, lack of responsibility and cooperation to STATE requests during the RFP process or as shown by past work, being in arrears on existing contracts with the State of Hawaii, or defaulting on previous contract(s).

1.13.8 Failure to possess proper licenses, facilities, equipment or sufficient experience to provide the proposed solution or to perform the work contemplated.

1.13.9 Evidence of any noncompliance with any applicable law or rule.

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1.14 Proposal Evaluation

The STATE will conduct a comprehensive, fair, and impartial evaluation of the proposals it receives in response to this RFP. Refer to Section 5 of this RFP for specific requirements and details of the process.

1.15 Proposal as Part of the Contract

This RFP and part or all of the successful proposal may be incorporated into the contract.

1.16 Additional Terms and Conditions

The STATE reserves the right to add terms and conditions, if any. These terms and conditions will be within the scope of the RFP and will not affect the proposal evaluations.

1.17 Offer Acceptance Period

The STATE's acceptance of a proposal, if any, will typically be made within ninety (90) calendar days after the opening of proposals. Prices quoted by the Offeror shall therefore remain firm for ninety (90) calendar days from the receipt of proposals.

1.18 Contract; Contract and Performance Period

The CONTRACTOR receiving the award shall be required to enter into a formal written contract. Upon execution of contract, the STATE will issue a notice to proceed and a fully executed copy of the contract to the CONTRACTOR. No work will be undertaken by the CONTRACTOR prior to the commencement date specified on the contract as the STATE is not liable for any work, contract costs, expenses, loss of profits, or any damages whatsoever incurred by the CONTRACTOR prior to official starting date.

1.18.1 Contract Term

The Contract shall commence upon full execution of the Contract by the Superintendent of the Hawaii State Department of Education and shall end on June 30, 2030.

If applicable, CONTRACTOR shall commence migration activities upon full execution of the Contract. CONTRACTOR shall be compensated for the migration activities in accordance with the terms of the Contract. CONTRACTOR’s full performance of the services under the Contract shall commence on July 1, 2027.

1.18.2 Contract Renewal

The Contract may be extended for not more than two (2) additional twelve-month periods, i) upon mutual written agreement of the parties, ii) prior to expiration and iii) under the same terms and conditions of the original agreement or as negotiated between the STATE and the CONTRACTOR. Contract extension(s) shall be contingent upon i) the need for continued services and ii) funding availability beyond the current fiscal year. As each option(s) to extend is mutually agreed upon, the CONTRACTOR shall be required to execute a supplement to the Contract for each additional period.

1.18.3 Performance Period

The CONTRACTOR shall complete the work within the time limits specified herein. The time specified herein is the maximum time allowed.

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1.19 Multi-Term Contract

Funds are available for only the initial fiscal period of the contract. Contractual obligation of both parties in each fiscal period succeeding the first is subject to the appropriation and availability of funds. Unit price shall be given for each good or service and that unit prices shall be the same throughout the contract except to the extent price adjustment is allowed. A multi-term contract will be cancelled if funds are not appropriated or otherwise made available to support continuation of performance in any fiscal period succeeding the initial fiscal period of the contract and contractor will be reimbursed the unamortized reasonably incurred, nonrecurring costs; however, this does not affect either party’s rights under any termination clause of the contract. The State will notify the contractor on a timely basis that the funds are, or are not, available for the continuation of the contract for each succeeding fiscal period.

1.20 Contract Award

Award, if any, shall be made to the responsible Offeror with the highest number of points and whose proposal the STATE deems most advantageous in accordance with the evaluation criteria specified.

1.21 Responsibility of Offerors; Hawaii Compliance Express

The Offeror is advised that if awarded under this RFP, Offeror shall, upon award, furnish proof of compliance with the requirements of HRS §103D-310 and HAR § 3-122-112 including:

• Chapter 237, General Excise Tax Law;

• Chapter 383, Hawaii Employment Security Law;

• Chapter 386, Workers’ Compensation Law;

• Chapter 392, Temporary Disability Insurance;

• Chapter 393, Prepaid Health Care Act; and

● One of the following:

1. That Offeror is registered and incorporated or organized under the laws of the State of

Hawaii (hereinafter referred to as a “Hawaii business”); or

2. That Offeror is registered to do business in the State of Hawaii (hereinafter referred to as a “compliant non-Hawaii business”).

Offeror may demonstrate proof of compliance with the above-referenced requirements by submitting a Certificate of Vendor Compliance issued by the Hawaii Compliance Express (HCE) online system to the Hawaii State Department of Education, Procurement and Contracts Branch upon award. The HCE service allows vendors to register online through a simple wizard interface at http://vendors.ehawaii.gov.

The Certificate of Vendor Compliance provides current compliance status as of the issuance date, satisfies requirements of Chapter 103D-310(c), HRS, and is therefore acceptable for contracting purposes. CONTRACTORs that elect to use HCE services are required to pay an estimated annual registration fee of $12.00.

Due to the time required to obtain the HCE Certificate of Vendor Compliance, it is highly recommended that the interested Offeror begin the registration process immediately.

1.22 Failure to Execute Contract; Timely Submission of Certificates

At time of award, the above Certificate of Vendor Compliance and any other documentation and certification shall be submitted to the Hawaii State Department of Education, Procurement and Contracts Branch as soon as possible or by the deadline established by STATE. If a valid certificate or compliant documentation is not submitted on a timely basis for award, award made to an Offeror otherwise responsible may be annulled.

Failure to execute a contract as required within ten (10) calendar days or such further time as the STATE may allow after the Awardee has received the contract for execution shall be just cause for the annulment

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of the award. STATE may award the contract to the next responsible Offeror or may call for other offers, whichever is deemed to be in the best interest of the STATE.

1.23 Notification of Award; Non-selected Offeror(s)

Upon award to the successful Offeror(s), the STATE shall post publicly, a notice of award on the HIePRO and which may be viewed on the Hawaii Awards and Notices Data System (HANDS) website at https://hands.ehawaii.gov/hands/awards. Additionally, the STATE will provide notification of the award to any non-selected Offeror(s). The STATE is not responsible for delays or non-receipt of such notification.

Failure of any Offeror to receive any such notification shall not relieve the Offeror of any obligations or requirements herein.

1.24 Debriefing

The purpose of a debriefing is to inform the non-selected Offeror(s) of the basis for the source selection decision and award. An Offeror(s) not selected for award shall submit a written request for a debriefing within three (3) working days after the posting of the award. The debriefing shall be held, to the maximum extent possible, within seven (7) working days after the posting of the award.

1.25 Protest

Pursuant to §103D-701, HRS and §3-126, HAR, a protest of the solicitation must be submitted prior to the date set for receipt of offers, and a protest of an award or proposed award shall be submitted within five

(5) working days after the posting of award or within five (5) working days following a debriefing. The award(s), if any, resulting from this solicitation shall be posted on the HIePRO and shall be posted on the Hawaii Awards and Notices Data System (HANDS) website at https://hands.ehawaii.gov/hands/awards.

Any protest pursuant to §103D-701, HRS and §3-126, HAR shall be submitted in writing to the Hawaii State Department of Education’s, Chief Procurement Officer, c/o Procurement and Contracts Branch at the Waipahu Civic Center, 94-275 Mokuola Street, Room 200, Waipahu, Hawaii 96797.

https://hands.ehawaii.gov/hands/awards

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2. RFP PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW

2.1 Purpose and Introduction

The Hawaii State Department of Education (STATE) seeks a robust Learning Management System (LMS) designed for the K through 12 environment that includes learner tools and support tools that enable the delivery of online and blended learning. The LMS must fully conform with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1 and 2.2, Level AA, and offer core features related to course development, student engagement, and integrated video platform capabilities. The LMS must also provide advanced administration tools, alongside secure, role-permissioned generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) features designed to enhance teacher workflows and differentiate student learning. The LMS must seamlessly interface with the STATE’s multiple student and personnel information systems including, but not limited to:

A. Student Information System (SIS), Infinite Campus;

B. Professional development registration system, Learnsoft;

C. Teacher Single Sign On (SSO), Microsoft Azure Active Directory;

D. Student Google (GSuite) and Clever Sign on; and E. Program specific SIS like Genius.

The STATE seeks a turnkey, remotely hosted Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, with the CONTRACTOR providing and maintaining all hardware, software, and networking components to meet requirements. The solution must include not only the hosting and delivery of online courses, but also the associated technical support, system maintenance, and ongoing operational services required to support the hosted environment.

2.2 Business Goals and Objectives

A. Provide a robust K through 12 LMS that functions seamlessly in a variety of classroom environments including traditional, blended, and fully online;

B. Provide a comprehensive digital infrastructure for the State Distance Learning Program to deliver an accessible, engaging, and flexible virtual learning environment;

C. Provide students with equitable access to courses that are either unavailable at their local schools or necessary for graduation through the supplementary Hawaii Online Courses (HOC) program;

D. Provide online and blended professional development courses and training for certificated and certified STATE personnel;

E. Provide a cohesive, efficient, and flexible online and blended professional development delivery method for state and complex-level training deployment;

F. Obtain a cloud-based system that meets the business requirements detailed in Section 3.1, Scope of Work, to support the continuation and expansion of the Hawaii Virtual Learning Network;

G. Provide sophisticated levels of service and delivery of course content, knowledge measure, feedback, and reporting to the students, teachers, and administration of the STATE; and

H. Receive ongoing, high-quality technical and design support at the student, teacher, and administrative levels to ensure successful system implementation.

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3. SCOPE OF WORK; PROJECT AND OFFEROR REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Scope of Work

3.1.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

3.1.1.1 All electronic information technology developed or provided under this Contract or procurement shall comply with the applicable requirements of the Hawaii Electronic Information Technology Disability Access Standards (Access Standards). The Access Standards can be found on the State of Hawaii, Office of Enterprise Technology Services website at http://ets.hawaii.gov.

3.1.1.2 All materials, and supplies furnished for this Contract shall be new and currently in production, in perfect condition, designed specifically for its intended function, and shall have warranties applicable to new products. It shall be free from defects that may render it unfit to use.

3.1.1.3 CONTRACTOR shall be responsible for the delivery of service levels up to the boundary of the

Hawaii State Department of Education’s Internet Service Provider (ISP).

3.1.1.4 System Availability

3.1.1.4.1 CONTRACTOR shall provide a Monthly Uptime Percentage of no less than 99.9 percent calculated over each calendar month. The maximum planned 'maintenance window' shall not exceed twenty-four (24) hours per Contract year and shall not be included in the uptime percentage.

3.1.1.4.2 Planned maintenance shall be communicated to the designated STATE personnel at least two (2) business days prior to the planned period. CONTRACTOR shall agree that planned maintenance will not occur between 7:00 a.m. and 11:55 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (HST), or last to such an extent that daily usage is impaired.

3.1.1.4.3 CONTRACTOR shall provide detailed updates to the designated STATE personnel during planned and unplanned maintenance and outages as to the nature of and progress on the work being performed. Unplanned or unannounced maintenance shall be deducted from the System Availability uptime percentage.

3.1.1.5 Hosting

CONTRACTOR shall provide a remotely hosted Software as a Service (SaaS) and associated technical support and maintenance which includes, but is not limited to:

3.1.1.5.1 Provide automated provisioning under heavy load, data redundancy fault-tolerant, stable, clustered, scalable, and load-balanced application and database hosting within the United States.

3.1.1.5.2 Utilization of a Tier 1 ISP.

3.1.1.5.3 Ability to expand access from 5,000 active users to 150,000 active users. This capacity shall accommodate the respective amount of active courses.

3.1.1.5.4 Manage and maintain all hardware used to host this service in a proactive manner.

3.1.1.5.5 Regularly perform active monitoring of system activity for hardware failures, software failures, abnormal events, exceeded utilization, and performance thresholds.

3.1.1.5.6 Manage, tune, upgrade, or add virtual and/or physical servers to ensure continual and efficient service.

3.1.1.5.7 Maintain an application layer Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of no more than four (4) hours and a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of no more than twenty-four (24) hours for any tier-1 environment outage or application layer service disruption.

3.1.1.5.8 Notify designated STATE personnel of all environment or application layer service disruptions within one (1) hour of initial incident detection.

3.1.1.5.9 Notify designated STATE personnel of any planned system or infrastructure improvements that may require a disruption of service.

https://ets.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Hawaii-Electronic-Information-Technology-Disability-Access-Standards.pdf https://ets.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Hawaii-Electronic-Information-Technology-Disability-Access-Standards.pdf http://ets.hawaii.gov/

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3.1.1.5.10 Provide STATE with the latest backups, and data necessary for the STATE to continue the service at a STATE site at any time at no additional cost.

3.1.1.6 Testing and Staging Instances

CONTRACTOR shall provide the following access requirements which includes, but is not limited to:

3.1.1.6.1 A “test” instance for piloting and testing new features and third-party integrations.

3.1.1.6.2 A “staging” instance for testing integrations, conducting training, and content development.

3.1.1.6.3 Access shall be separate from the production environment but shall include the same features, abilities, and data security protection.

3.1.2 SYSTEM FEATURE REQUIREMENTS

CONTRACTOR’s system shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

3.1.2.1 Administration Tools

3.1.2.1.1 Enable administrators to manage user access and account information, which includes, but is not limited to, managing registrations and profiles and defining roles.

3.1.2.1.2 Ability to create user accounts of different roles and privileges, which may include, but is not limited to, student, teacher, observer, parent, guest, and administrator. Enroll applicable accounts into the appropriate courses.

3.1.2.1.3 Ability to run a variety of course and system level reports, which may include, but is not limited to, how frequently students are logging in, how long they are spending on specific tasks, course rosters, alignment to identified standards and targeted goals, and student progress information.

3.1.2.1.4 Advanced reporting features, which may include, but is not limited to, a variety of filters and exporting capabilities, in a range of formats, including, but not limited to, portable document format (PDF) or comma-separated values (CSV); automated report generation on a recurring basis; and pre-built reporting templates and/or the ability to customize reporting fields.

3.1.2.1.5 Ability to create course shells and manage the content for the course shells.

3.1.2.1.6 Ability to simultaneously and seamlessly enroll and unenroll students and teacher users and course enrollments in multiple registration systems including, but not limited to, HOC SIS (currently Genius), Infinite Campus, and Learnsoft.

3.1.2.2 Curriculum and Courseware

3.1.2.2.1 Provide a customizable content library that allows ease in sharing content for differentiation of instruction.

3.1.2.2.2 Courseware features shall be standards-based and comply with the most recent versions of 1EdTech standards, including Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) Advantage (v1.3), OneRoster (v1.2), CASE (Competencies and Academic Standards Exchange), Caliper Analytics, and QTI (Question and Test Interoperability).

3.1.2.2.3 Support the native importation, structural parsing, and modular mapping of 1EdTech Common Cartridge (v1.2 and v1.3) and Thin Common Cartridge formats to accommodate turnkey enterprise curriculum providers, which may include, but is not limited to, FlexPoint.

3.1.2.2.4 The system must natively support the ingestion, execution, tracking, and grade-passback of Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) 1.2 and SCORM 2004 content packages without requiring external third-party software wrappers or secondary player platforms.

3.1.2.2.5 Clear specification of how importation and/or creation and delivery of instructional content, courses and programs shall be provided.

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3.1.2.2.6 Clear specification of how duplication and revision of instructional content shall be supported.

3.1.2.2.7 Provide access to supporting tools, which may include, but is not limited to dictionaries, calculators, and encyclopedias.

3.1.2.2.8 Translation ability for English Language Learners and/or English Speakers of Other Languages students.

3.1.2.2.9 Provide text to speech language capabilities.

3.1.2.2.10 Courseware that will interoperate with student information systems and other

Department systems and provide single sign-on capabilities. These include:

A. Infinite Campus B. Learnsoft C. Azure Active Directory D. Clever E. Genius F. Google (GSuite) G. Others as determined by the STATE

3.1.2.3 Assessment Capabilities

3.1.2.3.1 An assessment feature that enables authoring within the product and includes assessments as part of each course.

3.1.2.3.2 Ability to import current assessment item pools and provide any conversion tools necessary for this.

3.1.2.3.3 Replicates activities that occur in the classroom including creating and/or submitting assignments, tests, exams, and surveys including, but not limited to:

A. Categorization B. Essay C. Fill in the Blank D. Fill in Multiple Blanks E. File Upload F. Formula G. Multiple Answer H. Multiple Choice I. Multiple Dropdown J. Matching K. Numeric L. Stimulus and/or Passage M. Text (No Question) N. True or False O. Ordering P. Hot Spot

3.1.2.3.4 Provides traditional and competency and/or standards-based grade book options.

3.1.2.3.5 Offers auto-grading on non-constructed student assignments with the ability to integrate auto-generated feedback to the learner.

3.1.2.3.6 Ability to provide audio and video feedback on assessments.

3.1.2.3.7 Ability to track and display a student progress bar within courses.

3.1.2.3.8 Ability to integrate a gamification concept, and micro-credentialing systems that can issue custom and commercial badges and certificates based on course level criteria.

3.1.2.3.9 Tools to take action on student analytics. Example: students not passing a particular assignment can be quickly grouped into an internal email, from the teacher, to those particular students.

3.1.2.3.10 Any built-in AI toolset provided by the CONTRACTOR must include Guardrails for K through 12 data privacy.

3.1.2.3.11 AI features must function under a 'Human-in-the-Loop' model where teachers review and approve AI-generated feedback, grading suggestions, or lesson adjustments before publishing to students.

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3.1.2.3.12 The system must allow administrators to globally toggle AI features on or off by user role. Example: available to teachers but restricted for students.

3.1.2.3.13 AI shall not use STATE data to train a larger model.

3.1.2.3.14 All content generated by AI must remain property of the STATE.

3.1.2.4 Course Tools and Features

3.1.2.4.1 Modern, intuitive, and consistent interface with minimal number of clicks.

3.1.2.4.2 Flexibility to organize course content into units, modules, lessons, or individual content items within a unit or module. Individual content items might consist of text, graphics, multimedia, animation, and interactive tools.

3.1.2.4.3 Automated processes to copy and reuse content across multiple courses.

3.1.2.4.4 Ability for teachers to post announcements.

3.1.2.4.5 Threaded discussion boards for asynchronous discussions and sharing.

3.1.2.4.6 Assessment system to allow for online quizzes and exams.

3.1.2.4.7 Ability to submit assignments including attachments.

3.1.2.4.8 Support deep integration with Google Workspace for Education via Google

Assignments LTI 1.3, enabling native file template distribution, single sign-on file submittal, cloud-based grading workflows, and Google originality reports directly within the LMS grading interface.

3.1.2.4.9 Online grade book.

3.1.2.4.10 Provide an internal messaging system and an external notification delivery system.

The external system must fully support and comply with enterprise email authentication protocols—including Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC)—to ensure secure delivery to '@k12.hi.us' and external recipient domains without triggering spam filters.

3.1.2.4.11 Voice and video tools with archive functionality that enable instructors the ability to create learning items for increasing student engagement and to provide instructor feedback.

3.1.2.4.12 Functionality to support group and project work.

3.1.2.4.13 Functionality to enforce strict automated learning paths through modular design, including, but not limited to, sequential locks, prerequisite requirements, and conditional release criteria to support asynchronous distance education.

3.1.2.4.14 Ability to identify and correct accessibility issues to ensure adherence to WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

3.1.2.4.15 Any built-in AI toolset provided by the CONTRACTOR must include Guardrails for K through 12 data privacy.

3.1.2.4.16 AI features must function under a 'Human-in-the-Loop' model where teachers review and approve AI-generated feedback, grading suggestions, or lesson adjustments before publishing to students.

3.1.2.4.17 The system must allow administrators to globally toggle AI features on or off by user role. Example: available to teachers but restricted for students.

3.1.2.5 Notification Features

3.1.2.5.1 Notification alerts relevant to the varying role groups regarding upcoming assignment due dates including, but not limited to, past due assignments and assignment submissions.

3.1.2.5.2 The notification alerts shall support multiple delivery methods including, but not limited to, email, a dashboard, and text messaging.

3.1.2.6 Video Conferencing

3.1.2.6.1 The system must seamlessly integrate via standard LTI protocols and/or native

Representational State Transfer (REST) web APIs with enterprise video conferencing platforms, including but not limited to Cisco Webex and Google Meet. The integration

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must support all native features and synchronous capabilities associated with these tools directly within the LMS interface, including, but not limited to:

3.1.2.6.1.1 Synchronous Audio and Video: Integrated presentation tools for live, real-time engagement.

3.1.2.6.1.2 Collaboration Spaces: Native breakout room capabilities for small group collaboration.

3.1.2.6.1.3 Engagement Tools: Interactive features including, but not limited to, live polling, chat, questions and answers, and digital whiteboarding.

3.1.2.6.1.4 Session Management: Cloud recording, automated archiving, and streamlined publishing of sessions back to the course environment.

3.1.2.6.1.5 Accessibility and Compliance: Built-in automated and/or live closed captioning capabilities.

3.1.2.6.1.6 Analytics and Reporting: Comprehensive attendance tracking, engagement metrics, and administrative reporting.

3.1.2.6.1.7 Session Security: Controls for admittance to a room, ability to expel or mute users, capabilities to lock meeting sessions to certain users or require a password.

3.1.2.7 Parent and/or Observer Features

3.1.2.7.1 Parent access to identified student and/or multiple students to view assignment status, grade book information, and notifications. This access should not be counted in the user license-pricing schema.

3.1.2.7.2 Instructor communication directly with assigned parent and/or observer roles for easy status updates and notification regarding student course progress and concerns.

3.1.2.8 Mobile Learning Tools and Features

3.1.2.8.1 LMS mobile app(s) for accessing content and collaboration for students and instructors.

3.1.2.8.2 Access for both Android and iOS platforms.

3.1.2.8.3 Support for learning on-the-go and the use of any device to access courses and information with responsive design.

3.1.2.8.4 Support for instructors with the ability to use tablets, mobile phones, and any other internet-ready device to upload content and communicate with other collaborators and learners.

3.1.2.8.5 Use of responsive design to intuitively adjust content display based on the user’s device display.

3.1.3 PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES AND TRAINING

3.1.3.1 Dedicated Client Liaison

CONTRACTOR shall provide a dedicated Client Liaison that provides the following:

3.1.3.1.1 Response to phone calls within twenty-four (24) hours. This level of response shall be kept up twenty-four (24) hours per day, three hundred sixty-five (365) days per year.

3.1.3.1.2 Participate in regular online meetings with designated STATE personnel as needed.

3.1.3.1.3 Focuses on the status of all STATE LMS needs and issues pertaining to the STATE, and participate in planning and assessment with STATE designees.

3.1.3.2 Professional Development Services

3.1.3.2.1 CONTRACTOR shall provide professional development services in the use, administration, implementation, organization, features, and tools of the LMS.

RFP D27-031 15

3.1.3.2.2 System Administration Support: The CONTRACTOR shall provide a dedicated remote LMS system administrator and help desk service. The system administrator must be located within the United States.

3.1.3.2.2.1 This system administrator will maintain the LMS, troubleshoot and resolve technical issues, and manage LTI integrations, application plug-ins, core platform upgrades, and extensions.

3.1.3.2.2.2 This system administrator will work with the various registration systems to ensure efficient and effective flow of data.

3.1.3.2.2.3 This system administrator will also function as the STATE help desk for participants enrolled and teaching courses using the LMS.

3.1.3.2.2.4 This system administrator will work with the STATE administrators to configure the system to meet the goals and needs of the STATE programs.

3.1.3.3 Migration of Existing Courses into the LMS (as needed)

CONTRACTOR shall facilitate and migrate all courses and content from the current LMS, Canvas.

Within one (1) month from contract execution, CONTRACTOR shall submit a course migration plan to STATE personnel that describes the process of how courses will be migrated which includes, but is not limited to:

A. Integration of conversion functionalities to convert all applicable content to web and mobile compatible formats and enable content to be reused as many times and in as many ways without losing features and/or meaning;

B. Ability to migrate existing courses from the current LMS into the new LMS;

C. High quality technical support for the migration; and D. Migration of all of the existing STATE courses.

3.1.4 SECURITY AND DATA MANAGEMENT

“Protected information” shall be defined as data that has been designated as private or confidential by law or by the STATE. Protected information includes, but not limited to, employment records, medical records, student records, education records, personal financial records (or other personally identifiable information), research data, trade secrets, and classified government information. Protected information shall not include public records that by law must be made available to the general public. To the extent there is any uncertainty as to whether any data constitutes protected information, the data in question shall be treated as protected information until a determination is made by the STATE or proper legal authority.

CONTRACTOR shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws, and regulations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

3.1.4.1 CONTRACTOR shall provide the following security requirements, which include, but are not limited to:

3.1.4.1.1 Allow STATE to establish login IDs and passwords for users of the hosting service and

CONTRACTOR shall be responsible for validation of login IDs and passwords provided by STATE.

3.1.4.1.2 Any local accounts that are generated must be able to enforce multifactor authentication via the following methods including, but not limited to, Short Message Service (SMS), Phone Call, and Mobile App.

3.1.4.1.3 All privileged accounts must strictly enforce the aforementioned multifactor authentication.

3.1.4.1.4 Ability to support geographical or Internet Protocol (IP) based restrictions as deemed necessary.

3.1.4.1.5 Ability to assign role based access controls (RBAC).

3.1.4.1.6 Ability to assign granular visibility to a subset of students or data.

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3.1.4.1.7 Ability to create custom admin roles.

3.1.4.1.8 Capabilities to suspend and delete accounts manually or dynamically based on a set of criteria for lifecycling.

3.1.4.1.9 Maintain system logs for a minimum of one (1) year.

3.1.4.1.10 Ability to support user provisioning and authentication via identity providers that includes, but is not limited to, Microsoft Entra, Google (GSuite), and Clever.

3.1.4.1.11 Agree at all times to maintain network security that, at a minimum, includes: network firewalls, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Access Controls, intrusion detection and/or prevention, security logging, and conduct periodic third-party penetration testing.

3.1.4.1.12 Security must conform to current National Institute of Standards and Technology, ISO 27001, or a comparable recognized standard.

3.1.4.2 Data Security

3.1.4.2.1 CONTRACTOR shall agree to protect and maintain the security of data with protection security measures that include maintaining secure environments that are patched and up-to-date with all appropriate security updates as designated by a relevant authority, which includes, but is not limited to, Canonical Landscape and Microsoft notifications.

Critical security patches and zero-day patches must be applied within fourteen (14) days of their release.

3.1.4.2.2 CONTRACTOR shall agree to conform to the following measures to protect and secure data, which includes but is not limited to:

3.1.4.2.2.1 Data Transmission

3.1.4.2.2.1.1 All transmission or exchange of system application data with STATE and/or any other parties shall take place via secure means, including Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), File Transfer Protocol Secure (FTPS), Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) or equivalent.

3.1.4.2.2.1.2 All data must be encrypted in transit (HTTPS, SFTP) and at rest utilizing AES-256 bit encryption or higher for all primary databases, storage buckets, and offline backups.

3.1.4.2.2.2 Data Storage and Backup

All STATE data shall be stored, processed, and maintained solely on designated servers. No STATE data, at any time, will be processed on or transferred to any portable or laptop computing device or any portable storage medium, unless that storage medium is in use as part of CONTRACTOR’s designated backup and recovery processes. All servers, storage, backups, and network paths utilized in the delivery of the service shall be contained within the continental United States or Hawaii.

All STATE backup data stored as part of CONTRACTOR’s backup and recovery processes shall be stored in encrypted form at rest, utilizing AES- 256 bit encryption or higher, aligning with primary database standards.

3.1.4.2.2.3 Data Re-Use

3.1.4.2.2.3.1 All data exchanged shall be used expressly and solely for the purposes enumerated in this Contract. Data shall not be distributed, repurposed or shared across other applications, environments, or business units of the CONTRACTOR. As required by federal law, no STATE data of any kind shall be revealed, transmitted, RFP D27-031 17 exchanged or otherwise passed to other vendors or interested parties except on a case-by-case basis as specifically agreed to in writing by a Hawaii State Department of Education administrator with designated data, security, or signature authority.

3.1.4.2.2.3.2 CONTRACTOR shall implement appropriate measures designed to ensure the confidentiality and security of protected information, protect against any anticipated hazards or threats to the integrity or security of such information, protect against unauthorized access or disclosure of information, and prevent any other action that could result in substantial harm to the STATE or an individual identified with the data or information in the CONTRACTOR’s custody. If third party providers are utilized in the CONTRACTOR’s operation that will have access to STATE data, the third party providers shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws, and regulations including FERPA and HIPAA.

3.1.4.2.2.3.3 CONTRACTOR shall provide a Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificate (supporting TLS 1.3 with backward compatibility to a minimum of TLS 1.2) for the encryption of user logins with public and private session keys, and all sensitive data shall be encrypted when stored and transferred via network traffic.

3.1.4.2.2.3.4 CONTRACTOR shall not directly or indirectly use STATE data or Customer Content to train, develop, fine-tune, or improve any AI models or algorithms without express written consent from the

STATE.

3.1.4.2.2.4 Data Breach

3.1.4.2.2.4.1 CONTRACTOR shall comply with all applicable laws that require the notification of individuals in the event of unauthorized release of personally identifiable information or other event requiring…