RFQ-Principal Recruitment Evaluation 0603.pdf

ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

REQUEST FOR QUOTE

Please contact Ally Bradley at abradley@isbe.net or 217-782-3096 if you have questions.

Fax number is 217-557-5839

Request for Quote Specifications:

The Principal Recruitment Program is an initiative of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to recruit a diverse pool of candidates to enroll in principal preparation programs. The Board at its April 2024 meeting authorized the state superintendent to release a Request for Proposal (RFP) to eligible entities to apply for a three-year continuation grant. The Principal Recruitment Program RFP grant application window opened on April 30, 2024, and closed on May 30, 2024. It is anticipated that grant applications for the RFP will be awarded in July. ISBE is seeking a vendor to provide:

1. An evaluation and summative report of the Principal Recruitment Program from July 1, 2024, through January 1, 2026. The evaluation and report will be due on January 15, 2026. It will include overall findings for the entire program as well as findings specific to each awarded entity’s program, and address the following:

• A collection of evidence from the awarded entities that demonstrates progress toward completion of the following grant deliverables outlined in the fiscal year 2025 Principal Recruitment Program RFP application:

o Deliverable 1: Establishing a partnership with an approved principal preparation program.

o Deliverable 2: Recruiting and enrolling a diverse pool of committed candidates into principal preparation programs.

o Deliverable 3: Supporting and serving candidates through completion of their principal preparation programs.

o Deliverable 4: Placing candidates into principal or assistant principal positions, especially in underperforming and hard-to-staff schools.

o Deliverable 5: Establishing partnerships with one or more school districts/hiring bodies.

o Deliverable 6: Providing ISBE with interim and summative reporting on topics to include recruitment practices, candidate enrollment numbers, candidate demographic information, updates on events/supports/services provided to principal preparation candidates, percentages of and absolute numbers of candidates who completed principal preparation programs, and number of job placements and locations.

o Deliverable 7: Participating in a continuous improvement process.

o Deliverable 8: Engaging fully in an end-of-the-year program evaluation.

• An analysis of the extent to which awarded entities of the Principal Recruitment Program implemented their respective proposals outlined in the Program-Specific portion of the Principal Recruitment Program RFP within the timeframe covered by the Request for Quote.

Each awarded entity’s RFP application will be provided to the vendor by ISBE.

• Participant survey results based on the following program objectives:

Objective 1: Strong match between candidates and the principal preparation programs in which that are enrolled, as evaluated based upon:

o The recruitment strategies the program implemented, o The procedures the program undertook to match candidates with a principal preparation program, and o The assistance provided to the candidate to enroll into a principal preparation program.

Objective 2: Quality internship supports to prepare candidates for principal roles, with quality defined based upon the level of:

mailto:abradley@isbe.net o Program assistance to provide field experiences for the candidates, o Development of a network of support comprised of current and past candidates, o Notification of job opportunities upon completion of a principal preparation program, and o Plan to assist candidates for the interview process.

Objective 3: Strong partnerships between principal preparation programs and districts facilitated by awarded entities, including the level of communication between the awarded entity(ies) and principal preparation programs and districts.

The survey will be administered to the program coordinator of the awarded entities, principal recruits, and the district and higher education partners. The survey will gauge the perspective of each group on the value and effectiveness of the respective programs.

• Information from any evaluations already completed for awarded entities from the prior grant cycle (FY 2022 - FY 2024) as may be relevant in the final report.

2. A survey tool or other template that can be used by ISBE to continue an evaluation of the Principal Recruitment Program beyond February 1, 2026, that aligns with the work done by the vendor.

Expenses:

The vendor will receive half payment on or before June 30, 2025, and final payment upon the vendor’s submission of a final invoice, which must be submitted on or before February 1, 2026.

Effective Dates:

The term of this contract will be from the date of execution through February 1, 2026.

Insurance:

Vendor shall, at all times during the term of this contract and any renewals or extensions, maintain and provide a certificate of insurance naming the state as an additional insured for all required bonds and insurance. Certificates may not be modified or canceled until at least 30 days’ notice has been provided to the state. Vendor shall provide

a) General commercial liability insurance in the amount of $1 million per occurrence (combined single limit bodily injury and property damage) and $2 million annual aggregate;

b) Auto liability insurance, including hired auto and non-owned auto (combined single limit bodily injury and property damage), in the amount of $1 million per occurrence;

c) Workers compensation insurance in the amount required by law; and

d) A professional liability insurance policy with a limit of liability not less than $1 million for each claim, and not less than $1 million in the aggregate on an annual basis, for errors, omissions, or negligent acts arising out of the performance of (or the failure to perform) professional services hereunder such as, but not limited to, systems analysis, system design, programming, data processing, consulting, system integration, and information services. The professional liability coverage shall include contractual liability coverage in support of the vendor’s indemnification agreements in favor of ISBE, shall be written on a “claims made” basis, and must be maintained for a period of not less than three years following the date of final payment to the vendor for all such services. The vendor shall cause all of its subcontractors to purchase and maintain insurance coverages identical to those required of the vendor hereunder. Insurance shall not limit vendor’s obligation to indemnify, defend, or settle any claims.

Upon execution of this agreement, the contractor shall provide a copy of certificate of insurance evidencing the coverage described in this section. The policy specified above shall be placed with an insurance company reasonably acceptable to ISBE.

Quotes Must Include:

• The vendor's name, address of the office providing services under the contract, telephone number, email address, and website, if applicable.

• A general description of the vendor.

• Summary information regarding the qualifications and prior work experience similar to the described for any personnel who will perform work under the contract. A minimum of three years of relevant professional experience is required in the following areas:

o Survey Design o Data Collection o Data Analysis and Reporting

• All related expenses to meet the deliverables as previously detailed, including related research;

meetings with the Illinois State Board of Education; and time and work necessary to create, revise, edit, and produce the final report.

PROJECT TIMELINE

Verify Scope of Work with ISBE Staff July 2024 Data Collection by ISBE Staff for Program-Specific Pages in the RFP Applications, Survey and Evaluation Reports from Prior Grant Cycle, and Participant Contact Information

July-September 2024

Survey Development August-September 2024 Pre-Survey Action Planning October 2024 Survey Launch for FY 2025 November 2024 Survey Close for FY 2025 December 2024 Review of Grant Programs’ Implementation of Grant Proposals and Deliverables

January-April 2025

Data Analysis of Survey Results and Grant Review April-June 225 Preliminary Report of Survey Results and Grant Programs’ Implementation of Grant Proposals and Deliverables for FY 2025

July 2025

Survey Launch for FY 2026 September 2025 Survey Close for FY 2026 October 2025 Secondary Review of Survey Results and Grant Programs’ Implementation of Grant Proposals and Deliverables

October-November 2025

Comparative Data Analysis of FY 2025 and FY 2026 Survey Results and Grant Review

November-December 2025

Summative Report Due January 15, 2026

Notes to Vendor:

• All quoted prices must be valid for 60 days from date of submission. All prices must include all charges.

• No price increases will be accepted. In the event of a price decrease, the agency is guaranteed to receive the lowest price.

• ISBE reserves the right to reject all offers; to reject individual offers for failure to meet any requirement; to award by item, part, or portion of an item, group of items, or total; and to waive minor defects.

• Vendors are encouraged to register as a small business with the state of Illinois.

• Please contact ISBE via the information provided at the bottom of the page for more information about state of Illinois purchasing procedures, policies, or payments before placing your quote for consideration.

• Vendor may attach separate page describing its bid.