S000000263 K-3 Literacy Screener REVISED RFP~2.pdf

STATE OF ARKANSAS

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSFORMATION AND SHARED SERVICES

OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT

501 Woodlane St., Ste. 220

Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1023

REVISED

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (MAP)

SOLICITATION DOCUMENT

CHANGES TO THIS RFP ARE DISPLAYED IN RED FONT

SOLICITATION INFORMATION

Solicitation Number: S000000263 Solicitation Issued: September 14, 2023

Description: K-3rd Grade Literacy Screener System

Department: Arkansas Department of Education – Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

SUBMISSION DEADLINE AND DELIVERY OF RESPONSE DOCUMENTS

Proposal Opening Date: October 3, 2023 Proposal Opening Time: 10:00 AM, Central Time

Proposal submissions for this Request for Proposal must be submitted through ARBuy, the State’s eProcurement system. It can be accessed at arbuy.arkansas.gov. Proposals received after the submission deadline may be rejected as untimely. See Section 1.2 for information regarding Live Proposal Openings.

TSS OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT CONTACT INFORMATION

TSS OSP Procurement Specialist:

Julie Robnolt Procurement Specialist’s Direct Phone Number:

(501) 371-6070

Email Address: julie.robnolt@arkansas.gov TSS OSP’s Main Number: (501) 324-9316

TSS OSP Website: transform.ar.gov/procurement/ https://arbuy.arkansas.gov/ mailto:julie.robnolt@arkansas.gov https://www.transform.ar.gov/procurement/agencies/

SECTION 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

1.1 INTRODUCTION

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued by the TSS Office of State Procurement (TSS OSP) for the Arkansas Department of Education (“ADE” or “Department”) Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (“DESE” or “Division”) to obtain pricing and a contract for the design, development, implementation, and administration of a kindergarten through third grade Literacy Screener System.

Contract awarded will be made to the Prospective Contractor determined to have submitted the proposal that is the most advantageous to the State. Direct all questions, comments, or concerns regarding this solicitation to the TSS OSP, not the Division.

1.2 LIVE PROPOSAL OPENING

Use the information below to view the proposal opening online.

Teams Meeting Link: Click here to join the meeting Meeting ID: 292 591 443 630 Passcode: EPg7cq Call in (audio only): (501) 244-3310 or find a local number Phone conference ID: 754 972 94#

1.3 TYPE OF CONTRACT

A. As a result of this RFP, TSS OSP intends to award a contract to a single primary Contractor, who is responsible for ensuring all deliverables are met but who may subcontract with additional vendors, if needed.

B. The anticipated starting date for any resulting contract is December 1, 2023, except that the actual contract start date may be adjusted unilaterally by the State for up to three (3) calendar months. By submitting a signed proposal in response to the RFP, the Prospective Contractor represents and warrants that it will honor its proposal as being held open as irrevocable for this period.

C. The initial term of a resulting contract will be for four (4) years. Upon mutual agreement by the Contractor and Department, the contract may be renewed by TSS OSP for up to three (3) additional one- (1-) year terms or portions thereof, not to exceed a total aggregate contract term of seven (7) consecutive years.

1.4 SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

For informational purposes, TSS OSP is providing a Solicitation Schedule; however, dates listed and noted with an asterisk (*) are anticipated dates only and are subject to change at the discretion of the State. All times are listed in Central Time.

TABLE A: TENTATIVE SOLICITATION SCHEDULE [Dates are provided for reference]

ACTIVITY DATE

RFP Release to Prospective Contractors September 14, 2023

Bidders Conference September 19, 2023 @ 10 am

Deadline for Prospective Contractor Questions September 24, 2023

Answers to Questions Posted to ARBuy* September 26, 2023

Proposal Due Date October 3, 2023 @ 10 am

Initial Proposal Evaluation* October 6, 2023

Interviews* October 12-13, 2023

Final Proposal Evaluation* October 13, 2023

Discussions Kick Off Meeting* October 16, 2023

Finalize Discussions* October 23, 2023 https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OTg5MTU4MjQtYWQ4OS00MjU5LWJiNDgtNmVhYzBhNjliM2E1%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%225ec1d8f0-cb62-4000-b327-8e63b0547048%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22a5e9cf20-c478-4e36-8fed-351f1ae086e2%22%7d https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/6b6513dc-a034-48d2-8d06-7e711c4ecc0b?id=719036839

Post Anticipation to Award* October 27, 2023

Award Contract* December 1, 2023

1.5 BIDDERS CONFERENCE

A. TSS OSP will host a bidders conference to provide additional information and clarification regarding the RFP.

1. The conference will take place on the date and time listed in Section 1.4, Table A.

2. The conference is important for Prospective Contractors to understand the tasks a Prospective Contractor shall complete when submitting a proposal (“Submission Requirements”).

3. Prospective Contractors may attend the conference via Teams.

Teams Meeting Link: Click here to join the meeting Meeting ID: 279 031 128 519 Passcode: vc4KRv Call in (audio only): (501) 244-3310 or find a local number Phone conference ID: 885 923 506#

4. The bidders conference presentation will be posted to the Solicitation posting in ARBuy.

1.6 CLARIFICATION OF SOLICITATION

A. Submit questions requesting clarification of information contained in this Solicitation via the

Solicitation posting in ARBuy by the date and time listed in Section 1.4, Table A.

1. For each question submitted, Prospective Contractor should reference the specific Solicitation item number to which the question refers.

2. Prospective Contractors’ written questions will be consolidated and responded to by the State as deemed appropriate. The State’s consolidated written response is anticipated to be posted to the Solicitation posting in ARBuy by the close of business on the date provided in Section 1.4, Table A. If Prospective Contractor questions are unclear or non-substantive in nature, the State may request clarification of a question(s) or decline to answer.

B. The Prospective Contractor should notify the TSS OSP Procurement Specialist of any term, condition, etc., that precludes the Prospective Contractor from submitting a compliant, Responsive Proposal. Prospective Contractors should note that it is the responsibility of the Prospective Contractor to seek resolution of all such issues, including those relating to the terms and conditions of the contract, prior to the submission of a proposal.

C. Prospective Contractors may contact the TSS OSP Procurement Specialist with non-substantive questions at any time prior to the proposal opening.

D. An oral statement by TSS OSP will not be part of any contract resulting from this Solicitation and may not reasonably be relied on by any Prospective Contractor as an aid to interpretation unless it is reduced to writing and expressly adopted by TSS OSP.

E. Only an addendum written and authorized by the State will modify the Solicitation.

1. An addendum posted within three (3) calendar days prior to the proposal opening may extend the proposal opening and may or may not include changes to the Solicitation.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

A. Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms defined in Arkansas Procurement Law have the same meaning herein.

B. “Alphabet Knowledge” means the ability to automatically recognize and name the 26 lowercase and 26 uppercase letters with ease and accuracy.

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZGU5OWNjMTAtMTdjMi00NGJhLWFjNWQtZGQwYmQzOWMxZjM1%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%225ec1d8f0-cb62-4000-b327-8e63b0547048%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22a5e9cf20-c478-4e36-8fed-351f1ae086e2%22%7d https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/6b6513dc-a034-48d2-8d06-7e711c4ecc0b?id=719036839

C. “Decoding” means to translate words, word parts, or nonwords into their corresponding pronunciation.

D. “Diagnostic” means measures of students’ current knowledge and skills that can be used to identify specific skill gaps and appropriate instruction and/or interventions.

E. “Encoding” means to translate spoken language into print.

F. “English Language Learners” means students who often come from non-English-speaking homes and backgrounds, and who typically require specialized or modified instruction in both the English language and in the academic courses.

G. “Language Comprehension” means the ability to understand both spoken and written language, including vocabulary and listening knowledge.

H. “Literacy Constructs” means specific abilities and skills including phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, sound symbol recognition, decoding, rapid naming skills, encoding, oral reading fluency, language comprehension, and reading comprehension that are measured or assessed via the literacy screener system to determine a student’s individual level of literacy.

I. “Literacy Screener” means an assessment that is designed to measure students’ knowledge of literacy constructs and can be used to provide teachers with individual student data to help guide instruction.

J. “Oral Reading Fluency” means the ability to read aloud with automaticity, accuracy, and expression at an appropriate rate to support comprehension, self-correcting as necessary.

K. “Phonemic Awareness” means the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in spoken words and the understanding that spoken words and syllables are made up of sequences of speech sounds (phonemes).

L. “Prospective Contractor” means a responsible offeror who submits a proposal in response to this Solicitation.

M. “Rapid Naming Skills” means the ability to quickly name aloud a series of familiar items.

N. “Reading Comprehension” means the ability to understand and interpret what is read.

O. The terms “Request for Proposal,” “RFP,” and “Solicitation” are used synonymously in this document.

P. “Requirement” means a term, condition, provision, deliverable, Specification, or a combination thereof, that is obligated under the Solicitation, resulting contract, or both.

Q. “Responsive Proposal” means a proposal submitted in response to this Solicitation that conforms in all material respects to this RFP.

R. “Science of Reading” means the study of the relationship between cognitive science and literacy outcomes, also referred to as scientific reading instruction.1

S. “Shall” and “must” mean the imperative and are used to identify Requirements.

T. “Specification” means any technical or purchase description or other description of the physical or functional characteristics, or of the nature, of a commodity or service. “Specification” may include a description of any Requirement for inspecting, testing, or preparing a commodity or service for delivery.

1 As defined by the Right to Read Act under A.C.A § 6-17-429

U. “State” means the State of Arkansas. When the term “State” is used herein to reference any obligation of the State under a contract that results from this Solicitation, that obligation is limited to the Department using such a contract.

1.8 RESPONSE DOCUMENTS

A. All proposal responses must be submitted through ARBuy, the State’s eProcurement system. The system can be accessed at https://arbuy.arkansas.gov.

1. Prospective Contractors must be registered in ARBuy to submit proposals responses.

B. Technical Proposal Packet

1. Responses within the Information for Evaluation sections must not contain the Prospective Contractor’s name or any other identifiers, including without limitation names of staff members, projects, clients, products, and addresses.

2. Prospective Contractors shall utilize the Technical Proposal Packet to submit their responses.

3. The following items are proposal Submission Requirements and must be submitted as part of a Prospective Contractor’s proposal response.

a. Signed Proposal Signature Page; signature may be ink or digital

b. Technical Proposal response to the Information for Evaluation section included in the Technical Proposal Packet, which must be in the English language

c. Completed Pricing Response: Official Solicitation Price Sheet attached to the Solicitation posting in ARBuy.

i. Pricing must be proposed in U.S. dollars and cents.

ii. Quantities stated are estimates only and are not guaranteed. Prospective Contractor must submit unit price on the estimated quantity and unit of measure specified.

iii. If pricing documents do not allow for accurate pricing, Prospective Contractor should notify the OSP Procurement Specialist at least seventy-two (72) hours before the proposal opening time.

iv. Discount from list pricing is not acceptable unless requested elsewhere in the Solicitation.

v. State or local sales taxes should not be included in the price. Trade discounts should be deducted from the unit price and the net price should be shown in the Pricing Response.

d. Recommended Options Form

i. The Recommended Options form included in the Technical Proposal Packet allows Prospective Contractors to identify any recommended options or optional service ideas that may benefit the State that were not included in the Requirements and the proposed solution.

e. Copy of Prospective Contractor’s Equal Opportunity Policy

i. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 19-11-104, OSP requires a Prospective Contractor bidding on a state contract to submit a copy of the Prospective Contractor’s Equal Opportunity (EO) Policy.

ii. Prospective Contractors not required by law to have an EO Policy must submit a written statement to that effect.

f. Proposed Subcontractors Form (see SRV-1, section 14) https://arbuy.arkansas.gov/ https://www.transform.ar.gov/wp-content/uploads/Services-Contract-SRV-1-Fillable-Form-V.3.6.27.22.pdf

4. The following items, which must be submitted prior to a contract award to the Prospective Contractor, may also be included with the Prospective Contractor’s proposal:

a. EO 98-04: Contract and Grant Disclosure Form (see SRV-1, section 11)

b. Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), if applicable

5. Prospective Contractors should not include any other documents or ancillary information, such as a cover letter or promotional/marketing information.

C. Redacted copy of the Technical Proposal Packet

1. One (1) redacted (marked “REDACTED”) copy of the Prospective Contractor’s proposal response (see Proprietary Information)

D. Prospective Contractors should not alter language in Solicitation document(s) or Official Proposal Price Sheet provided by the State.

E. Prospective Contractor’s proposals cannot be altered or amended after the proposal opening except as permitted by law or rule.

F. Prospective Contractors may submit multiple proposals.

1.9 ACCEPTANCE OF REQUIREMENTS

A. A Prospective Contractor's past performance with the State may be used to determine if the

Prospective Contractor is responsible (OSP Rule R8:19-11-229).

1. Proposals submitted by Prospective Contractors determined to be non-responsible will be rejected.

B. A single Prospective Contractor must be identified as the prime contractor.

1. The prime Contractor shall be responsible for the resulting contract and jointly and severally liable with any of its subcontractors, affiliates, or agents to the State for the performance thereof.

C. By submission of a proposal, the Prospective Contractor represents and warrants:

1. That the prices in the proposal have been arrived at independently, without any collusion with another competing Prospective Contractor.

a. Collusion violates Arkansas Procurement Law and can lead to suspension, debarment, and can be referred to the Attorney General’s officer for investigation and appropriate legal action (Arkansas Code Annotated § 19-11-240 and 19-11-245).

2. That the Prospective Contractor has not retained a person to solicit or secure the resulting contract upon an agreement or understanding for a commission, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee, except for retention of bona fide employees or bona fide established commercial selling agencies maintained by the Prospective Contractor for the purpose of securing business.

D. Prospective Contractor should not discuss the Solicitation or proposal response, issue statements or comments, or provide interviews to public media during the Solicitation and award process.

E. Qualifications and services must meet or exceed the required Specifications as set forth in the Solicitation.

F. The State will not pay costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal.

1.10 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. The Contractor must be registered as a vendor to receive payment and may register online by visiting Arkansas Department of Transformation and Shared Services and clicking the Start Here button.

B. Pursuant to Arkansas State Procurement Law, the Contractor shall:

https://www.transform.ar.gov/wp-content/uploads/Services-Contract-SRV-1-Fillable-Form-V.3.6.27.22.pdf https://www.section508.gov/sell/vpat/ https://www.ark.org/vendor/index.html?_ga=2.114851073.741014236.1694462663-1415426534.1694462662

1. Certify that they do not employ or contract with illegal immigrants and shall not employ or contract with illegal immigrants during the aggregate term of a contract (for services contracts, Arkansas Code Annotated § 19-11-105).

2. Certify that they are not engaged in and shall not, during the aggregate term of the resulting contract, engage in a boycott of Israel (Arkansas Code Annotated § 25-1-503).

C. To comply with the provision of Act 954 of 1977, relating to unfair employment practices, the Contractor:

1. Shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, sex, color, age, religion, handicap, or national origin.

2. In all solicitations or advertisements for employees, shall state that all qualified applicants shall receive consideration without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, handicap, or national origin.

3. Furnish such relevant information and reports as requested by the Human Resources Commission for the purpose of determining compliance with the statute.

4. Failure of the Contractor to comply with the statute, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and this nondiscrimination clause shall be deemed a breach of contract and it may be cancelled, terminated, or suspended in whole or in part.

5. Shall include the provisions of above items (1) through (4) in every subcontract so that such provisions shall be binding upon such subcontractor or Contractor.

D. Specifications, drawings, technical information, dies, cuts, negatives, positives, data, other such item furnished by the State to the Contractor, or a combination thereof hereunder or in contemplation hereof or developed by the Contractor for use hereunder shall:

1. Remain property of the State.

2. Be kept confidential as permitted or required by law.

3. Be used only as expressly authorized.

4. Be returned at the Contractor's expense to the F.O.B. destination point provided by the State, as requested by the State.

a. The Contractor shall properly identify items being returned.

E. The Contractor shall invoice the State as required by the Department and should not invoice the State in advance of delivery and acceptance of any goods or services (Arkansas Code Annotated § 19-4-1206).

1. The Contractor should invoice the agency by an itemized list of charges. The Department’s purchase order number and/or the contract number should be referenced on each invoice.

2. Payment will be made in accordance with applicable State of Arkansas accounting procedures upon acceptance of goods and services by the Department.

3. Payment will be made only after the Contractor has successfully satisfied the Department as to the reliability and effectiveness of the goods or services purchased as a whole.

F. The Contractor should be able to accept the State’s authorized VISA Procurement Card (p-card) as a method of payment. Price changes or additional fee(s) must not be levied against the State when accepting the p-card as a form of payment.

G. Unless a Prospective Contractor expressly and conspicuously identifies exception(s) to the terms, conditions, Requirements, or a combination thereof in this RFP, Prospective Contractor agrees and shall adhere to all terms, conditions, and Requirements if selected as the Contractor.

1. This RFP incorporates all terms of the Services Contract (SRV-1) Fillable Form (found here) and attached as a sample for your information only.

2. Prospective Contractor’s proposal may be rejected if a Prospective Contractor takes exception to any terms, conditions, or Requirements in this RFP.

1.11 TECHNOLOGY ACCESS

A. When procuring a technology product or when soliciting the development of such a product, the State of Arkansas is required to comply with the provisions of Arkansas Code Annotated § 25-26-201 et seq., as amended by Act 308 of 2013, which expresses the policy of the State to provide individuals who are blind or visually impaired with access to information technology purchased in whole or in part with state funds. The Contractor expressly acknowledges and agrees that state funds may not be expended in connection with the purchase of information technology unless that technology meets the statutory Requirements found in 36 C.F.R. § 1194.21, as it existed on January 1, 2019 (software applications and operating ICSs) and 36 C.F.R. § 1194.22, as it existed on January 1, 2019 (web-based intranet and internet information and applications), in accordance with the State of Arkansas technology policy standards relating to accessibility by persons with visual impairments.

B. Accordingly, the Contractor expressly represents and warrants to the State of Arkansas through the procurement process by submission of a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) for 36 C.F.R. § 1194.21, as it existed on January 1, 2019 (software applications and operating ICSs) and 36 C.F.R. § 1194.22, that the technology provided to the State for purchase is capable, either by virtue of features included within the technology, or because it is readily adaptable by use with other technology, of:

1. Providing, to the extent required by Arkansas Code Annotated § 25-26-201 et seq., as amended by Act 308 of 2013, equivalent access for effective use by both visual and non-visual means.

2. Presenting information, including prompts used for interactive communications, in formats intended for non-visual use.

3. After being made accessible, integrating into networks for obtaining, retrieving, and disseminating information used by individuals who are not blind or visually impaired.

4. Providing effective, interactive control and use of the technology, including without limitation the operating system, software applications, and format of the data presented is readily achievable by nonvisual means.

5. Being compatible with information technology used by other individuals with whom the blind or visually impaired individuals interact.

6. Integrating into networks used to share communications among employees, program participants, and the public.

7. Providing the capability of equivalent access by nonvisual means to telecommunications or other interconnected network services used by persons who are not blind or visually impaired.

C. State agencies cannot claim a product as a whole is not reasonably available because no product in the marketplace meets all the standards. Agencies must evaluate products to determine which product best meets the standards. If an agency purchases a product that does not best meet the standards, the agency must provide written documentation supporting the selection of a different product, including any required reasonable accommodations.

D. For purposes of this section, the phrase “equivalent access” means a substantially similar ability to communicate with, or make use of, the technology, either directly, by features incorporated within the technology, or by other reasonable means such as assistive devices or services which would constitute reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar state and federal laws. Examples of methods by which equivalent access may be provided include, but are not limited to, keyboard alternatives to mouse commands or other means of navigating graphical displays, and customizable display appearance. As provided in Arkansas Code Annotated § 25-26-https://www.transform.ar.gov/wp-content/uploads/Services-Contract-SRV-1-Fillable-Form-V.3.6.27.22.pdf

201 et seq., as amended by Act 308 of 2013, if equivalent access is not reasonably available, then individuals who are blind or visually impaired shall be provided a reasonable accommodation as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 12111(9), as it existed on January 1, 2019.

E. If the information manipulated or presented by the product is inherently visual in nature, so that its meaning cannot be conveyed non-visually, these specifications do not prohibit the purchase or use of an information technology product that does not meet these standards.

F. The proposed commodities, services, or both must comply with the State’s shared Technical Architecture Program which is a set of policies and standards that can found here. Only those standards that are fully promulgated or have been approved by the Governor’s Office apply to the solution.

1.12 MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS

A. A minority-owned business is defined by Arkansas Code Annotated § 15-4-303 as a business owned by a lawful permanent resident of this State who is:

• African American

• American Indian

• Asian American

• Hispanic American

• Pacific Islander American

• A Service-Disabled Veteran as designated by the United States Department of Veteran Affairs

B. A women-owned business is defined by Act 1080 of the 91st General Assembly Regular Session

2017 as a business that is at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned by one (1) or more women who are lawful permanent residents of this State.

C. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission conducts a certification process for minority-owned and women-owned businesses. If certified, the Prospective Contractor’s Certification Number should be included on the Proposal Signature Page.

1.13 PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

A. The release of public records is governed by the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (Arkansas

Code Annotated § 25-19-101 et. seq.).

B. Submission documents pertaining to the Solicitation become the property of the State and are subject to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

C. In accordance with FOIA, and to promote maximum competition in the State competitive sealed proposals, the State may maintain the confidentiality of certain types of information described in FOIA. Such information may include trade secrets and other information exempted from public disclosure pursuant to FOIA.

D. Consistent with and to the extent permitted under FOIA, any Prospective Contractor may designate appropriate portions of a proposal as confidential by submitting a redacted copy of the proposal. By so redacting any information contained in the proposal, the Prospective Contractor warrants that, after having received such necessary or proper review by counsel or other knowledgeable advisors, it has formed a good faith opinion that the portions redacted are not considered public records under

FOIA.

E. If a Prospective Contractor deems part of the information contained in a response not to be a public record, the Prospective Contractor should submit one (1) complete copy of the submission documents from which any proprietary or confidential information has been redacted in their proposal response. Except for the redacted information, the redacted copy must be identical to the original copy, reflecting the same pagination as the original and showing the space from which information was redacted.

F. The Prospective Contractor is responsible for identifying all proprietary information and for ensuring the electronic copy is protected against restoration of redacted data.

https://www.transform.ar.gov/information-systems/policies-standards/

G. The redacted copy will be open to public inspection under the FOIA without further notice to the Prospective Contractor. If the State deems redacted information to be subject to a public record request under FOIA, the State will endeavor to notify the Prospective Contractor prior to release of the redacted record.

H. The State has no liability to a Prospective Contractor with respect to the disclosure of Prospective Contractor’s confidential or proprietary information ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to FOIA or other applicable law.

SECTION 2 – REQUIREMENTS

2.1 ADE VISION, MISSION, AND HISTORY

The goal of K-3 early literacy is for students to read, understand, and write about grade-level texts independently by the time they enter the third (3rd) grade. Arkansas is committed to providing a best-in-class K-3 early literacy system for our schools. Over the last several years, ADE-DESE has invested forty ($40) million in early literacy through a combination of State and Federal funds. The Arkansas LEARNS Act, passed in 2023, builds on Arkansas’s previous early literacy work, such as Act 1294 passed in 2013, the Right to Read Act passed in 2017, and the Arkansas Initiative for Instructional Materials (AIIM) in 2021.

Act 1294 of 2013 mandated screening of all K-2 students for dyslexia and related disorders using early Literacy Screener Systems. The Right to Read Act of 2017 required Arkansas educators to demonstrate proficiency or awareness in the Science of Reading and directed ADE-DESE to establish an approved list of High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) to teach literacy, providing teachers best-in-class instructional materials aligned to the Science of Reading. AIIM further promoted HQIM adoption in classrooms by providing resources and streamlining the process for districts to select HQIM for their schools.

By building on a decade of important literacy work in Arkansas, the LEARNS Act seeks to ensure all K-3 students can read proficiently by the end of the third (3rd) grade by furthering the implementation of instructional strategies grounded in the Science of Reading. The LEARNS Act also aims to accelerate the State’s transition to scientific reading instruction through a set of key strategies, including launching a single, universal, high-quality K-3 Literacy Screening system.

Prospective Contractors are encouraged to reference the following standards and criteria to ensure that their screener content and system are aligned with best practices in testing, accessibility, and dyslexia:

• American Psychological Association, American Educational Research Association, and National Council on Measurement in Education (2014). Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing

• Shyyan, V. V., Thurlow, M. L., Larson, E. D., Christensen, L. L., & Lazarus, S. S. (2016. White Paper on Common Accessibility Language for States and Assessment Contractors

• International Dyslexia Association (2019). IDA Dyslexia Handbook

2.2 CURRENT ENVIRONMENT

Arkansas, like much of America, is facing a literacy crisis. According to the 2023 ACT Aspire, thirty-two percent (32%) of Arkansas third (3rd) graders – approximately 11,505 out of 35,771 students – met readiness on the State exam. Over the last decade, Arkansas has passed a series of laws seeking to improve student literacy achievement across the State’s 259 school districts and 1,069 schools.2 Arkansas’s current literacy screening landscape is guided by three (3) key laws: Act 1294 of 2013, the Right to Read Act of 2017, and the LEARNS Act of 2023.

Act 1294 required screening and intervention for dyslexia, requiring that all kindergarten through second (2nd) grade students be screened for dyslexia with an initial Literacy Screener System that screens in the following Literacy Constructs:

1. Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

2 Enrollment counts by district, schools and grade are available by visiting the ADE Data Center at https://adedata.arkansas.gov/statewide/ReportList/State/StateProfile.aspx https://www.testingstandards.net/uploads/7/6/6/4/76643089/standards_2014edition.pdf https://www.testingstandards.net/uploads/7/6/6/4/76643089/standards_2014edition.pdf https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/onlinepubs/diamondwhitepaper.pdf https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/onlinepubs/diamondwhitepaper.pdf https://dyslexiaida.org/ida-dyslexia-handbook/ https://dyslexiaida.org/ida-dyslexia-handbook/ https://adedata.arkansas.gov/statewide/ReportList/State/StateProfile.aspx

2. Sound Symbol Recognition

3. Alphabet Knowledge

4. Decoding skills

5. Rapid Naming Skills

6. Encoding

The Right to Read Act laid out a commitment to overhauling literacy instruction in the State, shifting from instruction grounded in balanced literacy3 to instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. The Act required, among other things:

1. Districts to select high-quality curriculum and instructional materials aligned to the Science of Reading.

2. Teachers to participate in high-quality professional learning and demonstrate proficiency or awareness in knowledge and practices of scientific reading instruction.

3. Educator Preparation Programs (EPP) to teach educators to use scientific reading instruction.

From 2013 to 2023, Arkansas districts utilized a variety of Literacy Screener Systems to meet the requirements of Arkansas’s dyslexia laws. During this time, Literacy Screener Systems were locally selected and administered to meet the needs of students. This has proven to be incoherent, inconsistent, and time-consuming for the student and teacher, pulling them both away from valuable instruction time and often leaving the teacher with data that is difficult to reconcile and use to support a student.

The LEARNS Act, passed in 2023, builds on the prior legislation and explicitly addresses Literacy Screening by requiring that:

1. The Statewide student assessment system includes a high-quality, evidence-based Literacy

Screener System for kindergarten through grade three (K-3).

2. ADE-DESE identifies a Literacy Screener System that has components that meet the below requirements:

a. Given during the first thirty (30) days of the school year;

b. Repeated, if indicated, midyear;

c. Given at the end of the school year.

3. ADE-DESE collects and publishes aggregated public school district, open-enrollment public charter schools, and overall State literacy assessment results annually.

4. Districts notify all parents or guardians in writing of their student’s reading progress each time the student is assessed throughout the year using the high-quality Literacy Screener System results.

This RFP is for a Prospective Contractor to produce a Literacy Screener System, if one does not exist, or to adapt and customize an existing Screener System to meet ADE-DESE’s vision. If a Prospective

3 Instruction that focuses on shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading, without systematically teaching foundational skills.

Contractor cannot currently meet all needed functionality, they must propose a phase-in plan with a process and timeline for ensuring full functionality. Because the State does not currently collect Literacy Screener data, Prospective Contractors should assume that no existing content, calculation information, or other resources will be available for use in the resulting contract.

The full realization of Arkansas’s vision for the Statewide K-3 Literacy Screener System will occur over several years, but the screener that measures all identified Literacy Constructs must be ready to pilot in the 2023-2024 school year and be fully operational for Statewide adoption in the 2024-2025 school year.

If Prospective Contractor identifies that customization or development is required to fully measure required Literacy Constructs or grade levels, they may have a more flexible timeline dependent on the level of customization required, but ADE-DESE would prefer that all components are ready to field test in the 2024-2025 school year and operational by the fall of 2025.

ADE-DESE desires to engage one partner to assist in the realization of this vision across a seven- (7-) year contract with the opportunity to renew each year. The first year of this contract will be based on a jointly developed customization plan, leveraging Arkansas’s assets to build operational test forms, if needed, including custom Arkansas field test items, as needed, and to pilot the Literacy Screener test forms, reports, and system with schools as appropriate. The State does not envision a fully customized Literacy Screener System, however, all items used in Arkansas screener forms must be reviewed and approved by ADE-DESE. It is critical to make a smooth transition from the several existing Literacy Screener Systems to a single, comprehensive, Literacy Screening System. Once the transition is complete, adjustments should be made only when necessary to maintain a coherent, authentic, and comprehensive K-3 Literacy Screener System aligned to the Science of Reading.

Proposed Timeline

Timeline Milestones

Winter of 2023-2024

Pilot Literacy Screener System in DESE identified schools.

Begin development and customization of Screener System.

Spring 2024

Pilot test Screener System in schools.

Summer 2024

Contractor provides training on Screener System usage. Training Plan may leverage a combination of face-to-face, virtual, synchronous and asynchronous learning options.

Fall 2024

Launch operational Screener System Statewide.

Begin field test of any missing required components.

Host report design feedback sessions in collaboration with ADE-DESE.

Winter 2024-2025

Iterate on screener components as needed.

Field test of any missing required components.

Spring 2025

Contractor provides ongoing training for teachers, administrators, and ADE- DESE staff Statewide.

Fall 2025

Launch all screener components and reporting of the screener Statewide.

2.3 OBJECTIVE AND GOALS

ADE-DESE is seeking a partnering contractor to launch a single, universal K-3 Literacy Screener System that is easy for teachers to administer; provides valid and reliable results for students with clear, actionable data; and reflects up-to-date research on how students learn to read. Arkansas’s priorities for this system include, but are not limited, to the following:

• Providing a single, universal Literacy Screener System that can be used in every public K-3 classroom across the State;

• Providing integrated and aligned diagnostic assessments for students, as appropriate;

• Provide a reporting system that identifies areas of risk for reading deficit after each administration;

• Providing a single report to inform each student’s independent reading plan based on screener data for use by educators and families;

• Streamlining data collection and reporting to drive student supports; and

• Providing initial and ongoing training for administrators and educators on administering and interpreting screener results.

The coherent Screening System will be used to screen every child in all Literacy Constructs required by Arkansas legislation in grades K-3. Arkansas desires a system that also includes Diagnostic assessments that may be administered to students who were identified as at risk by the screener.

2.4 PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

A. The Contractor shall have five (5) years of experience with projects of similar size and scope as detailed in this RFP.

B. The Contractor shall have successfully implemented at least three (3) projects similar in size and scope as detailed in this RFP in the past five (5) years. Implementation may include implementation of large-scale statewide assessments .

C. The Contractor shall have experience assessing Literacy Constructs and evidence-based content development aligned to the Science of Reading.

2.5 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

A. The Contractor shall provide a universal K-3 Literacy Screener System that ensures teachers are provided with information about all students and receive reliable and valid information about achievement in Literacy Constructs including, but not limited to:

1. Valid and reliable results for all students, including students with disabilities, and English

Language Learners (note: students with significant cognitive disabilities will not be required to participate in the screening).

2. Achievement data within and across early Literacy Constructs.

3. Statewide comparisons, and, if available, national comparisons, of achievement across early Literacy Constructs.

B. In order to provide educators with easy-to-understand, actionable data about student literacy achievement in early Literacy Constructs at multiple points throughout the school year that will allow them to monitor and adjust instruction, the universal K-3 Literacy Screener System must test Literacy Constructs that reflect the current evidence base aligned to the Science of Reading, including, at a minimum on the following constructs on the cadence outlined in the table below.

K-3 Literacy Construct Screening

Kindergarten First Grade Second Grade Third Grade

B M E B M E B M E B M E

Phonemic Awareness* I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D

Alphabet Knowledge* I I, D I, D I, D

Rapid Naming* I I

Sound Symbol Recognition*

I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D

Decoding* I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D

Encoding* I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D

Oral Reading Fluency I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D

Language Comprehension* I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D

Reading Comprehension I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D I, D

*Dyslexia initial screening requirement. I means initial screener. D means Diagnostic assessment which offers more detailed information about a student’s particular reading difficulties if flagged in initial screening. B means beginning of the school year, M means middle of the school year, and E means end of the school year. Must be a direct measure of each skill, not predictive.

C. The State recognizes that each product will have their own prescribed pacing, so the Contractor shall provide scope and sequence of suggested assessment.

2.6 SCREENER DESIGN

A. At a minimum, the K-3 Literacy Screener System must be provided in English. If a Contractor can offer additional languages, please indicate languages available in the bid.

B. The Literacy Screener System must include the initial screening in all required areas, provide a detailed skills deficit report for each student to guide instruction, and have the ability to monitor ongoing progress. ADE-DESE prefers the system to include a diagnostic screening for those flagged in the initial screening.

C. The Contractor shall provide for a Literacy Screening System provides the following:

1. Data in grade levels administered.

2. Student-level skill proficiency reporting.

3. Cut scores that indicate the need for additional assessments.

4. A single student report that incorporates all scores from screening and indicates student achievement in each Literacy Construct with an associated risk factor.

5. Informed fine-grained program decision-making, such as curriculum evaluation, implementation, and student support decisions.

6. Diagnostic assessments that may be administered to a subset of students based on individual results that indicate a need for further information.

7. Integration into Arkansas’s K-12 assessment system so teachers and administrators use a single platform across grades for accessing reports, as feasible. (Note: Arkansas contracts with Cambium Assessments for 3-10 State assessments.)

8. Securely stores, analyzes, and tracks student data from year-to-year.

D. The Contractor shall provide all services under a resulting contract in compliance with all applicable Federal and State statutes, regulations, rules, and/or policies, including, but not limited to:

1. Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-17-429

2. Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-41-601

3. LEARNS Act

4. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

5. Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)

6. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

7. Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

8. DESE Dyslexia Resource Guide

2.7 INDEPENDENT READING PLAN

A. The Contractor shall develop an Independent Reading Plan in collaboration with ADE-DESE.

B. The Independent Reading Plan must be available via the web portal.

C. The system must pre-populate individual student plans with the student’s results from the Screener

System including sub-scores in each Literacy Construct, risk indicator, skill gaps, and recommended actions for additional screening based on their screener results.

D. Reading plans may also include space for the teacher to indicate:

1. The goals and benchmarks for the student’s growth

2. How the student’s progress will be monitored and evaluated

3. The type of additional instructional services and interventions the student may receive

4. The intensive, evidence-based literacy intervention program aligned to the Science of Reading the student’s teacher will use to address the areas of deficiency

5. The strategies the student’s parents, legal guardians, or persons standing in loco parentis to the student are encouraged to use in assisting the student to achieve the student’s reading goal

6. Any additional services the student’s teacher determines are available and appropriate to accelerate the student’s reading skill development https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2020/title-6/subtitle-2/chapter-17/subchapter-4/section-6-17-429/ https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2020/title-6/subtitle-2/chapter-17/subchapter-4/section-6-17-429/ https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2020/title-6/subtitle-3/chapter-41/subchapter-6/section-6-41-601/ https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2FACT237.pdf https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2FACT237.pdf https://www.congress.gov/114/plaws/publ95/PLAW-114publ95.pdf https://sites.ed.gov/idea/statute-chapter-33 https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/ada/ https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/node/548/ https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/DRG-App-I-TOC_20210923084612.pdf

2.8 ADMINISTRATION

A. The Literacy Screener System must be able to assess students in a whole group or in individual settings as appropriate.

B. The Literacy Screener System must be able to assess Oral Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension in individual settings, when appropriate.

C. If the Literacy Screener System does not automatically collect data from individual settings, such as through subtests being administered by a teacher, these screener results must be able to be input into a single system for student reporting.

D. The Literacy Screener System must be designed to be accessible by the widest possible range of students including, but not limited to, students with disabilities and English Language Learners.

E. The Literacy Screener System must be designed to be administered no less than three (3) times per year, but would be appropriate for students to be screened at the beginning and end of each school year from kindergarten through grade three (3).

2.9 SCORING

A. The Literacy Screener System must have cut scores, meaning selected points on the score scale of the screener, that can be used to identify students with reading deficiencies across the school year.

B. The Literacy Screener System must produce valid and reliable results. The Contractor shall submit a technical report yearly with evidence of validity and reliability specific to Arkansas scores.

C. The Literacy Screener System must serve as a direct measure, meaning that the screener assesses each skill and not the implied skill attainment of each early Literacy Construct, of student performance and progress on each Literacy Construct with accuracy.

2.10 CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

A. The Contractor shall be responsible for Content Development throughout the life of the Contract.

2.11 CUSTOMIZATION

A. The Contractor shall create a list of each component, subtest, and grade level for which the Contractor will need to develop content in order to comply with Arkansas’s vision for a single K-3 Literacy Screener System during the Discussions Phase.

B. The Contractor shall provide an estimated timeline to build, field test, and finalize each need component and/or subtest during the Discussions Phase.

2.12 IMPLEMENTATION AND TESTING

A. The Contractor shall provide a proposed Implementation & Testing Plan during the Discussions Phase.

B. The Contractor shall be responsible for implementing and testing the system statewide for ADE- DESE and approximately 285 school districts which includes 261 public school districts, 24 charter institutions, the Arkansas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, and the Arkansas School for the Deaf & Hearing Impaired.

C. ADE-DESE’s preferred implementation schedule is as follows:

1. 2023-2024 school year – as a pilot in up to 100 buildings (20 per region)

2. 2024-2025 school year – to launch as fully operational statewide

3. 2025-2026 school year – incorporate any missing required components

D. The Contractor shall ensure the K-3 Literacy Screener System assesses all required Literacy Constructs, unless customization is needed, and is fully ready to administer by Fall 2024 unless otherwise agreed to by ADE-DESE.

2.13 REQUIRED INTERFACES

A. The system must interface with the Triand, the State’s Electronic Transcript System, to pull student and teacher profiles and roster data.

B. API connections with Triand are estimated to cost approximately $100 per school, per year. This cost must be included as part of the Contractor’s proposal.

C. Data from the Contractor shared to ADE-DESE must be provided directly through the Contractor’s online platform or sent via a secure file share mechanism.

2.14 REPORTING

A. The Contractor shall ensure the system provides a robust ad-hoc and pre-defined reporting functionality for ADE-DESE and district use.

B. The Contractor shall ensure ADE-DESE has the ability to define new reports in the system and edit as needed without assistance or ongoing support from the Contractor.

C. The system must be able to export report data to a variety of formats such as:

• Microsoft Excel

• .csv

• .txt

• .pdf

D. The system must support the export of any report to JSON via RESTful web services without developer involvement.

E. If the Contractor’s proposed solution requires the use of a third-party reporting…