Sole_Source_Notification_20250770_Amnd_01.pdf

It is the intent of Washington State to promote open competition and transparency for all contracts for goods and services. In accordance with Department of Enterprise Service (DES) policy #DES- 140-00, all intended sole source contracts must be made available for public inspection for a period of not less than fifteen (15) working days before the start date of the contract. This Sole Source Notification satisfies the requirement.

This Sole Source Notification is available at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) website and at the Department of Enterprise Services, Washington Electronic Business Solution (WEBS) Procurement website under the following commodity codes: 924-16: Educational Training Services; 924-64: Partnering Workshop Facilitation Services; 924-71: School Operation and Management Services; 958-77: Project Management Services; 924-78: Teaching and Instruction Services; 924-05: Advisory Services, Educational; 958-68: Support Services, Management; 918-38: Education and Training Consulting; 924-18: Educational Services, Alternative.

The proposed vendor is also registered using the following commodity codes: 924-19, 924-20, 924- 25, 924-35, 924-40, 924-42, 924-60, 924-64, 924-71, 924-74, 924-76, 924-77. However, these commodity codes are excluded from the WEBS Sole Source Notification because they do not match the scope of work for this contract.

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) intends to award a $698,582 sole source contract to Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession for the period of July 1, 2025, July 7, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

The purpose of this contract is to assist the Teacher and Principal Evaluation Program (TPEP) with implementing professional development designed to strengthen TPEP and to ensure fidelity at all levels of the program. The Contractor will provide services to Instructional Framework Leads and Specialists by sustaining their ongoing professional learning. The Contractor shall also further TPEP's focus on developing the understandings and skill of Washington educators in providing culturally responsive education to our students by coordinating statewide book studies, design studios, and teacher residencies.

Specifically, CSTP will support the on-going learning and leadership capacity of Framework Specialists by convening groups of Specialists and Leads to receive the latest updates and resources, engage in dialogue around implementation issues in the field, and strategize and coordinate continued support of teacher evaluation.

Sole Source Notification Teacher/Principal Evaluation Professional Development https://www.k12.wa.us/about-ospi/contracting-ospi/competitive-procurements https://www.k12.wa.us/about-ospi/contracting-ospi/competitive-procurements https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/

OSPI Sole Source Contract 20250770 Page 2 of 7

CSTP will also coordinate up to 15 Culturally Responsive Education Experiences, hosted by Dr.

Adeyemi Stembridge for teachers. Following the Experiences, CSTP will coordinate a Culturally Responsive Education (CRE) Experiences Leadership Lab focused the learning around and sustainability of CRE in the classroom, and one statewide and month-long book study for the Washington Educators Read and Discuss Book Club, also facilitated by and focused on Dr.

Stembridge’s “Brilliant Teaching” and “Culturally Responsive Education in the Classroom” books.

CSTP has been collaborating with and contributing to OSPI’s TPEP project since its inception in 2010, and has the necessary understanding and ability to apply the new evaluation criteria for teachers, principals and principal evaluators. In 2012, CSTP was awarded a contract to recruit and train expert practitioners, now known as Instructional Framework Specialists, to support Washington’s 2,800+ principals as they navigated and implemented the new evaluation system.

CSTP’s unique network of teacher leaders and administrators, and wealth of knowledge related to TPEP, makes them perfectly poised to provide the services described above.

Consultants contemplating the above requirements shall submit capability statements detailing their ability to meet the state’s requirements no later than 3:00 pm on June 26, 2025, July 3, 2025.

Capability statements must address the following state requirements:

• In-depth knowledge of Washington’s educator evaluation system, the Teacher and Principal Evaluation Program (TPEP), specifically, the state’s three Instructional Frameworks: CEL 5D+ Teacher Evaluation Rubric 3.0, Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching, and Marzano’s Teacher Evaluation Model.

• Knowledge of Instructional Framework Specialists’ role.

• Ability to coordinate and provide multiple statewide, large-scale events, including ability to make arrangements for and cover costs such as meeting facility, lodging, and meals, keynote speaker, technology, and stipends and subcontracts.

• Ability to organize and coordinate three statewide and month-long book studies for educators across Washington, including subcontracting with Dr. Adeyemi Stembridge and providing stipends to book club facilitators.

• Ability to forge connections across a variety of OSPI initiatives.

• Access through established networks with Washington educaotrs in a variety of roles including but not limited to teachers.

In the absence of other qualified sources, and pending approval by the Department of Enterprise Services, it is OSPI’s intent to make a sole source award of the contract mentioned above to Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession.

Although this Sole Source Notification is not an invitation to bid, if you feel your firm is able to provide the goods or services listed above, you may submit a capability statement to:

Josie Horn

OSPI Sole Source Contract 20250770 Page 3 of 7

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Email: contracts@k12.wa.us

In accordance with DES Sole Source policy process #PRO-DES-140-00A, the following documents are attached:

• Attachment 1 – A copy of the Sole Source Contract Filing Justification

• Attachment 2 – A copy of the proposed draft sole source contract in significantly final form

Attachment 1 – Sole Source Contract Filing Justification Specific Problem or Need

• What is the business need or problem that requires this contract?

There is a continued need to enhance the statewide systems support for teachers in their professional development and growth as they implement the Washington’s educator evaluation system, and ensure they are connected to up-to-date changes from the instructional Framework Authors. Since 2010, OSPI has partnered with Washington education organizations to provide professional development training for educators to support Washington’s educator evaluation system, the Teacher and Principal Evaluation Program (TPEP), in fulfillment of RCW 28A.405.106 (1), and, per (3) and (8), to update these trainings. This contract will support the ability of the agency to nimbly respond to new standards of practice for cultural competency required by Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill (ESSB) 5044, passed in the 2021 Legislative Session. It provides professional learning for those who deliver the trainings to ensure they receive, understand, and implement updates to the instructional framework. This contract also continues the TPEP work to facilitate the growth of educator proficiencies in providing culturally responsive education (CRE) directly. It does this through fifteen CRE Experiences for Educators around the state, a book study, two Student Growth Colloquiums, and two Framework (FW) Specialist convenings.

Sole Source Criteria

• Describe the unique features, qualifications, abilities or expertise of the contractor proposed for this sole source contract.

CSTP is uniquely qualified to carry out the duties of this contract for many reasons.

CSTP has been actively involved in the TPEP evaluation process since its inception in 2010, and their knowledge base is something that cannot be replicated quickly. Since CSTP has been collaborating with and contributing to OSPI’s TPEP project since 2010, they have the necessary understanding and ability to apply any new evaluation criteria for teachers, principals, and principal evaluators. In 2012, CSTP was awarded a contract to recruit and train expert practitioners, now known as Instructional Framework Specialists, to support Washington’s 2,800+ principals as they navigated and mailto:contracts@k12.wa.us

OSPI Sole Source Contract 20250770 Page 4 of 7 implemented the new evaluation system. CSTP remains the statewide leader in collaborating with the approved TPEP Framework Authors and Framework Specialists.

They are a non-partisan educational non-profit organization with significant experience in areas of teacher leadership and teacher voice. CSTP is a statewide organization that has pre-existing relationships with the three Instructional Framework Authors, region-and district-based accomplished educators, the business community, and national education organizations. Using their unique network of teacher leaders and administrators and is able to ensure our meetings are well marketed and well attended, even in rural and remote districts. They have the capabilities to facilitate travel and therefore manage barriers some districts may. As a key leader in the Inclusionary Practices Project (IPP), CSTP can also provide connections between the TPEP work and

IPP.

• What kind of market research did the agency conduct to conclude that alternative sources were inappropriate or unavailable? Provide a narrative description of the agency’s due diligence in determining the basis for the sole source contract, including methods used by the agency to conduct a review of available sources such as researching trade publications, industry newsletters and the internet; contacting similar service providers; and reviewing statewide pricing trends and/or agreements.

In 2015-16, the TPEP office issued a Request for Qualifications and Quotations requesting proposals for this support of Instructional Framework Specialists and CSTP was the only applicant for the instructional framework part of the work. An RFI was conducted in 2014-2015 where two other organizations (Empirical Education [California] and School Improvement Network [Utah]) expressed interest in this work, but they did not respond to the actual 2015-16RFQQ. Additionally, CSTP successfully carried out these similar duties under a DES-approved sole source contracts in Fiscal Years 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25.

Furthermore, OSPI did not receive any capability statements from other potential, interested bidders in response to any previous Sole Source Notifications for this work, indicating CSTP is the only vendor able and available to provide these services.

• As part of the market research, include a list of statewide contracts review and/or businesses contacted, date of contact, method of contact (telephone, mail, e-mail, other), and documentation demonstrating an explanation of why those businesses could not or would not, under any circumstances, perform the contract; or an explanation of why the agency has determined that no businesses other than the prospective contractor can perform the contract.

OSPI reviewed the DES statewide contracts and determined there are no statewide contracts that have a history of experience training and managing all of the TPEP Instructional Framework Specialists.

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• Per the Supplier Diversity Policy, DES-090-06: was this purchase included in the agency’s forecasted needs report?

Yes.

• Describe what targeted industry outreach was completed to locate small and/or veteran-owned businesses to meet the agency’s need.

The Contractor’s WEBS profile indicates they are 100% female-owned, Washington mini business.

• What considerations were given to unbundling the goods and/or services in this contract, which would provide opportunities for Washington small, diverse, and/or veteran-owned businesses. Provide a summary of your agency’s unbundling analysis for this contract.

The Contractor’s WEBS profile indicates they are 100% female-owned, Washington mini business. All the services are tied to the three state instructional frameworks and would be more challenging to unbundle across multiple different contractors.

• Provide a detailed and compelling description that includes quantification of the costs and risks mitigated by contracting with this contractor (i.e. learning curve, follow-up nature).

No training time will be required to acclimate a new educational organization to our state's evaluation criteria. No time will be wasted developing relationships with a network of teacher leaders to carry out elements of the plan. Also, CSTP has already established the successful model for the instructional framework specialist convenings, residency models, and book studies. OSPI does not have staff with adequate capacity to provide this programming; contracting allows the agency to meet needs flexibly as they change, without committing to the expense of additional staff over the long term.

The estimated cost of getting a new contractor up to speed, in addition to their performing the functions detailed in this contract, would exceed the total amount of this contract substantially. To enter into contract with a new contractor, who would need to have 15+ year’s worth of knowledge and relationships on which this work relies, it would significantly slow the pace of providing support to schools and districts in the 2025-26 school year. If the work of this contract was handed over to another contractor, it would mean the loss of a year of support to schools and districts in a legislatively required aspect of their work.

• Is the agency proposing this sole source contract because of special circumstances such as confidential investigations, copyright restrictions, etc.? If so, please describe.

No.

• Is the agency proposing this sole source contract because of unavoidable, critical time delays or issues that prevented the agency from completing this acquisition using a competitive process? If so, please describe. For example, if time constraints are applicable, identify when the agency was on notice of the need for the goods and/or service, the entity

OSPI Sole Source Contract 20250770 Page 6 of 7 that imposed the constraints, explain the authority of that entity to impose them, and provide the timelines within which work must be accomplished.

No.

• What are the consequences of not having this sole source filing approved? Describe in detail the impact to the agency and to services it provides if this sole source filing is not approved.

Through their existing partnership with TPEP Framework Authors, CSTP is poised to seamlessly provide professional development to the Instructional Framework Specialists, teachers, teacher leaders, and administrators in Washington. If this contract is not approved, the agency office will need to invest time and resources toward securing a contractor to support the framework specialist convenings, the teacher residency work, and the collaborative work around equity and CRE in conjunction with the frameworks. This will take an immense amount of time and collaboration. It could result in these groups of educators and administrators not being brought together to receive the latest updates and get access to resource and support structures. The evaluation tools will become outdated and routine, and it's likely they would become a "checklist item" within districts rather than a valuable learning experience.

Reasonableness of Cost

• Since competition was not used as the means for procurement, how did the agency conclude that the costs, fees, or rates negotiated are fair and reasonable? Please make a comparison with comparable contracts, use the results of a market survey, or employ some other appropriate means calculated to make such a determination.

Cost for Activity #1 Camp CSTP Student Growth Goals and Framework Support $30,250 (compared to $36,285 in FY23) covers participant stipends, meeting expenses including overnight lodging/meals for 10 attendees, technology, and planning, facilitation, and travel time for CSTP staff.

Cost for Activity #2: Framework Specialist Convening $176,220 (compared to $174,680 in FY25) covers Framework Specialist stipends, meeting expenses including lodging and meals for 110 attendees, registration and coordination, subcontract with keynote speaker, technology expenses, and planning, facilitation, and travel time for CSTP staff.

Cost for Activity #3: Culturally Responsive Education Experiences for Educators $332,640 (compared to $568,150 in FY25) covers subcontract with Dr. Adeyemi Stembridge, meeting expenses including meals and supplies for 300+ participants statewide, technology expenses, and planning, facilitation, and travel time for CSTP staff.

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Cost for Activity #4: Student Growth Goal/CRE Colloquium $123,882 (compared to $76,186 in FY25) covers meeting expenses including meals and supplies for teams of teacher participants, substitute reimbursement/relief, stipends for presenting teacher teams, technology expenses, and planning, facilitation, and travel time for CSTP staff.

Cost for Activity #5: Statewide Book Club and Book Study $30,590 (same as $30,590 in FY25) covers stipends for book club facilitators, subcontract with Dr. Adeyemi Stembridge, technology expenses, and planning, facilitation, and travel time for CSTP staff.

Costs are commensurate with those paid under competitive contract 20160183 with CSTP, the sole source contract 20180104 with CTSP (in 2017-18), the sole source contract 20190025 with CSTP (in 2018-19), the sole source contract 20200026 with CSTP (in 2019-20), the sole source contract 20210119 with CSTP (in 2020-21), and the sole source contract 20220758 with CSTP (in 2022-2023). For further comparison, the most recent contract with CSTP (20250077) in 2024-25 was for $963,482.

Attachment 2 – Proposed Draft Sole Source Contract

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Attachment 2 – Proposed Draft Sole Source Contract