Statement of Work for Adult Achievement Paper-Based Test_1.pdf

U.S. Department of Justice

Statement of Work - Adult Achievement Test Federal Bureau of Prisons

Statement of Work - Adult Achievement Test

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BACKGROUND AND SCOPE

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (Bureau/BOP) is an agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ). It consists of 122 institutions throughout the United States, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico; 6 regional offices, a Central Office (headquarters), 2 staff training centers, and 26 Residential Reentry Management offices.

The Bureau is responsible for the custody and care of 153,000 adult Federal offenders. Approximately, 84 percent of these inmates are confined in Bureau-operated facilities, while the balance is confined in secure privately-managed or community-based facilities and local jails.

The Bureau provides educational services that assess the foundational skills of inmates and offers additional opportunities which potentially lead to a nationally and internationally recognized high school equivalency credential for all Federal prisoners who participate in the literacy program.

SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED

The Bureau intends to make an award for an adult achievement test. The vendor must clearly demonstrate that the adult achievement test will assess the inmate learner’s basic skills in Reading, Language Arts, and Mathematics.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The adult achievement test must be aligned with the National Reporting System (NRS) for Adult Education, as authorized by Section 212 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The contract shall consist of one base period and four option years. The Central Office Education Branch will cover the base year ‘start-up’ initial cost for the program implementation. The option years will allow field institutions to reorder the needed consumable resources to support the program. This contract is anticipated to begin before the end of Fiscal Year 2021.

TEST DELIVERY

The adult achievement test shall be available in paper-based test (PBT) batteries, and at a minimal, assess Language Arts, Reading, and Mathematics.

The adult achievement test shall be provided in English and Spanish.

The vendor shall provide alternative formats (Braille, English and Spanish audio, and screen-reader technology) for assessing inmates with disabilities. The implementation of test accommodations during a test session must be allowable.

The Language Arts test must, at least, assess correct grammar and usage; using synonyms, homonyms, and antonyms; using contractions; writing complete sentences; and developing paragraphs.

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The Reading test must, at least, assess identifying topic sentences, main idea, and supporting details;

using context clues; comparing and contrasting; cause and effect; making inferences and drawing conclusions; and identifying fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry.

The Math test must, at least, assess adding and subtracting whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and integers; estimating values; using statistics and probability; using and converting measurements; finding and converting percentages; reading charts, graphs, and tables; solving math problems using order of operations; and solving for unknown values using algebra and geometry concepts.

SCORING

The vendor shall provide at least two options for scoring paper-based tests. The scoring options must include staff training manuals and at least two live training webinars for bureau staff.

RECORDS AND REPORTS

The vendor shall provide the Bureau with instant reporting regarding inmate testers, as well as provide statistical reports, trend analysis, and empirical data via an interactive reporting system with on-demand and secure data retrieval. This data and reporting shall be available for all tests.

The reporting system shall provide an individualized prescriptive score report for each Language, Reading, and Math pretest and posttest completed by the inmate. This report shall be used to assist BOP instructors with developing data-driven instructional lesson plans and curricula.

Based on the results of any scored Language, Reading, and Math test, the individualized prescriptive score report shall include the inmate’s score; skill areas mastered; skill areas of weakness; suggested topics of study; study plans correlated and customized to multiple published material (print and electronic) with specific page, unit, module, screen, etc. references.

The vendor shall view and treat all scores and data as confidential information and shall not release inmate information or any testing records unless requested by the COR. Due to security concerns, individual test records of Federal inmates shall not be shared as part of any database accessible to other adult achievement testing programs or the public. The storage and exchange of records and personal identification information between the Bureau and the vendor shall adhere to the United States Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prison’s information security requirements.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Approximately twice a year, the COR may request the vendor’s resource staff members provide specialized training (test administration, using test results for goal setting, and creating student learning plans, etc.). No additional costs shall be incurred.

Upon the COR’s request, the vendor shall provide the BOP the following:

• Additional trainings for specific identified topics. The developed training material shall be available for continued use by the Bureau.

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• Provide trainers (professional highly experienced trainers) to conduct/deliver a day (approximately 6 hours) of in-person adult achievement test training for BOP Education staff at sites identified by the COR. If in-person trainings are not feasible, based on the COR’s decision, the vendor will present a minimum of six 1-hour live webinars to BOP staff. The live webinars shall be recorded and made available for posting to the Bureau’s website for future trainings.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The testing platform shall allow the government the capability to manage (add, delete, and edit) user accounts. Provide a bulk account creation and deletion process.

The testing platform shall provide the user a self-service feature for password or account reset.

The testing platform shall provide a failed login attempt threshold with government notification.

CONTRACT SUPPORT AND MANAGEMENT

The vendor shall provide examiner policy and procedure manuals, training materials, and other necessary materials (hard copies or electronic) with copyright permission for use at all test centers as these manuals and materials become available.

The vendor shall dedicate resource staff specifically to address all issues associated with this contract.

This support shall include, but is not limited to, BOP staff user account support; troubleshooting test, records, and reporting systems; and contract administration and operation. No additional costs shall be incurred for the resource staff.

The vendor shall provide, on a monthly basis, an itemized invoice sent via e-mail to the FBOP Central Office-Business Office and the COR for the base year ‘start-up’ initial costs associated with the adult achievement test implementation process.

The vendor shall dedicate a resource staff specifically (working with the institutions) for the re-ordering of test booklets, answer sheets, and other consumable materials that will assist the institutions with maintaining the testing program. The resource staff will also serve as the institutional point-of-contact and ensure that all institutional orders (during the option years) will be invoiced/billed directly to the requesting institution for payment from the requesting institution.

In the event that pertinent verbal discussion occurs, discussion shall be summarized with an e-mail for Contractor, CO, and COR.