Universal Literacy Screeners RFI.pdf

Maryland State Department of Education

RFI #R00B6600212

Request for Information (RFI)

RFI # R00B6600212 BPM057727

Title: Universal Literacy

Screeners

Release Date: June 26, 2026

Small, Minority and Veteran-owned businesses are encouraged to respond to this request.

NOTE: This is not a solicitation. No procurement is involved in this request, and no purchase will be made as a result of it.

Request for Information (RFI)

Issue Date: June 26, 2026

Title: Universal Literacy Screeners PK-12

Procurement Officer: Lisa McMillan

NOTE: This is not a solicitation. No procurement is involved in this request.

Nothing will be purchased as a result of this request.

I. Purpose

The Maryland State Department of Education is seeking information on universal literacy screeners that meet the requirements of the COMAR13A.03.08, the Ready to Read Act, and in preparation for universal screening expansion to grades prekindergarten (Pre-K) and 4 – 12, to establish a vetted list of approved screening tools for LEAs to select from for mandatory tri-annual administration.

II. Background

The MSDE is soliciting information on universal literacy screeners that meet the requirements identified in the Comprehensive PreK-3 Literacy Policy, COMAR13A.03.08, the Ready to Read Act and in preparation for universal screening expansion to grades Pre-K and 4 –

12. Beginning in SY 2026-2027, MSDE is required to release a list of vetted and approved universal screeners to be administered three times per year (fall, winter, and spring: beginning of year, middle of year, and end of year).

The information, data, comments, or reactions obtained may be used as research for a future solicitation. This RFI does not constitute an Invitation for Bid, Request for Proposal, or Informal Request for Bid or Proposal, and is not to be construed as a commitment by MSDE. MSDE will review all responses received. If MSDE or an LEA decides to issue a solicitation for commodities or services, the procurement will be conducted in accordance with Maryland State Procurement laws, regulations, and guidelines.

III. Technical Requirements/Specifications

1. Grade Levels

A. The universal literacy screener must be appropriate for students in Pre-K, K- 3, 4-5, or 6-12. Vendors should specify the exact grade levels their screener is designed for, and it is understood that the grade range may not precisely match these bands. For example, the range may extend across or fall between

Request for Information (RFI) the grade bands identified above. Each screener will be evaluated based on the criteria set for each grade band included.

2. Technical Adequacy

A. Evidence must be submitted to show the screener:

1) Accurately and reliably identifies students at risk for poor learning outcomes, including but not limited to, identifying students with characteristics of dyslexia;

2) Is developmentally appropriate;

3) Is economical to administer based on time and cost;

4) Uses norm-referenced or criterion-based scores; and

5) Demonstrates strong reliability (minimum 0.80 reliability coefficient), strong validity (content, construct, predictive), and clear-cut points/decision rules for identifying risk levels.

B. Evidence must include peer-reviewed validation studies.

C. Evidence must provide current normative data (within the past 5 years).

3. Assessed Domains by Grade Level

A. Per the Comprehensive PreK-3 Literacy Policy, COMAR13A.03.08, the Ready to Read Act and the forthcoming screening expansion requirements, the appropriate grade-level screening instrument for grades Pre-K-12 shall measure, at minimum:

1) Pre-K

I.Phonological awareness (multiple measures, such as syllable segmentation, rhyme, onset sounds, phoneme blending)

II.Alphabet Knowledge (letter name and sound)

III.Vocabulary and oral language (while not required, inclusion of this component will be looked upon favorably)

2) K-3

I.Phonological and phonemic awareness, II.Alphabet Knowledge (letter name and sound)

III.Decoding

IV.Fluency

V.Rapid automatic naming.

3) 4-5 i.Word Recognition ii.Vocabulary iii.Reading comprehension iv.Reading efficiency or fluency

4) 6-12 i.Vocabulary ii.Reading comprehension

B. The submission must include a chart showing the subtests that measure each required component for the designated grade level.

C. The submission must include a chart showing the administration minutes per student or per group.

D. Must include a chart with clear cut scores for students designated “at-risk” for reading difficulties

4. Administration Requirements

A. Assessment is designed to be administered 3x a year (Fall, Winter, Spring).

B. The time required to conduct the assessment shall be brief, with the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time.

1) For Pre-K, 5-15 minutes is acceptable; under 10 preferred.

C. Assessment should be user-friendly, include both teacher-administered and/or digital administration options and aligned guidance. Adaptability for group vs. Individual administration with varied formats will be viewed favorably.

D. Administration and scoring guidance provided for Multilingual Learners and English dialect speakers.

E. Administration, accommodations, and scoring guidance provided for students with disabilities, including low incidence disabilities.

5. Administration Supports

A. Vendor must include training resources for administration, including but not limited to:

1) clear administration guidance;

2) protocols and/or checklists for administration;

3) professional learning opportunities; and

4) on-going technical assistance

B. Training shall equip any of the following school personnel with the skills and knowledge necessary to administer the screener with fidelity:

1) Classroom teacher,

2) School psychologist,

3) Reading specialist,

4) Special education teacher,

5) Speech-language pathologist,

6) Reading interventionist, or

7) Any other educator needed to administer the assessment.

6. Accessibility

A. All digital tools must meet all applicable federal and state accessibility requirements. Please reference the Web

Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 in the MSDE IT Supplemental document attached as Appendix A.

7. Accommodations

A. Assessment must include appropriate accommodations and guidance for administering the assessment to students with disabilities.

B. Assessment must include appropriate accommodations and guidance for administering the assessment to Multilingual learners.

8. Diverse Learners and Cultural Bias

A. Assessment is linguistically and culturally authentic.

B. Availability of assessment in multiple languages will be considered favorably.

C. Availability for use with non-speaking students will be considered favorably.

9. Data and Reporting

A. Must provide scores for each individual measure for all domains listed for the corresponding grade band in section 2.3., a composite score, and percentile ranking.

B. Provides separate user-friendly reports for teachers and families.

C. Provides separate individual student, classroom-level, and grade-level reports

D. Provides aggregated student data.

E. Must provide school and district-level aggregated data.

F. Must include data visualization features.

G. Inclusion of progress monitoring tools to assess students’ academic performance across multiple administrations will be considered favorable.

H. Inclusion of aligned diagnostic assessments will be considered favorable.

I. Assessment that allows for customizable reporting options will be considered favorable.

10. Integration Capabilities

A. Must allow for secure data export/import.

B. Must be capable of integrating with common student information systems.

C. Must support single sign-on capabilities.

D. Must comply with industry-standard data interoperability frameworks.

11. Technology Requirements

A. Must be compatible with standard operating systems and devices used in

Maryland schools.

B. Must function on various devices (computers, tablets).

C. Must include offline administration options for schools with limited connectivity.

D. Must meet all state and federal data security standards.

E. Must maintain 99.5% uptime during administration window.

F. All digital tools provided must adhere to COMAR 14.18.02

12. Security

A. All digital tools must meet all applicable federal and state security requirements. Please reference the MSDE IT Supplemental document attached as Appendix A.

B. Must at minimum meet the Department of Information Technology security requirements. Please reference the State of Maryland Information

Technology Security Manual located on the DoIT Website https://doit.maryland.gov/policies/Pages/default.aspx

C. Must complete the K-12CVAT: K-12 Community Vendor Assessment Tool

Lite-V4.1

IV. RFI Submission Information

In accordance with COMAR 21.03.05, bids are to be submitted electronically through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) following the Quick Reference Guides (QRG) labeled “3 - eMMA QRG Responding to Solicitations (IFB)” for single envelope submissions. The Bidder must submit a letter of interest, a resume that demonstrates the required qualifications for the services requested and the signed bid form Exhibit A (include ALL final costs for completing the project) to provide the service detailed in the Scope of Work. The submission must be received by July 22, 2026, by 5 p.m. If you have not done business with MSDE or the State of Maryland, or a significant amount of time has elapsed, please submit an updated W- 9 with your bid. Bids will not be opened publicly.

If a vendor previously submitted to RFI #R00B5600154 and was not approved for K-3 screener adoption, they may not re-submit for K-3 consideration under the current RFI, unless the screener has been updated, or there is new research to support its accuracy, reliability, and/or validity. However, the vendor may submit any screener to be considered for use in PreK or grades 4-12.

V. Submission Due Date:

Interested individuals must submit a letter of interest, the completed technical reports, administration guide, scoring guide, teacher‘s guide, sample test items for grade level assessment measures, and visuals of digital platform (Teacher and https://doit.maryland.gov/policies/Pages/default.aspx https://procurement.maryland.gov/emma-qrgs/ https://procurement.maryland.gov/emma-qrgs/ student facing) by 5 pm on July 22, 2026. Including a video or video clips of the assessment being administered is highly encouraged.

VI. Questions

All questions should be addressed in writing to the Procurement Officer. Please put the RFI # and Title in the subject line of your email. Questions should be submitted by 5 pm on July 5, 2026. Note: All responses to questions submitted, if any, shall only be posted on eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) as Addendum #1 and or Q & A after the due date of questions are received. It is beneficial to be registered with “eMMA” to access the addendums and any other pertinent information. There may be other opportunities from State agencies there. There shall be no mailing of the Addendums. The link to “eMMA” to register is as follows:

https://emma.maryland.gov/page.aspx/en/sup/registration_extranet_manage

VII. Rights of MSDE

State-recommendation of curricula by the Maryland State Department of Education does not provide funding or procurement of publishers’/vendors’ curricula and materials.

THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.

EXHIBIT A:

• Complete this form and return with all of the requested information.

• Late bids shall not be accepted.

• Faxed or mailed bids shall not be accepted.

VENDOR’S NAME: _____________________________________________

Print

VENDOR’S ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________

City State Zip

VENDOR’S FEDERAL ID or SS#____________________________________________

NAME OF AUTHORIZED: ________________________________________

Print

SIGNATURE: ___________________________________________________

https://emma.maryland.gov/page.aspx/en/sup/registration_extranet_manage

TITLE: _____________________________________________________

TELEPHONE NO: ______________________________ DATE: ________________________

E-MAIL: ________________________________________________

FAX NO. ____________________________________________________

ARE YOU A REGISTERED SMALL BUSINESS? YES ____ NO ____

IF YES: MARYLAND STATE CERTIFICATION #_____________________________

IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED, PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE

INFORMATION: http://goma.maryland.gov/Pages/sbr-Program.aspx

ARE YOU A REGISTERED MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE? YES____ NO____

IF YES: MARYLAND STATE CERTIFICATION #_____________________________

http://goma.maryland.gov/Pages/sbr-Program.aspx