PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT_DRAFT 6 June 2024.docx

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

For

FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING AND TRAINING SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE

DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER (DLIFLC), WASHINGTON OFFICE, ARLINGTON, VA

1.0 Historical Background:

The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) mission is unique. DLIFLC has been responsible for ensuring that our Nation’s effort to understand the languages and cultures of our friends and foes alike are met. In the era of Great Powers Competition, foreign language and culture skills have become more critical than ever. In an increasingly globalized and interconnected world, maintaining our Nation's security interests requires a military force that can successfully communicate and interact with a wide range of cultures in their native language. U.S. forces continue to play important roles advising, training, and supporting partners and allied forces in support of the national security goals and imperatives of the United States.

Training requirements are driven by world events and United States Government (USG) political-military priorities. It should be anticipated that languages indicated on the strategic Language list will see a higher volume of students than those languages that are not part of the list, and that languages with large numbers of native speakers will see higher training demand than those with fewer native speakers.

This contract calls for the use of established, professional foreign language schools (with an established educational facility) to perform the duties defined herein.

2.0 Background:

As the Defense Department’s premier foreign language provider, the mission of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) is to provide culturally based foreign language education, training, evaluation, and sustainment to enhance the security of the nation here and abroad. DLIFLC plays a critical role in the preparation of service members for their missions whether as Foreign Area Officers, foreign affairs or liaison officers, military attachés, or simply as the language “go-to” soldier in a platoon on a patrol in a far-off province where the need for language and cultural expertise can mean the difference between key national security mission success and failure, or simply life and death. U.S. forces will continue to play important roles advising, training, and supporting partners and allied forces.

2.1. At the Headquarters in Monterey, CA, DLIFLC conducts training in 14 languages annually to over 3,500 students from all branches of the military service, plus the United States Coast Guard. However, DLIFLC requires language training and training support services beyond those available at its training facility in California. The program is conducted in the National Capital Region (NCR) under the Director, DLI – Washington, through the Contract Foreign Language Training Program (CFLTP). DLI-Washington, which is under DLIFLC Command, trains over 400 students annually in approximately 60 languages under the Contract Foreign Language Program (CFLTP). The goal is to deliver the world's best culturally based foreign language education and training in languages encompassing every region of the world – at the point of need.

2.2. The specific work to be performed under this agreement will be initiated through the issuance of individual task orders (TO) in accordance with the solicitation and the ordering guide. Individual task orders will include definitive task requirements, nature and scope of work, deliverables, and special requirements. The types of tasks that the government may order under this contract are outlined in Section 4.0 of this PWS.

3.0 Scope of Work: Under the CFLTP, the Contractor provides all labor, material, and services, except as specified to be furnished by the Government, necessary to perform the types of tasks specified herein. The Contractor shall provide foreign language instruction, and support services. Typical resident student load in the NCR is 200-400 resident students at any given time and 400-500 in a year. The contractor will also be prepared to support non- resident instruction via Mobile Training Teams (MTT) at USG facilities or other locations outside the NCR including overseas locations. The student body is predominantly composed of NCO and commissioned officer ranks. Courses range from familiarization courses of ten (10) weeks to basic courses of 26-64 weeks. As part of this requirement, approximately 275–300 task orders will be awarded annually for all languages.

3.1. Resident Instruction: The Contractor shall provide language instructors and other language subject matter experts (SME) specialist, program manager, language training supervisors, documentation of student accountability and progress, classroom space (unless USG facilities are provided) and related instructional facilities, and instructional materials to include syllabi, weekly schedules and lesson plans, educational technology tools, and course teaching and assessment materials.

3.1.1. The great majority of the resident training is highly unpredictable, with changes such as curtailments, extensions, hiatuses, and class divisions are the norm rather than the exception. Often the requirements come with a month’s notice or less. This training is levied in response to ad-hoc requirements from the Military Service components and DoD Agencies. Training will be provided to individual students or to small groups, normally not exceeding five (5) students.

3.1.2. The Contractor shall provide resident foreign language instruction at the Contractor’s facility within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area/National Capital Region (NCR). The facility must be within walking distance of Metro (rail or bus) transportation or at USG facilities in the NCR or elsewhere as outlined Section 11.0 of this document.

3.1.3. Management, oversight, and infrastructure must be sufficient to support at least 30 full-time classes with a mix of individual or small-group classes simultaneously. A majority of the classes are taught in a one-on-one setting. However, the Government anticipates a smaller but regular flow of small-group classes whose schedules are pre-determined and controlled by the DLI-Washington Office. The contractor must have the capability to expand and obtain additional classrooms as needed due to surge or increased requirements in awarded languages, with possible heavy concentration in one or more languages.

3.1.4. Contractors must be able to deliver synchronous online instruction under specific circumstances outlined in Sections 4.5.2 and 4.6 of this document.

3.1.5. Cancellation of training by the Government:

a. If cancelled less than two weeks prior to class start, the Government will pay a cancellation fee of 80 hours at the proposed instructional rate.

b. If a class is curtailed during the specific period of performance with a two-week advance notice, the Government will pay a curtailment fee of 40 hours at the proposed instructional rate.

c. If a class is curtailed with less than a two-week notice, the Government will pay a cancellation fee of 80 hours at the proposed instructional rate.

3.1.6. ALL classes will observe the exodus established for the winter holidays, when training is generally suspended IAW Army Training Command guidance, but they may also include a one- week academic break (depending on the length of training), which will be specified in the Task Order at award time.

3.2. Non-Resident instruction: The Government may also issue task orders for Mobile Training Teams (MTT) at USG facilities or other locations outside the NCR including overseas locations. General oversight will be provided by DLIFLC or other DoD onsite training managers. Requirements vary in length from days to months, in level of training from familiarization to professional proficiency, in a variety of languages of high national security priority, and in quantity from a single instructor to dozens. Long-distance support and quality control of the instructors remain the Contractor’s responsibility during the MTT. The Government may provide the curriculum or may require the Contractor to do so. Details will be provided in each task order. Non-resident training is divided in two categories:

3.2.1. Support for units outside the NCR whether for deploying forces or general foreign language acquisition. Specific requirements and objectives will be provided with the task order.

3.2.2. End of Training (EOT) Enhancement courses in the form of resident face-to-face classroom instructional services for military DoD linguists at the Presidio of Monterey, California. EOT Enhancement courses are designed for students of the DLIFLC Undergraduate Education (UGE) basic level courses whose DLPT scores have not reached the proficiency level of 2+ in the listening and/or reading skill and/or a 1+ level in the speaking skill. See Section 10.0 for more details.

3.3. Foreign Language Training Support: As needed, the Government will task the Contractor to provide other language services. These services may include development of curriculum and assessment tools, independently or in collaboration with DLIFLC personnel.

3.4. Language Difficulty Categories (LDCs) as defined by DLIFLC to reflect differences in the amount of time needed to attain a certain level of proficiency in the assigned target language by a reasonably capable native English-speaking, beginning learner, LDCs, basic course lengths. Examples of languages follow:

Cat I: 26 training weeks -- includes (not limited to) Portuguese, Italian Dutch, and Norwegian

Cat II: 35 training weeks -- includes (not limited to) German, Indonesian, Malay, and Romanian

Cat III: 48 training weeks -- includes (not limited to) Russian, Hungarian, Cambodian, Somali, and Swahili

Cat IV: 64 training weeks -- includes (not limited to) Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese), Arabic, Pashto, Japanese, and Korean

3.5. Training may be required at any of the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Skill Level Descriptions (SLD) levels of proficiency from 0 to 3.

3.5.1. The ILR scale is a set of descriptions of abilities to communicate in a language and provides descriptions of language proficiency levels (from 0 – 5) in speaking, reading, listening, and writing, unrelated to any particular language curriculum. Each higher level implies control of the previous levels' functions and accuracy. The designation 0+, 1+, 2+, etc. is assigned when proficiency substantially exceeds one skill level and does not fully meet the criteria for the next level. The "plus-level" descriptions, therefore, are subsidiary to the "base-level" descriptions.

3.5.2. For the full description, please go to https://www.govtilr.org

4.0 Specific Tasks

4.1. The Contractor shall provide language instructors and other language subject matter experts (SME), specialist, program manager, language training supervisors, documentation of student accountability and progress, classroom space (unless USG facilities are provided) and related instructional facilities, and instructional materials to include syllabi, weekly schedules and lesson plans, educational technology tools, and course teaching and assessment materials

4.2. As a norm, the Government will not contract courses shorter than 10 weeks under this contract.

4.3. Required instruction generally fits into one of the following categories depending on the number of instructional weeks contracted and the mission being supported.

a. Full Basic Initial Acquisition Course: Initial language acquisition course with end-of-course objectives of ILR proficiency level 2 in listening and reading comprehension, and to a level 1+ speaking ability.

b. Abbreviated Basic Initial Acquisition Course: Initial language acquisition course with end-of course objectives of ILR 1 to ILR level 1+ on all modalities.

c. Familiarization course: Initial language acquisition training designed to take the student up to an ILR proficiency level 0+ on all modalities.

d. Refresher Course: Instruction designed to reestablish language proficiency levels in listening, reading, and speaking for personnel whose proficiency levels have recently dropped below L2/R2/S1+.

· Recommended training length for refresher courses is 6 weeks for Cat I, 9 weeks for Cat II, 12 weeks for Cat III, and 16 weeks for Cat IV languages.

· DLI-W will consider shorter course lengths for Cat II/III/IV languages on a case-by-case basis based on mission needs.

e. Enhancement Course: Instruction which improves the general skills and proficiency for already qualified personnel (with at least Level 2). Course length for enhancement course varies depending on LDCs.

· Intermediate (Prerequisite: ILR proficiency Level 2): designed for personnel to increase proficiency to Level 2+. Training length for intermediate course is 18 weeks for Cat I/Cat II languages, and 19 weeks for Cat III/Cat IV languages.

· Advanced (Prerequisite: ILR proficiency Level 2+): designed for personnel to increase proficiency to Level 3. Training length for advanced course is 18 weeks for Cat I/Cat II languages, and 19 weeks for Cat III/Cat IV languages.

4.4. All requirements for services in each specific Language Group (i.e. resident, curriculum support, or mobile training outside the NCR) will be supported by the awardee. Languages will include, but are not limited to, the following Language Groups:

Language Group 1

Language Group 2

Kyrgyz

Language Group 3

Lao

4.5. ALL resident instruction will be conducted at the vendor premises. The exception is synchronous online instruction which will only be allowed with pre-approval from the Government's designated representative or COR under the following cases: national emergencies, OPM notices like permissive telework or government delays, or in specific cases as dictated for the health and welfare of the students and teachers. Non-resident training will be conducted at designated government facilities as stated in each award.

4.5.1. All synchronous online instruction will be done through the designated online instruction platform. Synchronous learning is defined as real-time training delivered through virtual classrooms. An instructor MUST be present at all times during synchronous online instruction.

4.5.2. Asynchronous learning is defined as learning done independently by the student whose content is delivered online. Asynchronous learning component will be limited to homework or outside-of normal class hours (self-studying). To the extent possible, asynchronous learning should be interactive leveraging games, simulations, multimedia, and collaborative tools.

4.6. Learning Management Systems (LMS): Contractors are required to use a synchronous online instruction platform, which is defined as an LMS, with an integrated video conference capability that allows for real-time, interactive learning between instructors and students in a virtual classroom setting. It is an integrated set of interactive online tools and services that provides teachers, students, and government technical monitors (GTMs) with the resources and information necessary to support language training delivery.

4.6.1. Contractors will load lesson plans, class schedules, and syllabi into the LMS. Using the LMS for administering formative and summative assessments is strongly encouraged. The LMS shall comply with best practices in data integrity and cybersecurity and Security measures and data governance practices will be summarized in the Technology Capabilities Reports provided to the government bi-annually.

Examples of best practices include but are not limited to:

1. Password protections for video conference links

2. Enabling lobbies/waiting rooms

3. Enabling-end encryption

4. Maintain the most updated version of software; ensure all security patches are fully applied

4.6.2. Faculty and students will use only school licensed products or those licensed by the government. Use of free versions of educational technology tools as part of the course materials is not permitted as these may exploit user data inappropriately. All educational technology tools adopted in addition to the LMS (such as flash card applications, game applications) must be listed in the course syllabus and approved by DLI-W for use.

4.6.3. Contractor faculty and staff will not use personal accounts, devices or equipment when working with students. All video and audio recordings of students must be done exclusively in the licensed LMS with clear standards for destruction in a set amount of time.

4.6.4. Instructors should only use vendor-established account credentials for online educational technology products. Teachers will not use personal accounts for such tools.

4.6.5. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to provide GTMs with access to the LMS so that GTMs can conduct proper contract surveillance of classes, materials, and all materials per 4.6.1 above.

4.7. The daily instructional period for resident training at the NCR consists of SIX consecutive contact hours conducted face-to-face at the Contractor’s facility. A maximum of two (2) semi- autonomous hours per day may be included as part of the daily instructional period. During all hours, an instructor must be present and available.

4.7.1. A contact (instructional) hour consists of fifty minutes of instruction and a ten-minute break. Training must be conducted between the hours of 0700 and 1800, Monday – Friday. Exceptions may apply for utilizing/scheduling banked hours. Full-time classes require a definite lunch break of at least 30 min, no later than 2 hours before class end time – this will not be waived. Classes are not allowed to end before the scheduled time except in emergency situations and with authorization from DLI-W. There will be no scheduled classes on Federal holidays and DLI-Washington- designated military “Admin Days”.

4.7.1.1. Banked hours are those missed hours for which a student training individually or an entire group class has provided timely cancellation as defined in Appendix A. Students and groups are expected to make up for any hours missed for timely cancellations or government shutdowns. For most classes, this also includes “Admin Days”, and days when the Federal government is closed due to inclement weather.

4.7.1.2. Banked hours due to timely student cancellation will not be charged to the Government during the period of performance. If there are any unused banked hours at the completion of the period of performance of the specific task order, the Contractor may bill the Government for 25% of those hours (up to 40 hours) at the agreed upon hourly rate for the language.

4.7.1.3. For student late cancellations (those not meeting the criteria for timely cancellations), the Contractor may charge for the training hours missed for the day at the agreed upon rate for the language.

4.7.2. In case of inclement weather or a national emergency, DLI Washington policy is for students/instructors to remain in place and follow guidance issued by the Office of Personnel Management or guidance issued by DLI through the respective schools. For days identified by OPM as “Yellow Days”, the standard is that all training will be conducted virtually.

4.8. Enhancement Instructional Hours: For group classes with at least three students or multiple sections, the Government may decide to use Enhancement Instructional (EI) hours in addition to the core hours. Some examples of EI use:

a. Provide exposure to additional variants of the target language being taught and enrichment instruction for students with varying follow-on countries of assignment

b. Provide remedial one-on-one instruction to address weaknesses of particular students and greater individual attention while the content and pace of the class is more intense

c. Provide greater individual attention

d. Provide extra activities for speaking sessions, military situations and cultural hours

e. Introduce students to natural discourse during speaking practice.

4.9. For all classes, preparation/adaptation of class materials, formal student evaluations, and record keeping of student progress is required. One (1) hour of preparation is required for every three hours of formal full-time instruction and will be compensated at the agreed upon instructional rate. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to ensure that meaningful class preparation is accomplished as required. Instructors shall provide a weekly schedule with a lesson plan outlined for each day.

4.9.1. Contractor is allowed to invoice for class preparation charges due to late cancellations. However, class preparation charges will not be allowed for timely cancellations as defined in this document.

4.10. Instructors must assign and review homework in collaboration with students, as needed. Homework should be reasonable and, as a standard, not require work lasting more than one (1) hour. Assigned homework must be tailored to the student's needs and must be designed to re-enforce learning. In some instances, homework may be assigned to help prepare students for the next day's work such as read-ahead or conduct a diagnostic test.

5.0 RESIDENT TRAINING – Methodology, Curriculum, Instructors

5.1. Goals and Objectives

5.1.1 The great majority of the students trained under this contract will serve overseas in language- dependent assignments. Their instruction must include development of the speaking, listening, reading, and (as an ancillary ability) writing skills required to interact effectively with foreign nationals and members of the diplomatic community to conduct the USG’s business abroad.

5.1.1.2. A smaller number of students will be cryptologic language analysts whose jobs and consequently training will require a greater focus on non-participatory listening, transcription and translation skills.

5.1.1.3. All students must be exposed to a wide range of level-appropriate, topic-relevant, skill-relevant authentic foreign language texts, both spoken and written.

5.1.2. End of Course objectives vary from student to student depending on course length and type. For standard, full basic course students, the end-of-course objective will be 2/2/1+ in reading, listening, and speaking. When students’ training schedule allows for less than the time required by a full standard basic course (an abbreviated basic course), Task Order will include expected end-of-course objectives adjusted to the specific situation based on the matrix in Appendix B, End of Course Objectives by Language Category, as defined by the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale and as measured by the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) or such other USG-sanctioned test as specified in advance of each instructional requirement by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

5.1.3. Students trained under this contract may have existing or prior proficiencies anywhere along the ILR scale in the target or other languages or may be novice language learners. When available, the Government will provide information on the student’s language background at the time the RTOP is issued. It is expected that the vendor will tailor instruction accordingly.

5.1.4. In addition to the global proficiency represented by the ILR descriptions, basic course offerings for students training under this contract must comply with the standards and learning outcomes defined in the

· Foreign Area Officer Language Final Learning Objectives (FAO FLOs) (Appendix D)

· Final Learning Outcomes for FAO Courses (Appendix E)

· Final Learning Objectives for Cryptologic Language Analysts (CLA FLOs) (Appendix F)

5.1.4.1. These additional learning standards are intended to guide contractors in tailoring courses to the specific occupational needs of students. The overall goals of the FLOs are to produce graduates who have the minimum language skills, intercultural competence, and regional knowledge that students must possess by the end of their full basic language course at DLI-Washington to effectively meet the key mission goal of their occupational specialties and job assignments.

5.1.5. Upon completion of a full basic course, the students shall be able to understand predominantly ILR level two (2) spoken and written texts about or referring to the content areas listed below. The students must have a basic understanding and be able to speak about these topics as they relate to the nation(s)/region in which the target language is spoken and shall possess a functional, general vocabulary in each area such as might be used in contemporary media intended for the general public.

5.1.5.1. Content areas: military and security, economic and political, scientific and technological, cultural and social, and geography: physical/political/economic.

5.2. Instructional Methodology: All instruction and instructional support services provided under this contract must be based on proficiency-oriented principles of second language acquisition with a strong focus on instructional methods that are the most effective for adult learners. The government does not ascribe to any one methodological approach but prefers that a variety of approaches be utilized depending on the specific students.

5.2.1. Instruction must be culturally-based, learner-centered, employing authentic materials and real-world tasks that resemble what students may do with their language skills in their final job assignments. Emphasis is placed on communicative competence in real-life situations and practical application of language skills to include appropriate military terminology and exposure to both formal and informal language including colloquial and idiomatic speech

5.2.1.1 The program emphasizes creativity and flexibility to meet the unique instructional needs of a diverse student population.

5.2.1.2. At all levels of proficiency, from the beginner to advanced, level- and topic-appropriate lessons, materials and activities must be utilized to generate as much uninhibited, spontaneous use of the language as possible. This helps advance the students’ proficiency in all three evaluated/tested modalities in addition to writing.

5.2.1.3. While not officially tested, writing skills must be taught to promote/enable language acquisition, leading to increased proficiency in a target language.

5.2.2. Adults are goal-oriented and typically want practical applications for their learning. Methods like Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) align well, as they focus on using the language for real-world communication and specific purposes. However, older methods that focus on grammar instruction as a foundation for building language skills, particularly early in the course, are equally acceptable.

5.2.2.1. Adults prefer autonomy and appreciate being involved in the learning process. Methods that encourage self-directed learning and collaboration can be engaging. Flipped classrooms (see Appendix A) empower adult learners to take charge of their learning, apply new knowledge in practical ways. This can lead to a more engaging and rewarding learning experience.

5.2.2.2. Adults value relevance and want to learn language applicable to their lives and interests. Teachers can tailor any method to incorporate relevant topics and materials that resonate with adult learners.

5.2.3. Many of the students under this contract will rely on their Speaking and Listening proficiency, particularly participatory listening, for their final job assignments. However, sufficient attention must be devoted to the skills associated with non-participatory listening and general reading comprehension to permit level- appropriate attainment of the end-of-course proficiency objectives. This must be done through deliberate and frequent exposure to a range and variety of authentic target-language materials, accompanied by appropriate tasks and activities.

5.2.4. The program is expected to bridge the gap between global and job-specific language performance skills and to prepare students for tasks they will likely perform in the target language. These skills include reading handwriting, keyboarding, writing for professional purposes and general correspondence.

5.2.4.1. For many of our FAO and FAO adjacent students (See Appendix A), these tasks are made up of representational duties, briefings, the processing of authentic foreign-language texts (to include imperfect input), scenarios related to specific contingencies and military terminology as described in Appendices D and E.

5.2.4.2. For some of our students who will work in intelligence-related fields, more focus is needed for non-participatory listening and related tasks described in Appendix F.

5.2.5. Regardless of the stated end-of-course objectives, training must engage the students’ higher order thinking skills (analyze, evaluate, create), develop independent learning skills and adhere to the best practices in and principles of adult education. Regardless of their final duty assignments, all students will see proficiency gains from exposure to all types of job skills even though emphasis will differ based on specific student needs and requirements.

5.2.6. The training MUST incorporate the use of diverse instructional technologies such as, but not limited to, electronic flash cards, online learning applications (apps), games, virtual and augmented reality, social collaboration tools in the LMS, a Human Language Technology tools (HLT) and Gen AI.

5.2.6.1. Gen AI tools should be governed as any other instructional technology tool. Contractors must provide the Government with its policies on academic integrity and the use of Generative AI tools by faculty and students.

· Contractors should designate which Gen AI tools are acceptable for use and train teachers on their proper and appropriate use.

· AI tools are useful for assisting in tasks such as writing learning objectives and lesson plans, developing a corpus, rubrics, classroom activities, and assessment materials.

· Students may be encouraged to use Gen AI tools to help generate vocab lists, have conversation or interpretation partners, obtain grammar explanations, assist in correct translations, etc.

· Care must be taken to protect data privacy and PII information.

5.2.7. Intercultural Competence and cultural knowledge MUST be integrated into language instruction in all phases of training. DLI recognizes that languages cannot be learned in a cultural vacuum. Language and culture are intricately intertwined and difficult to separate; therefore, language skills are to be developed in a context that includes information on the value systems, behavioral patterns, institutions, geography, and political, economic, and social systems of the areas where the target language is spoken. (Appendix D-E)

5.2.8. The US Government reserves the right to observe on-going DLI-W classes at any time.

5.3. Program of Instruction (POI) and Materials: Contractor is responsible for the organization of the course of instruction and materials to be used. In most cases, the Contractor is not required to submit materials to the COR, but these materials must be available in their LMS and accessible to the Government when requested for quality control. In all languages Contractors are expected to use authentic materials and language together in immersive ways with diagnostically oriented teaching methods.

5.3.1. In all languages Contractors are expected to use authentic materials and language together in immersive ways with diagnostically oriented teaching methods guided by the following principles:

a. Diagnostically oriented approach

b. Learner-centered, skill-integrated approach

c. Content-based curriculum and instruction

d. Task-based and scenario-based instruction

e. Instructional materials that address individual students’ needs

f. Use of meaningful, interactive tasks

g. Use of target language (TL)

h. Use of authentic materials (current news, opinions, columns, etc.)

i. Immersive environment

5.3.2. Curriculum/materials should include:

a. Sufficient quantity, analysis, and comprehension of listening and reading Target Language (TL) texts

b. Integration of productive TL skills (speaking and writing)

c. Application of Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

d. Reinforcement of vocabulary and discourse models, meaningful asks/activities/homework

e. Integration of linguistic structure and vocabulary with discourse structure, pragmatics, and socio-cultural awareness

f. Ancillary objectives such as manner or tenor (level of style, proper use of registers, cultural connotations, and politeness forms) and colloquial usage and/or slang must be introduced and taught during the course

5.3.3. All courses regardless of length must include a syllabus covering the seven (7) components of instructional materials described below.

a. Encompass all the FLO topic domains to support the DLIFLC teaching mission. FLO subject domains are military/security, politics, economy, science/technology, culture, social issues, and geography/environment.

b. Materials must be accurate, current, and comprehensive and taken from a representative variety of sources.

c. Materials must be sequenced to induce effective learning. The syllabus and sequence of the topic domains may be modified during the program depending on students’ needs. If changes are deemed substantial enough, the government reserves the right to obtain an updated syllabus.

d. Be sufficient in content and activities to cover the length of the requested training period. The instructors shall be ready with teaching materials for the entire course.

e. Have specific learning objectives (to include tasks or behavior, conditions or approach, and standards or criteria) for each lesson, i.e., the linguistic knowledge, skills and abilities students will obtain from the lesson or learning objective. The learning objectives of each lesson and of all the lessons collectively will contribute to the achievement of the student learning outcomes required for successful completion of the course and specified in the syllabus.

f. Contain a syllabus that is fully aligned to the specific FLOs and learning outcomes applicable to the class and a schedule for the entire course delineated by instructional hours. Syllabus will be provided to students on the first day of class and used as a reference thereafter. Syllabus may be subject to change based on students’ needs. (C.5.3.3)

g. Include an assessment and evaluation plan to gauge students’ progress throughout the course.

5.3.4. Based on the language and length of the period of performance, the Government will allocate a materials budget not to exceed $1,500 per student. Contractor may charge any associated cost of student LMS access as part of materials changes.

5.4. Weekly schedules and detailed lesson plans: The Contractor will ensure that meaningful class preparation is accomplished. Instructors shall provide a weekly schedule with an embedded lesson plan outlined for each day.

5.4.1. These shall be available to students and the USG (via the Contractor’s LMS) on the last working day of the week for the week that follows. The daily plans will include the topic for each lesson, the lesson objective(s), the activities to be completed, materials and tools to be used, any assigned homework, and the method of feedback or assessment. These shall be available to students on the last working day of the week for the week that follows. The Government reserves the right to inspect these documents/materials at any moment.

5.5. Student Progress Report and Counseling: Contractor’s supervisory personnel will conduct (and document) at least one monthly classroom observation visit for each class trained under this contract. Observations will serve a dual purpose: to evaluate teacher effectiveness and to assess student progress. More frequent observations should be conducted where warranted by student progress or instructor experience, or as requested by the COR or DLI Subject Matter Expert / Government Technical Monitor (GTM).

5.5.1. The Contractor must provide monthly, detailed, written student progress reports (PRs) for all students engaged in training. These reports will be based on classroom observations and periodic assessments as well as on student-self-assessments.

5.5.2. The PRs must address each student's current performance, the results of their routine classroom testing, the probability of them achieving course goals in each skill modality in the training time scheduled, and any actions to be taken by the instructor and/or student to enhance that probability.

5.5.2.1. The progress reports include a student self-assessment that must be completed by each student for each reporting period and submitted to the government along with the progress report. It must be filled out by the student independently and used as a point of discussion at monthly progress reporting sessions.

5.5.2.2. The areas of strength and weakness must be identified, along with concrete suggestions to the student for overcoming them. Factors adversely affecting progress, such as lack of aptitude, motivation, application, attendance, punctuality, or out-of-class preparation, must be noted as well.

5.5.3. Contractor classroom observations must be documented and submitted with the monthly PRs for each student. Observation reports shall include information such as: topic, level, skill and grammar focus of the observed lesson, activities used and their appropriateness, meaningfulness of tasks, the level of student engagement, target language use, use of higher order thinking skills, technology integration, student-teacher rapport, etc. Classroom observations do not have to focus on all of these areas each time, but the narrower the focus the greater level of detail shall be provided.

5.5.4. PRs must be followed by academic progress sessions between students and the language training supervisor, and they must be frank and honest. Both student and supervisor must sign each report. Progress Reports must provide an opportunity for students to respond in writing to the report’s ratings and recommendations, and students should be encouraged to make use of this opportunity.

5.6. In-Course Student Assessments: To ensure students are meeting key proficiency and performance targets as well as receiving timely feedback tailored to their learning, Contractors must have a robust assessment and evaluation plan for students. These include formative and summative assessments and a variety of assessment tools including, but not limited to, quizzes, rubric-based assessment, proficiency tests, and performance tests. These assessments are primarily for gauging progress and diagnostic purposes.

5.6.1. In-Course Proficiency Testing: To ensure that students are on track to reach the target proficiency levels as measured primarily by the DLPT and OPI, and in some cases by tests provided by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), the Contractor must administer formal, level-appropriate three-skill (Listening, Reading, Speaking) proficiency-based summative test at intervals throughout the course.

a. Tests should be administered through a secure LMS. Intervals will vary based on course type and will be discussed at the post-award conference.

b. The test format for reading and listening should be constructed response, multiple choice or a combination.

c. Conducting a feedback session with the students after In-Course proficiency testing is strongly encouraged to facilitate further learning.

5.6.1.1. For a small number of languages, DLIFLC has in-course testing available in the form of In-Course Proficiency Tests (ICPTs) and Very Low Range Tests (VLRs).

5.6.1.2. Per DLI-W’s Testing Policy, ICPTs and VLR are only offered to students in Full Basic Courses. The contractor is responsible for coordinating the timely scheduling of these tests with their designated DLI-W Academic Advisor and Testing Coordinator.

5.6.2. In-Course Performance Testing: To assess students’ ability to complete key performance tasks listed in the FLOs the Contractor must administer appropriate and regular performance tests throughout the course, as defined in the FAO FLOs and Learning Outcomes (Appendices D-E) and the FLOs for CLAs (Appendix F).

5.6.3. Periodic Assessment: To evaluate student progress in meeting course learning objectives and to provide timely, measurable, and tailored feedback to students, the contractor must administer periodic and regular assessments throughout the course. Examples are daily vocabulary and grammar quizzes, weekly projects, presentations, speaking scenarios, role plays, games, etc.

5.6.4. DLI-W reserves the right to review all test and assessment materials.

5.6.5. All test and assessment results will be reported to DLI-W during in-progress reviews and as part of the monthly student progress report along with an estimation of the student’s ILR level that results from an evaluation of the assessment and test results collected. Students who fail or are at risk of failing benchmarks\will be reported to DLI-W as soon as possible.

6.0. INSTRUCTORS AND OTHER SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS: The government anticipates that this is a professional services requirement, therefore; the Service Contract Labor Standards (FAR 22.10) do not apply. The Contractor shall implement compensation as detailed as part of the staffing plan.

6.1. The Contractor must provide instructors/SMEs who are educated native speakers of the current standard form of the language/dialect they will teach and additionally have strong English language skills. With written permission of the COR, the Contractor may use instructors who are non-native speakers, but who possess near native language proficiency in all skills (minimum proficiency for the language to be taught is a LEVEL 3 as defined by the ILR SLDs), in addition to strong English skills. They are expected to have a facility with learning technologies, including wide use of electronic resources. Instructors must possess the ability to adapt to students with varying learning styles requiring different teaching strategies. Each Task Order will fully define any additional requirements of SMEs depending on the project.

6.1.1. At a minimum, instructors must possess a Baccalaureate degree or equivalent and have at least two (2) years of successful relevant experience (as defined in Appendix A) in intensive training, teaching adults using proficiency-oriented methods and materials aimed at ILR skill levels 2 and 3. For the purposes of this contract, intensive training is defined as follows: The student is full-time (solely dedicated to language study for four to six hours per day) with no other duties during the period of training.

6.1.1.1. Successful, relevant experience of at least four (4) years in teaching the target language to adult learners in an intensive, proficiency-oriented environment may be substituted for education. Demonstrated experience successfully using educational technology tools to enhance student learning is preferred. Experience teaching remotely is a plus.

6.1.2. For very-low-density languages and/or specific cases, the Government may accept instructors who do not fully meet instructors’ qualifications set forth in the task order. In those instances, the vendor shall provide a compensation plan to demonstrate how an instructor’s experience in the private sector (e.g., in a community, university, or business environment), is equivalent to the intensiveness and orientation of the USG requirements as outlined above.

6.1.2.1. The purpose of a compensation plan is to help those instructors who are just shy of a two-year teaching requirement, and it cannot be used for those instructors who barely have any or no relevant teaching experience. All exceptions to qualifications are at the discretion of the government and must be approved with written permission of the COR.

6.1.2.2. If an instructor with less than 1.5 years of relevant teaching experience, and an adequate compensation plan, is deemed acceptable and approved by the COR, the instructional hourly rate will be reduced by 25% for each instructional hour taught by these not-fully-qualified instructors.

6.2. The instructional hourly rate will be reduced by 25% for each instructional hour when training must be moved to a virtual environment due to lack of availability of instructors face-to-face for a period exceeding 60 consecutive instructional hours.

6.3. The instructor must prepare for each class he/she teaches, tailoring the lesson to individual student’s needs. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to ensure that such preparation is accomplished.

6.4. In addition to the requirements detailed above, instructors for the EOT enhancement training must have Oral Proficiency Interview scores of Level 3 or above on the ILR scale or Superior or above on the ACTFL scale in the Target Language. Additionally, instructors must prove their proficiency in English by providing an Oral Proficiency Interview score of Level 2 or above on the ILR scale or Advanced or above on the ACTFL scale. Contractors must provide documentation demonstrating scores (English and target language) -- documentation will not be older than 18 months.

6.5. If, at any time, the Government considers the instructor ineffective in producing student progress, the COR may request a change of instructor, in coordination with the Contracting Officer (KO). It is the responsibility of the Contractor to provide a suitable and qualified replacement for the COR to approve. The Government expects a qualified replacement is identified as soon as possible but not later than three business day from the Government’s request.

6.6. If a Contractor changes instructors from the one(s) identified and accepted as a part of the awarded task order, either before a class begins or during execution of the training, the vendor will provide the name and qualifications of a new instructor that meets the criteria set forth in the RTOP to the COR and the designated government technical representative for approval.

6.7. The Contractor bears full responsibility for training its personnel in general second-language acquisition the principles of adult education and application and the use of educational technology. Instructors and schoolhouse staff are expected to remain abreast of developments in adult foreign language education methods and techniques.

6.8. The Government may desire from time to time to share its experiences and insights on professional topics relevant to the conduct of training under this contract. These sessions cover subjects that are peculiar to DLI or DoD or to their programs. Such opportunities will be made available to Contractors and their personnel on a voluntary basis and without charge to the Government for the time of Contractor personnel participating in such consultations.

7.0. FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING AND SUPPORT SERVICES: The Contractor shall provide other SMEs to meet any additional training support requirements. These services may include development of curriculum and assessment tools, independently or in collaboration with DLIFLC personnel. Specific skills, abilities, and knowledge sought will be described in individual task order requests but will generally include those required of an instructor as described in Section 6 above. Other SMEs must normally have a minimum of ILR 3 Level English proficiency, experience in curriculum and test development, and/or literacy in and facility with the use of educational technology applications to include video conferencing tools, language learning applications, and learning management systems.

8.0. KEY PERSONNEL AND ENHANCED ACADEMIC SUPPORT: This portion describes specific expectations in terms of Key Personnel and enhanced academic duties the Contractor is required to perform. Key Personnel are defined as personnel charged with day-to-day management of instruction. They implement processes and procedures for ensuring adherence to the terms of the contract, identifying discrepancies, taking corrective action, and addressing areas for improvement. This includes Program Managers, academic specialists, first-line language training supervisors and upper-level management. There are a variety of academic duties the Government expect from the Contractor. KO and COR must be informed whenever changes to Key Personnel take place.

8.1. Program Manager for Requirements at the NCR: A Program Manager (PM) shall be the principal point of contact responsible for overall contract management and quality control as well as being the main point of contact for DLI-W and MICC. Responsible for all contractual and administration issues, to include selection, assignment, and management of highly qualified personnel for the production of all deliverables. Program Manager must be local and available on-site. The Government will issue an annual task order to request and fund some PM services. Refer to Section XXX for details regarding a Program Manager for the End of Training (EOT) Enhancement program.

8.1.1. Overall responsible for ensuring all deliverables listed in this document and the QASP are complied with Government requirements. The PM will facilitate visits by Government personnel other than the COR.

8.1.2. The PM must have worked as a program manager or a related job in the field of foreign language teaching and second language acquisition at least for 2 years. Experience in managing resources and personnel, prioritizing work/assignments, and quality control is expected.

8.1.3.…