Develop Achievement Levels Descriptions for Reporting the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Writing Results

The National Assessment Governing Board has developed a new framework for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) writing assessment which calls for an entirely computer-based administration of the assessment in 2011 for grades 8 and 12 and in 2013 for grade 4. Preliminary achievement levels descriptions were developed as part of the Writing 2011 Framework development project.

The Governing Board requires expert evaluation of the preliminary descriptions, as well as a review of the achievement levels descriptions currently used for reporting writing NAEP results in order to develop final descriptions to use in the achievement levels setting process. The new achievement levels descriptions will be presented to the Governing Board for adoption in May 2011 as the achievement levels descriptions to be used for reporting results of the writing NAEP for 2011 and thereafter.

The overall objective of the procurement is to develop achievement levels descriptions to be used for reporting the results of the 2011 NAEP for grades 8 and 12 and the 2013 NAEP for grade 4. A statement of objectives will be issued for which a proposed methodology and procedure for developing the achievement levels descriptions shall be prepared. The procedure must at minimum include a plan to draft the achievement levels descriptions, a plan to submit them to broad-based review, vetting by various stakeholders of NAEP and writing, revisions in response to the reviews, and finalizing the descriptions for submission to the Governing Board for approval.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued as a Simplified Acquisition under Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 13, and is planned as total small business set aside contract. The RFP will be issued in late December 2010 or early January 2011. Responses to the RFP will be due approximately 30-45 days after the RFP release.

Questions on this announcement and the RFP shall be submitted after RFP release, on a date specified in the RFP, in order to provide an opportunity for interested parties to review the RFP and submit all solicitation questions at one time.