26MACISCS5 | Educator Preparation Alternative Assessment Attestations | (MA)

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is issuing a Request for Response (RFR) solicitation (26MACISCS5) to identify sponsoring organizations to develop and administer educator preparation alternative assessment attestations as approved substitutes for the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL). DESE seeks vendors to create attestations measuring subject matter knowledge aligned to MTEL test objectives for initial teacher licensure programs, excluding Adult Basic Education, Reading Specialist, Sheltered English Immersion, Vocational Technical Literacy Skills, Bilingual Education, and Communication and Literacy Skills tests. Eligible sponsoring organizations must hold an Approved or Approved with Distinction designation, offer corresponding initial teacher licensure programs, implement evidence-based early literacy programs where applicable, submit a Subject Matter Knowledge Statement of Assurance, designate a Dean or Dean-equivalent to sign off on attestations, and identify one content expert per MTEL. Deliverables include detailed attestation designs with evidence-based assessment methodologies, crosswalks to MTEL objectives, data reporting capabilities, project timelines with identified leads, and comprehensive budget documentation. Responses must be submitted exclusively through COMMBUYS by the rolling enrollment deadline of March 20, 2031, at 12:00 PM ET, with inquiries accepted on an ongoing basis until the same deadline directed to testhelp@doe.mass.edu. The evaluation framework employs a six-point scoring scale across five weighted criteria: Quality of Viability submission (6x multiplier), Quality of Alignment submission (7x multiplier), Quality of Utility and Impact submission (3x multiplier), Quality of Project Plan and Timeline (2x multiplier), and Quality of Budget Narrative and Workbook (2x multiplier), with a total possible score of 100 points. The contract will run from the approval date through June 30, 2033, with approved attestations available to eligible candidates through that date.

The procurement is subject to the Commonwealth's Supplier Diversity Program (SDP), requiring all bidders to submit an SDP Plan Form and commit to spending a minimum of one percent of contract sales with SDO-certified diverse business enterprises or non-profit organizations, with at least 25 percent of total evaluation points allocated to SDP Plan submissions. All successful bidders must enroll in Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for payments and participate in the Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) initiative unless they provide compelling proof of undue burden. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in this solicitation materials. DESE will not contribute funds directly to awarded vendors; instead, vendors placed on the prequalified list will be compensated directly by test takers who select from approved providers and pay independently, with vendors eligible to implement either fee-based models or no-fee models for eligible candidates. The Commonwealth retains ownership of all deliverables created under the agreement except for pre-existing vendor property, which is licensed on a fully-paid, royalty-free, non-exclusive, non-transferable basis. Award may be made to a single or multiple vendors at the Commonwealth's discretion, with no maximum obligation amount specified due to the direct payment model from individual candidates rather than state appropriated funds.