26MACISON1 | PRISM Curriculum and Instruction Coaches to Support PRISM Districts | MA

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is soliciting proposals for PRISM Curriculum and Instruction Coaches to support local education agencies (LEAs) in implementing high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) in English Language Arts/Literacy for two grant programs: PRISM II (PreK-3) and PRISM III (Grades 4-12). The procurement seeks to prequalify vendors who will provide leadership coaching, professional learning, and customized support to districts implementing literacy improvement strategies. Coaches will be responsible for designing and facilitating curriculum-specific professional development, conducting instructional walkthroughs, and supporting literacy coaches and educators in developing equity-centered literacy implementation plans. Vendors must demonstrate expertise in evidence-based, culturally and linguistically sustaining literacy practices, with required deliverables including on-site and virtual coaching, professional learning communities development, and continuous improvement methodologies. The solicitation, posted on COMMBUYS with bid #BD-25-1026-DOE02-DOE01-116249, has a priority deadline of June 9, 2025, with ongoing submissions accepted until December 31, 2027 at 12:00 PM ET. A pre-bid conference is scheduled for May 14, 2025, at 9:00 AM via Zoom, and all bid responses must be uploaded to the COMMBUYS website.

The contract opportunity includes a mandatory Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) with a minimum 1% financial commitment to diverse business enterprises. Eligible diverse businesses must be certified in categories including Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Woman Business Enterprise (WBE), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (SDVOBE). Bidders will be evaluated using a 100-point scorecard that assesses organizational expertise (30 points), curriculum-specific professional learning (30 points), coaching approach (15 points), equity commitment (10 points), and budget considerations (10 points). The project will support 13-15 LEAs per grant in the first year, with an anticipated total of 40-70 LEAs across both programs. Estimated annual funding per district will range from $15,000 to $211,000, depending on the cohort, track, and year of programming. Funding sources include the state's FY25 budget (Literacy Launch) and a federally funded Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant. Districts will directly contract with and pay selected vendors, and DESE will establish a Departmental Master Agreement through June 30, 2029, with the potential to prequalify either a single vendor or multiple vendors.