27TALWP1 | Screening Curricular Materials for Alignment to CCCRS | RFR | No Cost to DESE

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is conducting a Request for Response (RFR) to procure independent evaluators to screen and rate widely used core curricular materials for alignment to college, career, and civic-readiness learning standards (CCCRS). The procurement seeks qualified organizations with teacher-generated or subject-matter-expert panels to evaluate curricular materials across English language arts/literacy, mathematics, science, history, digital literacy and computer science, and English as a Second Language, with integration of WIDA 2020 English language development standards. Successful bidders must demonstrate extensive experience evaluating core curricular materials, familiarity with national and Massachusetts-specific CCCRS standards, knowledge of evidence-based early literacy frameworks, and commitment to maintaining organizational independence from curriculum publishers through documented conflict-of-interest protocols. Key deliverables include publicly available reports designating materials as "Meet Expectations," "Partially Meet Expectations," or "Does Not Meet Expectations," comprehensive rationales for all ratings, sample reports demonstrating clarity and user-friendliness, and sustained technical assistance to support ongoing communication with DESE staff. Evaluations must be conducted through transparent, consistent processes with formal educator panel training and calibration protocols to maintain objectivity and mitigate implicit bias, with an applied equity lens assessing diverse representation and universal design for learning features. The procurement operates on an open enrollment schedule with multiple response windows: May 7 through June 12, 2026; October 5 through October 30, 2026; March 1 through March 26, 2027; September 2 through September 30, 2027; and March 1 through March 29, 2028, with ongoing inquiry acceptance until December 31, 2029. The contract term extends from the approval date through June 30, 2030, with no renewal options. All responses must be submitted through the COMMBUYS platform with required supporting documentation including a contact information form, credentials narrative, methodology description, standards alignment tools overview, organizational capacity statement, neutrality documentation, and availability commitment.

This procurement is designated as a no-cost contract to the Commonwealth, with DESE contributing no funds to awarded bidders and all services provided at no cost to DESE. The procurement falls under the Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP), which provides award preference to qualifying small businesses with principal places of business in Massachusetts, employ 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, have been in business for at least one year, and maintain gross revenues of $15 million or less based on a three-year average. Non-profit entities must be registered with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office and maintain tax-exempt status under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. DESE reserves the right to award to either a single vendor or multiple vendors, and all materials and deliverables developed using Commonwealth funds become DESE property unless otherwise specified. All digital deliverables must meet Commonwealth Digital Accessibility Standards, including Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 levels A and AA, with bidders required to cooperate with digital accessibility testing at no additional cost to the Commonwealth. Additionally, DESE is authorized to conduct Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) background checks on vendor staff and subcontractors who may have direct and unmonitored contact with children or work in educational settings, with completion of CORI checks required as a final step in contract execution. No specific award value or budget range is identified in the procurement documents, as this is structured as a fee-for-service engagement with no Commonwealth funding obligation.