K-3 Literacy Screener System

The state of Arkansas, through the Department of Transformation and Shared Services Office of State Procurement, is seeking proposals for the design, development, implementation, and administration of a statewide kindergarten through third grade Literacy Screener System. The contract will be awarded to a single primary Contractor to provide a comprehensive screening solution, including assessments, diagnostic tools, student-level reporting, and integration with existing state systems. The Contractor will be responsible for all content development, training, and ongoing support and maintenance. The contract term is for an initial four-year period, with the option to renew for up to three additional one-year terms. A mandatory bidders conference will be held on September 19, 2023, and proposals are due by October 3, 2023. The evaluation criteria focus on the Prospective Contractor's experience, proposed solution, and risk mitigation, with interviews and a weighted scoring process used to identify the most advantageous proposal.

The procurement opportunity is open to all qualified vendors, with no set-aside designations mentioned. The state currently utilizes various literacy screeners across districts and seeks to transition to a single, statewide system aligned to the Science of Reading. While an incumbent contractor is not specified, the state has indicated they are open to allowing the selected Contractor to integrate with their existing assessment provider, Cambium Assessments. The total projected contract value is not provided, but the state has outlined specific pricing requirements, including hourly rates for testing activities and a firm dollar amount for the seven-year cost to meet the stated requirements.