Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment 2027

The Pennsylvania Department of Education is requesting proposals for the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA), a firm fixed price contract for English/Language Arts, mathematics, and science alternate assessments, with proposals due December 15, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST. Participation goals are the primary filter: proposers must meet a 13% Small Diverse Business goal and a 3% Veteran Business Enterprise goal in full or obtain approved Good Faith Efforts waivers, and failure to do so results in proposal rejection. A mandatory SDB and VBE Goal Information Session is set for November 10, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. EST via Microsoft Teams, with RSVPs due November 6, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST. The listing's description and Exhibit B reference a Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Board actuarial consulting scope, which conflicts with the Department of Education RFP files that define this solicitation.

The scope covers alternate assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, aligned to PA Core Standards for grades 3-8 and 11 in ELA and Mathematics and to PA STEELS standards for grades 5, 8, and 11 in Science. The system must be a web-based, computer-adaptive summative spring assessment with formative capabilities, accessible under ADA and WCAG 2.1 Levels A and AA, and must offer paper-based and Braille options. The awardee must provide full project management, a dedicated full-time Pennsylvania customer service representative, a service desk from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST on weekdays with extended testing-window hours, and 99.9 percent system availability during operational hours. Data must be hosted, handled, and accessed only within the continental United States and Hawaii, with annual SOC 2 Type 2 or ISO 27001 reviews, incident reporting within 24 hours, and a prohibition on using Commonwealth data for AI training. Certifications required with the proposal include Iran Free Procurement, Domestic Workforce Utilization, and Worker Protection and Investment (BOP-2201).

The contract is firm fixed price, runs through June 30, 2032, and covers approximately 18,000 students in ELA and Mathematics and 7,500 in Science, with the operational period set for 2027 through 2032. The source does not name a contract value, funding source, or incumbent. Proposals are evaluated on Technical (65%) and Cost (35%) criteria, with up to 3% bonus points available for Domestic Workforce Utilization. The Commonwealth reserves the right to conduct Best and Final Offers and to reject any or all proposals. Proposals must be electronically signed and remain valid for 120 days or until contract execution.