Nebraska Balanced Assessment System

The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) has issued Request for Proposal NDERFP240325 seeking a qualified contractor to develop and operate an innovative, balanced statewide assessment system for Nebraska's students. The procurement aims to create a comprehensive assessment solution that meets all federal requirements for assessment and accountability, covering English Language Arts, math, and science assessments for both general and alternate education students. Proposed deliverables include adaptive testing capabilities, advanced assistive technologies, item development, scoring mechanisms, professional reporting, and technological infrastructure that can accommodate Nebraska's rural technological landscape. The evaluation criteria will assess proposals across four key areas: project requirements, business requirements, technical requirements, and project planning and management, with a total of 190 possible points. Critical dates include a proposal submission deadline of July 3, 2024, at 2:00 PM Central Time, with the State planning to evaluate proposals and award the contract by September 25, 2024. The initial contract term will be one year, commencing July 1, 2025, with options to renew for four additional one-year periods upon mutual agreement.

Four vendors were evaluated in this procurement: NWEA, Cambium, DRC, and Pearson, with NWEA ultimately receiving the intent to award. The State of Nebraska has indicated this will not be an exclusive contract, reserving the right to procure similar services from other sources concurrently or in the future. No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly mentioned in the documents. The State is self-insured and will not provide additional insurance coverage, and contract funding is subject to legislative appropriations. While specific budget ranges were not disclosed, the RFP suggests flexibility in pricing to support test design and redevelopment. The NDE currently owns an existing item bank that will be transferred to the selected contractor, and the new assessment system must integrate with Nebraska's existing educational technology infrastructure. The procurement emphasizes the need for a solution that can effectively serve diverse student populations across the state's varied geographical and technological contexts.