RFI Open Educational Resources for Civics and Comparative Government Education

The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development is soliciting information on open educational resources for civics and comparative government education supporting implementation of Alaska Senate Bill 23 and alignment with the 2024 Alaska Social Studies Standards, with responses due November 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time. This is an RFI for information-gathering only and does not constitute a procurement solicitation; only freely available materials in the public domain or released under an open license permitting access at no cost with reuse, repurposing, adaptation, and redistribution rights will be considered for inclusion on the statewide OER list.

DEED seeks information from organizations, publishers, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, content developers, and other entities regarding high-quality resources suitable for Alaska secondary students. Acceptable materials include complete or partial curricula, instructional materials, assessments, and project-based assessments. Resources must address 14 statutory instructional topics: U.S. founding history, federalism, government institutions, citizenship rights and responsibilities, civil liberties and rights, state and federal constitutions, political parties, campaigns and elections, Congress, domestic and foreign policy, comparative government systems, international relations, and major policy issues.

Respondents must provide detailed information across five categories: organization and experience in OER development and K-12 civics instruction; available resources including grade levels, formats, and implementation considerations; alignment with the Civics OER Rubric and the 14 instructional topics; open licensing and accessibility compliance (including copyright status, modification rights, ADA compliance, and support for diverse learners); and implementation and sustainability details regarding maintenance, updates, technical support, and statewide applicability. The evaluation framework assesses resources on alignment to SB 23 and the 2024 standards, civic knowledge and practice, usability, non-partisan viewpoint-neutral presentation, Alaska relevance and representation, instructional quality and supports, assessment practices, and OER quality. Responses should be submitted via email to Kathy Blomquist, Procurement Officer, at eed.procurement@alaska.gov.