RFP 24-561 DeKalb Teacher Residency University Partner

RFP 24-561 is a Request for Proposal issued by the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) in Georgia seeking qualified educator preparation program (EPP) providers to establish formal partnerships supporting the DeKalb Teacher Residency (IGNITE) program. The DCSD seeks an accredited college or university partner to provide virtually, in-person, and/or hybrid coursework leading to a Master's degree and Georgia Level 5 Standard Professional Educator's License for approximately 100 graduate students in high-need shortage areas including Elementary Education (K-5), Middle Grades Education in Science and Math (4-8), Mathematics (6-12), Science (6-12), Special Education (K-12), and World Languages. The selected provider must be capable of preparing candidates within one year by December 31, 2024, with an assumed January 2024 start date, while candidates serve as full-time, paid DCSD employees in student-facing positions alongside mentor teachers. Key deliverables include coursework completion, clinical experience requirements, bi-monthly progress reports, and a comprehensive final report within 90 days of contract conclusion. The EPP must automatically admit DCSD-recommended candidates meeting minimum requirements, allow the one-year residency to satisfy clinical internship/student teaching requirements, permit candidate replacement at no additional cost upon resident dropout, and cover the cost of two Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) assessments per candidate. The mandatory virtual pre-proposal conference was scheduled for September 14, 2023, with proposals due by September 27, 2023, at 2:00 PM via the IonWave portal. Evaluation criteria include Firm's Overview (15 points), Scope of Services (25 points), Firm's Relevant Experience and Expertise (20 points), Professional References (10 points), Quality and Completeness of Proposal (15 points), Cost Proposal (15 points), and an optional interview component (5 points).

This RFP contains no set-asides or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond, and no incumbent vendors were identified for this solicitation. Cost proposals must be submitted on the provided Cost Proposal Form with itemized line items for tuition and fees, textbooks and supplies, licensure assessments, and miscellaneous expenses for 100 graduate students, with pricing required to remain firm for all renewal options. The contract includes an initial term of one year from the effective date through June 30, 2024, with four optional one-year renewal periods subject to DCSD Board of Education approval and funding availability. The DCSD bears all costs related to tuition, textbooks, certification assessments, and program fees, with no add-on charges permitted from the EPP. Middle Georgia State University was awarded the contract on October 16, 2023, with a not-to-exceed award amount of $814,900. The DCSD reserves the right to make multiple awards or cancel the solicitation at any time.