RIDE Pre-K Assessment System

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP 26006576) for an early childhood formative and summative assessment system to support its statewide Pre-Kindergarten program. The procurement seeks an integrated platform that will measure outcomes for approximately 2,840 children across a minimum of 150 classrooms in sixteen Rhode Island communities and identify trends in teaching and facilitation. The summative assessment component must include pre- and post-assessment capabilities administered in fall and spring with alignment to Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards, emphasizing literacy, language, cognitive development, mathematics, and social-emotional development, while connecting to the RI Early Learning Data System (RISES). The formative assessment component must provide a nationally recognized, valid and reliable early childhood assessment instrument spanning birth through Grade 3, with online data entry accessible via mobile devices and various browsers, enabling remote monitoring and compliance reporting. Vendors must provide professional development and training for all users prior to September 1 of each contract year, ongoing technical support, and system maintenance with documented technical infrastructure security and reliability. The RFP opened on April 28, 2026, at 11:00 AM EDT and closes on May 27, 2026, at 11:00 AM EDT, with vendor questions due by May 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM EDT through the Ocean State Procures online portal. Technical proposals will be evaluated on a maximum of 70 points across four criteria: Contractor Understanding of the Issues (10 points), Capability, Capacity, and Qualifications of the Vendor (20 points), Work Plan (20 points), and Ability to Maintain the System and Respond to Technical Issues (20 points), with a minimum score of 60 points required to advance to cost evaluation. Cost proposals are valued at up to 30 points, with potential ISBE participation bonus points of up to 6 points, bringing the maximum total possible score to 106 points.

The procurement includes a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE), and Disability Business Enterprise (DBE) participation plan requirement, with vendors required to document commitments with certified subcontractors and suppliers and submit detailed descriptions of assigned work. The state will evaluate proposed MBE/WBE/DBE participation rates as part of the technical scoring process. Required insurance includes general liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence), workers' compensation ($100,000), automobile liability ($1,000,000), professional liability/errors and omissions ($2,000,000), and Technology Errors and Omissions ($5,000,000). The initial contract period is anticipated to begin in summer 2026 for three years, with options to renew for up to two additional 12-month periods based on vendor performance and fund availability. The contract is funded by state-allocated dollars combined with Preschool Development/Expansion Grant appropriations from the federal government, with Rhode Island designated as one of only six state preschool programs in the nation meeting or exceeding the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) highest quality benchmarks. Proposals must include a technical narrative (10-20 pages), detailed cost proposal with per-child pricing for approximately 3,000 students and hourly rates for professional development training (estimated at ten hours), completed Vendor Certification questionnaires, Supplemental Bidder Attestation forms, and ISBE participation documentation, with all proposals irrevocable for 180 days following submission. A 0.33% contract administrative fee will be withheld from invoices effective January 1, 2026, and all contracts extending beyond June 30th are subject to fund availability at the State's discretion.