SBE: 21st Century Community Learning Centers Statewide Evaluation

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is seeking a qualified vendor to conduct a comprehensive statewide evaluation of the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Program. The selected contractor will be responsible for assessing program implementation across 53 unique entities, spanning multiple cohorts with subgrants ending between FY 2025 and FY 2031. Deliverables include quarterly reports, site visits to every subgrantee, technical assistance workshops, survey administration, and annual evaluation reports in English and Spanish. The evaluation will focus on seven key program objectives, such as improving student achievement, increasing attendance and graduation rates, enhancing social-emotional skills, and fostering community collaboration. The procurement follows a competitive evaluation process with a total of 1,440 available points, distributed across technical requirements (1,000 points), commitment to diversity (200 points), and pricing (240 points). Bidders must achieve a minimum of 900 points in technical and diversity evaluations to be considered for the pricing stage. Key dates include questions due by May 14, 2025, proposal submissions due in May 2025, and anticipated contract award and execution in June 2025.

The contract includes specific diversity requirements, with a Business Enterprise Program (BEP) goal of 12% and a Veteran Small Business Program (VBP) goal of 0%. The solicitation emphasizes a Commitment to Diversity (C2D) evaluation, which comprises 20% of the technical score and encourages vendor engagement with businesses owned by Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities (WMD). Scoring will be based on BEP goal compliance, subcontracting with diverse businesses, DEI spending, DEI time investments, DEI policies, and diversity in staffing. The initial contract term will run from execution through June 30, 2029, with potential renewals not to exceed 10 years total. The evaluation contract is funded through federal sources, specifically authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Notably, the contract prohibits the awarded vendor from providing evaluation services to 21st CCLC subgrantees during the entire contract period. While a specific budget range is not explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the evaluation and the involvement of 53 entities suggests a significant contract value, with extensive reporting and technical assistance requirements.