SBE: RENEWAL NOTICE - NCS Pearson (IAR Content)

The State of Illinois, through the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), has issued a renewal notice for a contract with NCS Pearson to provide comprehensive educational assessment services for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) for Grades 3-8. The contract, identified as Bid Number 48445, covers a five-year term from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2030, and includes critical deliverables such as secure hosting and management of existing Illinois-owned test items, creation and transfer of assessment forms to the state's Test Administration Vendor, and provision of psychometric analyses and project management support. The procurement specifically focuses on developing content and forms for standardized assessments administered to students in Grades 3-8, ensuring comprehensive educational evaluation capabilities. The renewal is based on the original solicitation Bid Number 36660, with a total contract value of $27,914,185.00. The due date for this renewal notice is July 11, 2025, with the contract effective immediately thereafter, indicating a seamless continuation of existing assessment services.

The contract includes specific provisions for Business Enterprise Program (BEP) and Veterans Business Program (VBP) participation, with mandated participation rates of 1% for VBP and 12% for BEP. Four BEP subcontractors have been identified and integrated into the contract: edCount, LLC (6.3%), Teneo Linguistics Company, LLC (0.5%), Tracy Crump Enterprises, LLC (1%), and Blue20, LLC (12%). These subcontractor designations demonstrate a commitment to supporting diverse and small businesses in the procurement process. The renewal is structured to maintain continuity with the existing contract terms, suggesting that NCS Pearson has been the incumbent vendor for these assessment services. The comprehensive nature of the contract, involving secure test content management, form creation, and advanced psychometric analysis, indicates a sophisticated and specialized procurement that requires significant technical expertise in educational assessment technologies and methodologies.