Sole Source Public Review - College Placement Math Testing

City Colleges of Chicago is conducting a public review of a sole source procurement for ALEKS Placement, Preparation, and Learning (PPL), a computer-adaptive math placement and learning platform, with objections and vendor statements due by June 15, 2026, and a public hearing scheduled for June 15, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. CDT via Zoom. This is a sole source award — CCC has determined the purchase is only economically available from McGraw Hill LLC due to proprietary system design and exclusive licensing rights.

The platform delivers online initial placement assessment, up to four reassessments within one year, and a 12-month prep and learning module for each student, along with scoring, electronic reporting, data transfer consultation, on-campus and web-based training, customized online portal, implementation consultation, and ongoing support. The service is designed to support accurate course placement for new credit students across all seven CCC colleges and aligns with Level-Up programming and proctored math assessment requirements for academic programs. Place of performance is the seven colleges within City Colleges of Chicago district.

The contract term runs July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with up to five additional one-year renewal options available. The contract value is $1.125 million for the initial term, calculated at $15.00 per student per initial placement assessment, based on approximately 75,000 annual student users. Pricing is usage-based with an annual cap; invoicing occurs in arrears (October 1 for April–September usage and April 1 for October–March usage) with payment due within 30 days. Either party may terminate without penalty upon 90 days' prior written notice.

McGraw Hill has provided this platform to CCC since at least 2017 under prior competitive procurement. Interested parties may submit objections using the provided template or request to testify at the June 15 hearing by contacting William Moore, Contracts Administrator, at Wmoore48@ccc.edu or (773) 487-6958. Additional information is available from Angela Arrington-Jones, Vice Chancellor of Business and Procurement Services, at (312) 553-2590 or procurementservices@ccc.edu.