Columbus City Schools – Request for Proposal
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ADAPTIVE LITERACY AND READING INTERVENTION
PROGRAM, GRADES 6-12 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
(ELI-2016-0036)
December 1, 2016
By signing this document, I am agreeing, on behalf of my company, to the specifications in this
Request for Proposal (RFP). I am accepting, without exception or amendment, the terms and
conditions listed herein, except for such changes as the District, at its discretion, may deem necessary.
Vendors that cannot accept the District’s terms and conditions will be considered non-responsive and
will be disqualified from consideration. Any purchase order or subsequent contract issued as a result
of this RFP will be subject to these terms and conditions. This cover page must be signed in ink.
Unsigned responses will be disqualified.
COMPANY NAME:
BY (AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE):
_______________________________________
TYPED NAME:
DATE:
___________________
TITLE:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
English Language Arts Adaptive Literacy and Reading Intervention Program Grades 6-12 Request for Proposal
ELI-2016-0036
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Vendor Initials _________ & Company Name ___________________________________________
Columbus City Schools – Request for Proposal
SECTION A---BACKGROUND & MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
A1. District Background
Columbus City Schools (CCS), located in Columbus, Ohio, is the largest school district in Ohio and operates 109 schools
serving approximately 52,000 students. It operates 22 high schools, 27 middle schools, 12 elementary buildings that house at
least one 6th grade class, and one building that houses grades K through 12. Within grades 6 through 12, there are
approximately 23,000 students.
The Administrative offices are located at 270 East State Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215. The Teaching and Learning Offices are
located at 2001 Hamilton Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, 43211. The 6 through 12 English Language Arts Curriculum Office is
located at 1400 Shady Lane Road, Columbus, Ohio, 43227.
The District employs approximately 9,200 administrators, teachers, and operations personnel who are dedicated to the District
mission which states that “Each student is highly educated, prepared for leadership and service, and empowered for success as
a citizen in a global community.” There are over 500 teachers with at least 1 section of English Language Arts throughout
grades 6 through 12. The curriculum office is dedicated to supporting, building capacity, and empowering all members of the
teaching and learning community to increase student achievement.
A2. District Goals:
Columbus City School has established district-wide goals that are focused on three key principles:
1.
Each student reaches the student’s full potential; to continue education, serve in the military, go to college, start a
business, and enter the workforce as a life-long learner.
2.
The District creates safe, student-centered, innovative learning environments and recruits, develops, and retains worldclass talent.
3.
The District is accountable to our communities and customers; confidence in the District is maintained through
strategic, responsible and transparent leadership.
A3. Technical Environment
Our infrastructure is spread across 3 data centers and 140 sites. The Columbus City Schools computing environment is
primarily Windows-based utilizing Server 2008 R2 for directory services, file servers, printing, etc. in the datacenter (except for a
few Linux Oracle hosts) and Windows 7 on the desktops. We have VDI solutions utilizing Cisco UCS and Citrix XenApp and
XenDesktop platforms.
This solution streams stateless OS images to a variety of hardware platforms involving 13 different models. Ninety percent of
our machines, which are mostly thin clients, are serviced in this manner. We also have approximately 50 different desktop and
laptop models on which we install local OS images.
The largest percentage of our desktop environment uses stateless images so the District uses Citrix’s XenApp to virtualize and
stream applications. This technology, while flexible, is unable to virtualize and / or stream software components such as system
services or device drivers.
Below are the technical requirements for a new or technical product to fit into the CCS computing environment. These are general
requirements that should be applied to all software / hardware products, so there may be some items that do not fit a particular
product or service.
The following infrastructure items are required:
1.
Compatible with Microsoft Windows 7, Chrome OS, and Mac OS
2.
Internet Explorer 10+ in the VDI environment.
3.
If Installable software, it must be distributable via Altiris Client Management Systems (CMS) and Microsoft App-V.
4.
There can be no high bandwidth requirements. Sites are limited to 1 Gbps with an Internet connection of 2 Gbps.
5.
Must be compatible of running on low-powered workstations (HP Thin Clients).
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Columbus City Schools – Request for Proposal
6.
If providing “software as a service” (SaaS), the software should not require non-standard plug-ins that need to be installed
into a desktop image.
7.
Must not require constant updates in order to remain operational.
8.
Compatible with Chromebooks.
The following items are not required, but would be considered value-add items:
1.
Compatible with Active Directory for single sign-on.
2.
Minimal / zero installations into the District’s thin client image.
3.
Compatible with a centralized printing infrastructure.
A4. Solicitation Purpose
The District desires to purchase comprehensive, integrated language arts resources for our students in grades 6 through 8
needing reading intervention in making gains toward college and career readiness and also serve as an adaptive literacy
program to assist secondary students of all levels to increase their reading prowess and fluency acumen. The resources will
have a clear alignment with Ohio’s Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History, Social Studies,
Science, and Technical Subjects. The Intervention Program will increase literary skills, develop good academic habits in
students, and meet a wide variety of students’ interests.
A strong emphasis on close reading of literary and informational text, and writing of argument, informative, explanatory, and
narrative types is essential. These resources should include a blended digital and print approach, support a workshop model for
both reading and writing, and specifically differentiate across all levels of student mastery. This intervention program will be
implemented using a variety of scheduling structures. Professional development (PD) and support will need to be thorough, yet
flexible enough to be delivered through various modalities on an as-needed basis for teacher groups of various sizes and modes
of implementation.
SECTION B---SCOPE OF WORK
B1. Project Goals
The project goals are to:
1.
Provide any student in grades 6 through 8 needing reading intervention with a program for English Language Arts with
resources and products which align to Ohio’s Learning Standards, state assessments, and college entrance exams.
2.
Provide all secondary students with a web-based, individualized, adaptive literacy assessment program with ongoing
diagnosis of students’ reading level. Improve student reading through readiness-to-learn, standard-related, relevant
content by prescribing a series of activities, and provide teachers with regular feedback on student progress.
3.
Meet the students’ individual and differentiated needs by providing support and continual diagnostic assessment
framework to monitor student growth.
4.
Provide students a mastery pathway for all English Language Arts proficiencies to include reading, writing, speaking
and listening, and student success on standardized tests including, but not limited to Northwest Evaluation Association
Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA/MAP), Ohio’s State tests (OST), SAT, ACT, ACT WorkKey, and others.
B2. Contract Requirements
The vendor must meet the following requirements. Vendors that do not meet these requirements will not be considered.
1.
The solution must be able to implement in a small or large group, workshop, pull-out model, variable available
technology, and students with special needs.
2.
The solution must contain a diagnostic assessment for determining leveling, progression, assimilate information and
develop a prescriptive course of action based on student assessment information provided by NWEA/MAP.
3.
The solution core must contain an engaging blended instructional model with high quality, age appropriate, literary and
informational texts.
4.
The solution must provide reports to identify progress on reading level for student, family, and teacher.
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5.
The solution must transfer, not remove student data, when upgrades or updates are performed.
6.
The solution must perform nightly data integration with Infinite Campus
7.
The solution must be web-based with accessibility internally and externally.
8.
The solution must be vendor-hosted and support 2,000 concurrent connections.
9.
The solution must be web based and able to print tests, prepare tutorial materials for current and future American
Institutes for Research (AIR), Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT), Advanced Placement (AP), SAT, ACT, and ACT WorkKeys
tests.
10. The solution will be “software as a service” (SaaS) product.
11. During the 2017-2018 school year, the vendor will provide 600 hours of in-person, live, support to be used for in-service
teacher training for product launch, implementation, reporting, and other CCS implementation needs including but not
limited to ongoing development for teachers, coaching, training, updates of evolving program features, and transitional
support for digital platform expansions. Additional updates to the program would be expected to maintain alignments to
both state standards and proficiency assessments in instances where governing policies change. Within those 600 hours
are 8 hours to be used for parent outreach sessions (2 hours / academic quarter) as determined by the school calendar
and Curriculum Department. The 600 hours of vendor provided support is an estimate and not guaranteed.
12. In year two and the three, optional 1 year renewals, the vendor will provide 300 hours per year of in-person, live, support
to be used for in-service teacher training for product launch, implementation, reporting, and other CCS implementation
needs including but not limited to ongoing development for teachers, coaching, training, updates of evolving program
features, and transitional support for digital platform expansions. Additional updates to the program would be expected to
maintain alignments to both state standards and proficiency assessments in instances where governing policies change.
Within those 300 hours are 8 hours to be used for parent outreach sessions (2 hours / academic quarter) as determined
by the school calendar and Curriculum Department. The 300 hours of vendor provided support is an estimate and not
guaranteed.
13. The solution must be implemented by August 23, 2017, including distribution of materials, preliminary training of teachers
and relevant staff.
B3. Future Considerations
1.
Assistive Technology consists of tools that enhance the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities. It is defined in
the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired
commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of
individuals with disabilities.” Braille readers, wheel chairs, adaptive computers, augmentative or alternative communication
devices, and hearing aids are examples of assistive technology. The District goal is to enhance access to the general
education curriculum for students with disabilities.
2.
Adaptive Assessment that progressively increases and decreases in difficulty to accurately determine and prescribe
learning activities to increase student proficiency.
3.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) methods to meet the needs of students with disabilities and students who are at risk.
B4. Confidentiality Requirements
1.
The vendor must hold student Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in strict confidence and not disclose PII to any third
parties nor make use of such PII for its own benefit or for the benefit of another, or for any use other than the purposes of
this agreement.
2.
The vendor shall promptly rectify any breach of information and shall notify CCS within 24 hours of learning of the breach.
3.
At its own expense, the vendor shall notify, in writing, all persons affected by any unauthorized disclosure of confidential
information.
4.
Records retention procedures must be in place and the procedures must be approved by CCS personnel.
5.
The chosen vendor must be able to provide proof of general business liability insurance and proof of worker’s
compensation insurance before the award.
If applicable, the vendor must make payments, on behalf of their employees, into the State Employees Retirement System (SERS).
This entails deducting 10% from the employees’ pay and providing a file to the District with the required payroll information. This
information will subsequently be sent to SERS. Prior to any payment, the vendor must have each employee complete an SERS
membership enrollment form and forward those forms to the District. This document includes the Social Security Administration’s
form acknowledging that the employees are not participating in social security. Vendors must pay the District’s portion of 15.5%
which must be remitted to the Treasurer’s Office for upload to the SERS website. Payment and the file must be provided to the
English Language Arts Adaptive Literacy and Reading Intervention Program Grades 6-12 Request for Proposal
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Columbus City Schools – Request for Proposal
District by the first week of the following month. If this requirement is not met, the vendor will be responsible for paying a penalty
which is assessed if the file is not accepted by SERS by the 15th of each month.
B5. Performance Standards
1.
Vendor must provide system availability 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and support access from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
B6. Liquidated Damages
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The vendor shall credit the District $50 per hour, or partial hour, when online systems are inaccessible during system
availability hours.
The vendor will credit the District $100 per hour, or partial hour, when online systems are inaccessible during support
access hours.
The vendor shall credit the District $500 per hour, or partial hour, when a trainer does not arrive on time for scheduled
professional development.
The vendor shall credit the District $45 per error in printed materials that are designated for distribution to students.
Liquidated damages will apply to each error in each publication, not to individual printed documents. The District, at its
discretion, may require the vendor to reprint and redeliver the materials at no charge, if multiple errors are found in a
single publication.
All credits must appear automatically on the next monthly invoice.
SECTION C---SCHEDULE
The following schedule is tentative and represents our intentions the day this document was published. District activities and
related issues will have a higher priority and may affect the schedule. All vendors must adhere to this schedule. Unless otherwise
noted, the deadline for each item is 4:00 p.m. local time. Columbus, Ohio is in the Eastern Time Zone.
Suggested
Business
Days
Between Description of Activity
Events
(Items will only be completed if necessary and at the discretion of the District.)
N.A.
Complete final draft of the Request for Proposal.
Date
MM/DD/YY
12/16/16
Time
4:00 p.m.
12/19/16
N.A.
0
Post the RFP on the Columbus City Schools’ Website.
01/04/17
10:00 a.m.
2
Hold Vendor informational meeting. The meeting will be held in the Purchasing
Department at 737 East Hudson Street in Columbus, Ohio.
01/06/17
11:00 a.m.
2
Deadline for submission of vendor questions. Questions must be submitted via
email to [email protected]. Questions will not be addressed
over the phone.
01/10/17
11:00 a.m.
2
Deadline for Department personnel to provide answers to vendors’ questions to
the Purchasing Department.
01/12/17
4:00 p.m.
2
Post answers to vendor questions on the CCS website.
01/27/17
2:00 p.m.
10
RFP response submission deadline. (An RFP is not a bid and will not be read at
a public opening.)
01/30/17
N.A.
0
Verify / Contact vendor references
02/02/17
4:00 p.m.
2
Request clarifications from vendors, if necessary.
02/06/17
1:00 p.m.
1
Distribute vendor responses to the Evaluation Committee.
02/10/17
1:00 p.m.
4
Evaluation Committee meeting to select short list of vendors for a software
test.
02/13/17
5:00 p.m.
1
Notify vendors selected and request logins to test software.
02/23/17
5:00 p.m.
3
Evaluation Committee meeting to select short list of vendors for presentations.
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Columbus City Schools – Request for Proposal
02/28/17
5:00 p.m.
3
Notify vendors selected and send questions to be addressed during the
presentations.
03/15/17
9:00a.m.5:00p.m.
15
Hold vendor presentations and conduct final ranking, if necessary.
03/21/17
4:00 p.m.
N.A.
Negotiate the final terms of the agreement.
04/19/17
4:00 p.m.
N.A.
Submit legislation to senior management.
05/02/17
4:00 p.m.
N.A.
Submit legislation to the Columbus Board of Education for approval.
05/05/17
4:00 p.m.
N.A.
Sign contract.
SECTION D---EVALUATION
D1. Evaluation of Responses
Vendors that are found to be non-responsive or non-responsible will not be included in the evaluation process. Vendors that are
considered responsive and responsible may be evaluated in three phases. The District reserves the right to eliminate a vendor
as non-responsive at any time during the evaluation process. The first phase of the evaluation process will be based on the
following criteria. The District is using a Request for Proposal process to find the best value so price will not be the only factor in
determining an award. The contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible vendor based on this evaluation process
and other such factors that the District, in its sole discretion, deems relevant, including, but not limited to, price negotiations.
The highest ranked vendors from the first phase of the evaluation may be given an opportunity to provide their software for
testing. If vendors are given that opportunity, this will constitute the second phase of the evaluation process. The highest ranked
vendors from the software test evaluation may be given the opportunity to make presentations after the review of their software.
If the vendors are given the opportunity, this will constitute the third phase of the evaluation process. The District reserves the
right to determine the number of vendors that will provide test software and the number of vendors’ presentations based on
scoring spread, practical limitations, and any other factors that the District, in its sole discretion, deems relevant. If presentations
are held, the District will base the final ranking on the totality of the information gained from the entire evaluation process.
Once the final ranking is completed, the District will meet with the top ranked vendor to negotiate an agreement. If the District
cannot reach an agreement with the top ranked vendor, the District will commence negotiations with the second ranked vendor
and continue that process until a vendor is selected and an agreement is reached.
Evaluation Criteria
Maximum
Point Value
Alignment to and deep integration of Ohio’s Learning Standards for
English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies,
Science, and Technical Subjects
Specifically researched, differentiated and leveled products that
identify student’s reading level and provide tiered guidance of student
progression at all levels from reading/writing foundations, through
literacy/fluency, to analysis/critique
Materials support the instruction of close reading of complex literary
and informational text
Incorporation of paired texts that are linked thematically or topically
instead of by genre
Point Calculations
5
Excellent = 4 - 5 points
Good = 2 - 3 points
Fair = 1 point
Poor = 0 points
5
Excellent = 4 - 5 points
Good = 2 - 3 points
Fair = 1 point
Poor = 0 points
5
Excellent = 4 - 5 points
Good = 2 - 3 points
Fair = 1 point
Poor = 0 points
5
Excellent = 4 - 5 points
Good = 2 - 3 points
Fair = 1 point
Poor = 0 points
English Language Arts Adaptive Literacy and Reading Intervention Program Grades 6-12 Request for Proposal
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Columbus City Schools – Request for Proposal
Materials support the instruction of writing of argument,
informative/explanatory, and narrative types and vocabulary
acquisition
Program/materials support a digital, print, and blended approach to
teaching and learning
Specifically differentiated products that support students reading 2 or
more levels below grade level and students with special needs,
including but not limited to English Language Learners (ELL) and
Special Education
Ongoing, immersive, job-embedded Professional Development
5
Excellent = 4 - 5 points
Good = 2 - 3 points
Fair = 1 point
Poor = 0 points
5
Excellent = 4 - 5 points
Good = 2 - 3 points
Fair = 1 point
Poor = 0 points
5
Excellent = 4 - 5 points
Good = 2 - 3 points
Fair = 1 point
Poor = 0 points
10
Excellent = 8 - 10 points
Good = 5 – 7 points
Fair = 1 – 4 points
Poor = 0 points
5
References
LEDE (Locally Economically Disadvantaged Enterprise) Participation
20
Price
30
3 References = 4 - 5 points
2 References = 2 - 3 points
1 Reference = 1 points
0 References = 0 points
75% & Over = 20 points
50% - 74.99% = 17 points
30% - 49.99% = 14 points
20% - 29.99% = 12 points
10% - 19.99% = 10 points
6% - 9.99% = 8 points
2% - 5.99% = 6 points
0% - 1.99% = 0 points
Low price divided by the vendor’s
price times the point value.
For example, a vendor with a price
of $600,000 would have a point
value of 15 versus the low vendor
with a price of $300,000. ($300,000
divided
by
$600,000
equals
50%. 50% times 30 equals 15
points.)
D2. Best & Final Offers
Vendors may be asked to submit best and final offers. The District reserves the right to request financial statements for the
previous three fiscal years from the highest ranked vendor(s) as part of the final vetting process.
D3. Price
Columbus City Schools reserves the right to award based on overall best value and the District reserves the right to choose the
single or combination of awards that best meet our needs. Pricing must be submitted using the spreadsheet that will be
available on our Website.
SECTION E---SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Please bind the responses with one staple in the upper, left-hand corner. Do not place the pages in a binder or folder. Do not
use card stock. Do not reformat or modify this form by pasting the contents into your stationery or letterhead or pasting logos or
pictures into this form. The District will not accept responses delivered by electronic means such as facsimile or e-mail or
responses that are delivered using a different form. Space to respond to each question is purposefully limited to reduce the
burden on the evaluation committee and focus vendor responses. Do not submit documents with your response that were not
requested. Unrequested documents will not be distributed to the evaluation committee. Vendors must:
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Columbus City Schools – Request for Proposal
1.
Complete all sections of this form electronically.
2.
Print the form.
3.
Sign and date the first page of this form.
4.
Sign and date the LEDE sections of this form.
5.
Submit one original and six copies of this form in a sealed envelope.
6.
Submit one original pricing spreadsheet in a sealed envelope. That envelope should be inserted into the envelope
containing the RFP responses. Do not attach the price sheet to any of the responses.
7.
Address the RFP response envelope as follows:
Vendor’s Name
Columbus Board of Education
English Language Arts Adaptive Literacy and Reading Intervention RFP (ELI-2016-0036)
Attention: Richard McCormick
Purchasing Department
737 East Hudson Street
Columbus, OH 43211
SECTION F---VENDOR PROVIDED INFORMATION
Vendors must provide answers to the following questions. Incomplete answers or answers that are left blank will not allow the
District to adequately evaluate vendor responses and may deem a vendor non-responsive, eliminating that vendor from
consideration or significantly reducing the vendor’s score for that evaluation section.
1.
2.
Alignment to and deep integration of Ohio’s Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in
History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects
a.
Describe how your products’ scope and sequence is aligned to Ohio’s Learning Standards for English, Language
Arts, and Literacy.
b.
Describe the process used to align your assessments to Ohio’s Learning Standards for K-12 English Language
arts and grades 6-12 Literacy. Include evidence of your assessments alignment to standards. Please provide
specific examples of diagnostic assessments and assessments used for instructional planning and guided
differentiated instruction toward mastery.
c.
How do the assessments affiliated with the product identify students who are at risk or experiencing difficulty in
reading and writing, and provide a prescriptive measure for meeting the needs of these students? Please provide
specific examples.
d.
Describe the diagnostic and progress-monitoring assessment framework used to monitor student growth and
provide differentiated support to meet students’ individual needs. Please include specific information about
leveling and norming in relation to student ranges.
Specifically researched, differentiated, and leveled products that identify students’ reading level and provide tiered
guidance of student progression at all levels from reading/writing foundations, through literacy/fluency, to
analysis/critique
a.
Describe the research-based quantitative and qualitative analysis of incorporated texts and their correlation to
increasing reading levels and student comprehension.
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3.
4.
b.
Describe how the research-based learning activities and instructional practices are tiered or differentiated to meet
the needs of diverse learners. (The learning activities and instructional practices are responsive to students’
individual strengths and needs.)
c.
Describe the available reporting features, resources, and tools provided to aid the teacher in applying targeted
interventions to specific student needs.
d.
Describe the tools and features your product provides to promote student and family self-monitoring and goal
setting with literacy standards.
Program/Materials that support the instruction of close reading of complex literary and informational text
a.
Describe the processes outlined in your product to support both teachers and students in close reading of complex
literary and informational text. Include two close-reading strategies and how they relate to standard mastery with
examples.
b.
Describe how the product supports instructional routines common in a Readers/Writers Workshop model such as
mini-lessons, modeling, use of mentor texts, numerous opportunities for formative feedback, student conferencing
for feedback, and gradual release of standard ownership.
c.
Describe how the student instructional routines include mastery-led and goal-driven task sequences that
incorporate guided practice with student conferencing and guiding feedback, literature groups, reciprocal teaching,
student practice and application, as well as structures for whole group work, small group work, partner work, and
individual ownership and mastery of standards. Please provide specific examples.
d.
Describe how the products’ use of mentor and supporting texts can guide mastery of both reading and writing
standards.
Incorporation of paired texts that are linked thematically or topically instead of by genre.
a.
Describe the breadth of literary texts included in the product. Please be specific about variety of genre, levels of
complexity, time periods, diversity of authors, relevance and reflective of situations/themes to CCS’s students.
b.
Describe the breadth of informational texts included in the product. Please be specific about variety of genre,
levels of complexity, time periods, diversity of authors, and relevance of situations/themes to today’s students.
c.
Describe how literary and informational texts are paired within instructional units, including the balance between
exposure to literary and informational text types.
d.
Describe the digital or print-based literary and informational resources, such as novels or periodicals, which are
included outside of the primary product to support student learning.
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5.
6.
7.
8.
Materials that support the instruction of writing of argument, informative/explanatory, and narrative types and
vocabulary acquisition.
a.
Describe the process the product uses to facilitate student mastery of the various types of writing, including:
argument, informative/explanatory, and narrative types.
b.
Specifically describe how writing instruction is integrated throughout the program. Please be specific about the
resources included, such as texts, consumables, workbooks, and online portals for students and teachers if
applicable.
c.
Specifically describe the facets of the program that support student acquisition of tier II academic vocabulary and
the procedure designed for growing student vocabulary.
Materials that support a digital, print, and blended approach to teaching and learning
a.
Describe the integration between traditional, print-based resources, and available digital resources. Include
information on supported platforms, tablet and phone applications, data hosting and syncing.
b.
Describe the visual and media texts available to support the program such as video libraries, art collections, or
music recordings.
c.
Explain the way this blended platform stays current with digital trends about how those are integrated into the
client’s interface.
d.
Describe the partnerships with other providers you have that are included in your products/services.
Specifically differentiated products that support students at all levels including but not limited to English Language
Learners (ELL) and Special Education.
a.
Describe how the product supports the advancement of struggling readers at the secondary level, in particular
those reading two or more grade levels below according to MetaMetrics Lexile scale.
b.
Describe how the product support the advancement of English Language Learners at all levels of language
acquisition. Please provide specific examples relevant to the four aspects of language arts (reading, writing,
speaking, and listening).
c.
Describe how the product supports the advancement of reluctant learners. Please provide two specific strategies
incorporating multiple modes of engaging students in learning (i.e. Universal Design for Learning).
Ongoing, immersive, job-embedded Professional Development (PD).
a.
Please provide a proposal for professional development ahead of and during the initial year.
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9.
b.
How are coaching and modeling included in the plan to appropriately support and address the needs of the
teachers and students?
c.
Describe resources that are available to help the teacher to utilize and understand the program, its rationale for the
instructional approach and program strategies (e.g., articles, explanations in the teacher manuals, references,
professional development, and/or reliable websites).
d.
Describe the resources available and the approach to training students and families on the use of the instructional
program and/or tools.
Key Personnel
At a minimum, include the project manager who will be assigned to the District. (As referenced in our general terms
and conditions, the District reserves the right to terminate an agreement if key personnel identified in the vendor’s
response are no longer available. The District also reserves the right to approve personnel performing the work under
any contract. If the District is dissatisfied with any individual assigned to perform such work, the District may require
that the vendor assign a different person or persons to perform the work.)
Key Personnel One – Primary Contact:
Name:
Title:
Years of Experience:
Years with Company:
Phone No. (???-???-????):
Qualifications / License / Certification:
Key Personnel Backup:
Name:
Title:
Years of Experience:
Years with Company:
Phone No. (???-???-????):
Qualifications / License / Certification:
10. References
Provide information, in the following section, on three references to which you have provided goods or services in the
past three years. Vendors will not receive credit during the evaluation process if references do not include a current
email address. Local references are preferred from K-12 Districts with a student population of at least 30,000.
Individuals will not qualify as references. Vendors may not be given credit for references if those referenced do not
reply within 3 business days. The District may not be used as a reference.
Reference One:
Entity Name:
Contact Person’s Name:
Phone No. (???-???-????):
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E-Mail Address – Primary:
E-Mail Address – Backup:
Dollar value of the engagement? $
Briefly Describe the Work:
Reference Two:
Entity Name:
Contact Person’s Name:
Phone No. (???-???-????):
E-Mail Address – Primary:
E-Mail Address – Backup:
Dollar value of the engagement? $
Briefly Describe the Work:
Reference Three:
Entity Name:
Contact Person’s Name:
Phone No. (???-???-????):
E-Mail Address – Primary:
E-Mail Address – Backup:
Dollar value of the engagement? $
Briefly Describe the Work:
11. LEDE Participation: Please complete the pricing template.
12. Price: Please complete the pricing template.
SECTION G---TERMS & CONDITIONS
G1. Contract Term
The term of the agreement will be for a period of two years with three, optional, one-year renewals. The District may renew the
original term of the agreement by providing written notice to the vendor before the expiration of the current contract. Preliminary
notice to renew a contract does not commit the District to a renewal. If the District exercises a renewal option, the extended
contract will be considered to include this option provision.
All contracts, renewal or otherwise, are subject to annual appropriation by the Columbus City Schools Board of Education.
G2. Contract Administration
The contract will be administered by the Columbus City Schools Division of Academic Services.
G3. Contract Documents
Vendors that cannot accept the terms and conditions of this RFP and the District’s Purchase Order / General Terms &
Conditions, which are available on our web site, will be required to pay all costs related to the development, review, and final
approval of any vendor preferred contract.
G4. Invoices
Invoices are to be billed to the Columbus Board of Education and mailed to Columbus City Schools at 2001 Hamilton Avenue,
Columbus, Ohio 43211 to the attention of Ms. Sharee Wells. The vendor’s Federal Tax Identification Number should appear on
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all statements and invoices. If performance reports are a contract requirement, invoice payment may be delayed until those
reports are provided to the appropriate department.
G5. Travel Time
The District does not pay travel time.
G6. General Terms & Conditions
Columbus City School terms & conditions can be found on our web site at http://www.ccsoh.us/Vendors.aspx. Those terms &
conditions are incorporated into this document by reference. Vendors that do not accept the terms & conditions in this document
and those on our website will be considered non-responsive.
SECTION H---MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
H1. Office Hours
For vendors that wish to hand deliver their responses, the Purchasing offices are open from 7:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. with the
exception of District holidays.
H2. Addenda
Vendors are responsible for checking the appropriate solicitation website for any addenda to ensure that their submissions
incorporate all the available information.
H3. Progress Updates
The District does not provide progress updates. Information on an award will be provided to vendors after contract approval by
the Board of Education.
SECTION I---DEFINITIONS
Board of Education: Governing Board of Columbus City School District
Clarifications: Written exchange of information that takes place after the receipt of proposals. The purpose of clarifications is to
address minor or clerical questions regarding a proposal.
Cure Notice: One of the steps in the contract termination process. Written notification to a vendor that the vendor has failed to
meet the terms of a contract. The notice requires that the vendor inform the District of steps that will be taken to cure the
deficiencies in performance.
District: Columbus City Schools (CCS)
Interested Party: An actual or prospective bidder or offeror whose direct economic interest would be affected by the award of a
contract or by the failure to award.
May: Indicates something that is not mandatory but permissible.
Notice of Termination for Default: One of the steps in the contract termination process. Written notification to a vendor that the
vendor has failed to meet the terms of a contract and that the District will terminate the contract on a specified date.
ORC / RC: Ohio Revised Code
Proposer: A contractor, company, consultant, individual, or supplier that responds to a solicitation.
Responsible Vendor: A vendor whose financial condition, experience, conduct and performance on previous contracts, and
whose facilities and management skills support the contractor’s ability to execute the contract properly as provided in section
9.312(a) of the Ohio Revised Code.
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Responsive Vendor: A vendor whose proposal responds to the specifications in all material respects and contains no
irregularities or deviations from the specifications which would affect the amount of the vendor’s proposal or otherwise give the
vendor a competitive advantage as provided in section 9.312(a) of the Ohio Revised Code.
Request for Proposal (RFP): The document that describes the procurement process, forms the basis for the final proposals, and
may become an element in the contract.
School: Columbus City Schools (CCS)
Shall / Must / Will: Indicates a mandatory requirement.
Should: Indicates something that is recommended, but not mandatory.
Show Cause Notice: May be used as one of the steps in the contract termination process. Written notification to a vendor
requesting that the vendor show cause why the contract should not be terminated.
Solicitation: An invitation to bid, request for qualifications, request for information, invitation to negotiate, request for proposal,
telephone call, or any document used to obtain bids or proposals for the purpose of entering into a contract.
Vendor: Contractor, company, consultant, individual, or supplier.
SECTION J---OUTREACH PROGRAM
The Columbus Board of Education is committed to assuring that all qualified firms have an equal opportunity to participate in
contracts for goods and services. This program was established to achieve a goal of 20% participation by Local Economically
Disadvantaged Enterprise (LEDE) vendors including subcontracts for supplies or services issued by any vendor doing business
with the District. This program is not a race-based, gender-based quota, or set-aside program.
Vendors may be required to submit a Contract Completion Survey and periodic reports to the Outreach Program Office during
the term of the contract. Failure to provide this information during the contract term may leave vendors ineligible for future
contracts.
Prospective LEDE vendors must be certified as such before the date and time that the RFP responses are due.
The District reserves the right to approve all LEDE vendors that will serve as subcontractors on any project and to reject any
LEDE subcontractors that do not meet the requirements outlined in this document and any other factors that the District, in its
sole discretion, deems relevant.
LEDE vendors are not required to sign an exclusive agreement with prime vendors and are encouraged to respond as a prime
vendor and / or partner with several prime vendors to enhance their chances of success.
Prime vendors that make a commitment to use an LEDE must include copies of payments to the LEDE with their CCS invoices.
If copies of those invoices are not included, payment will not be made.
Additional information regarding the Outreach Program can be provided by Ms. Terri Wise who can be reached at
[email protected].
SECTION K---LEDE GOOD FAITH EFFORTS
K1. Vendor Statement of Good Faith Effort
If the goal of the Outreach Program could not be met, please complete this section. Vendors that do not list LEDE participation
and that do not complete this section will be considered non-responsive. This information must be completed even if LEDE
participation is zero.
Date the Outreach Program Office was contacted:
Please describe the advice given by the Outreach Program Office and steps taken to follow up on that advice:
What good faith efforts, as listed below, did you make to achieve District Outreach goals?
Please provide the reasons that work cannot be subcontracted or supplies purchased from LEDE vendors:
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Prime Vendor Representative’s Name:
Title:
Prime Vendor Representative’s Signature: __________________________________________ Date: ____________________
K2. Good Faith Efforts List
The following list includes good faith efforts that vendors may make in obtaining LEDE participation. It is not intended to be
mandatory, exclusive, or exhaustive.
In determining whether a vendor has made a good faith effort, Columbus City Schools will examine not only the various kinds of
efforts but also the quantity and intensity of those efforts. The Columbus City Schools may require vendors to provide supporting
documentation as to their good faith efforts.
In order to award a contract to a vendor that has failed to meet LEDE participation goals, Columbus City Schools must be
convinced that the vendor’s efforts were those that, given all relevant circumstances, a vendor aggressively seeking to meet the
goals would have made.
Attempts that are merely pro forma are not considered good faith efforts. Efforts to obtain LEDE participation are considered
inadequate, even if they are sincerely motivated, if given all relevant circumstances, they could not reasonably be expected to
produce a level of LEDE participation sufficient to meet the goals.
A vendor that fails to meet these requirements may be considered non-responsive.
In evaluating a vendor’s good faith efforts, Columbus City Schools may consider whether the vendor:
1. Attended any pre-response meetings that were scheduled by Columbus City Schools;
2. Advertised in general circulation, trade association, and minority-focused media concerning subcontracting opportunities;
3. Provided written notice to a reasonable number of specific LEDEs that their interest in the contract is being solicited, in
sufficient time to allow the LEDEs to participate effectively;
4. Followed initial solicitations of interest by contacting LEDEs to determine with certainty whether the LEDEs were interested;
5. Partitioned the work to increase the likelihood of meeting the LEDE goals including, where appropriate, breaking the contracts
into economically feasible units to facilitate LEDE participation;
6. Provided interested LEDEs with adequate information about the plans, specifications, and requirements of the contract;
7. Negotiated in good faith with interested LEDEs based on a thorough investigation of their capabilities, not rejecting LEDEs as
unqualified without sound reasons;
8. Made efforts to assist interested LEDEs in obtaining bonding, lines of credit, or insurance as required by Columbus City
Schools;
9. Effectively used the services of available minority community organizations; minority vendors groups; local, state and federal
minority business assistance offices; and other organizations that provide assistance in the recruitment and placement of
LEDEs.
SECTION L---LOCAL ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED ENTERPRISE PARTICIPATION
If LEDE vendors have agreed to participate, please complete this section. The District will grade both direct and indirect LEDE
participation.
Direct participation is defined as products or services that are directly related to the contract with Columbus City Schools. For
example, CCS has a contract with a vendor to lease copiers and an LEDE vendor provides maintenance on those copiers.
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Indirect participation is defined as products or services that indirectly support the vendor’s business operation. For example,
CCS has a contract with a vendor to lease copiers and an LEDE vendor provides programming services for the prime vendor’s
computers at the prime vendor’s business offices.
Vendors will only receive credit for LEDE participation of either variety if the LEDE participation is the result of a new contract
that results from this RFP.
Both types of participation carry the same value on the evaluation scorecard when grading LEDE participation.
1. LEDE COMPANY NAME:
LEDE Representative’s Name:
Representative’s Title:
Phone No. (???-???-????):
LEDE Representative’s Signature: __________________________________________ Date: ____________________
Direct Participation:
Description of Products / Services including the strategies your company will take to fulfill the Outreach goal.
Price of Direct Participation LEDE Products / Services Listed Above: $
Indirect Participation:
Description of Products / Services including the strategies your company will take to fulfill the Outreach goal.
Price of Indirect Participation LEDE Products / Services Listed Above: $
2. LEDE COMPANY NAME:
LEDE Representative’s Name:
Representative’s Title:
Phone No. (???-???-????):
LEDE Representative’s Signature: __________________________________________ Date: ____________________
Direct Participation:
Description of Products / Services including the strategies your company will take to fulfill the Outreach goal.
Price of Direct Participation LEDE Products / Services Listed Above: $
Indirect Participation:
Description of Products / Services including the strategies your company will take to fulfill the Outreach goal.
Price of Indirect Participation LEDE Products / Services Listed Above: $
3. LEDE COMPANY NAME:
LEDE Representative’s Name:
Representative’s Title:
Phone No. (???-???-????):
LEDE Representative’s Signature: __________________________________________ Date: ____________________
Direct Participation:
Description of Products / Services including the strategies your company will take to fulfill the Outreach goal.
Price of Direct Participation LEDE Products / Services Listed Above: $
Indirect Participation:
Description of Products / Services including the strategies your company will take to fulfill the Outreach goal.
Price of Indirect Participation LEDE Products / Services Listed Above: $
The undersigned certifies that, if awarded the contract, it will adhere to the stipulations outlined in this section, continue to work
with the Outreach Program Office to fulfill the goals as stated, enter into formal contracts with the LEDEs identified above, and
provide the Outreach Program Office with proof of contracts and payments upon request. The undersigned further agrees that it
will immediately notify the Columbus City Schools in the event that any LEDE is unable to complete the work outlined above for
any reason or if the information provided in this section changes in a material way.
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Prime Vendor Representative’s Name:
Title:
Dollar Amount of Contract: $
Prime Vendor Representative’s Signature: __________________________________________ Date: ____________________
Individual Responsible for Vendor’s Outreach Program Compliance:
Title:
Phone No. (???-???-????):
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