Assessment Support Services

Background

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is seeking a vendor to provide technical assistance in support of its large-scale assessments for fiscal years 2027 and 2028. The goal of this contract is to enhance the effectiveness of summative assessments and related programs, as well as to support the development and deployment of a continuing student growth model.

Work Details

The vendor will provide the following services: - Technical support on summative assessments - Assistance with related programs - Development and deployment of a continuing student growth model The vendor must have extensive experience with state and federal assessment programs, including providing nuanced advice on agency policies, guiding state education departments through the U.S. Department of Education's peer review process, and expertise in standard setting and validation procedures. Additionally, the vendor should demonstrate proven ability in working with Student Growth Percentiles (SGP) models, including customizing code for SGP packages in R, generating standard errors for student growth measures, and providing psychometric expertise related to reporting technical documentation in assessments.

Period of Performance

The contract will commence upon approval and will run until June 30, 2027, with an option for one renewal period extending from July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028.

Place of Performance

The services will be performed primarily at locations designated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education within Massachusetts.

Bidder Requirements

Bidders must demonstrate extensive experience with state assessment programs and possess qualifications that include knowledge of standard setting procedures, psychometric expertise, and experience guiding states through federal review processes. Bidders are also required to comply with the Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) by committing at least 1% of contract sales to diverse business enterprises certified or recognized by the Supplier Diversity Office.