P-12

Prekindergarten through Grade 12 Education


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RFP #22-005

Elementary, Intermediate (Middle), and High School Level New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT)


Recent Updates

Last Updated on October 21, 2021:

PLEASE NOTE – The following aspects of RFP 22-005 have been revised:

  • Pages 4, 12, and 103 (previously 102): The dates for the mandatory demonstration have been changed to December 6, 2021 through December 10, 2021.
  • Page 32: The “Educators Committees Chart” has been revised. See questions 9-12 and the last page of this document for an explanation of the revisions.
  • Pages 101-103 (previously 101-102): The description of submission sections 4.a and 4.b have been revised.
  • A corrected Cost Proposal Worksheet is being posted with this Q&A. See fiscal questions 1 and 4 for an explanation of the corrections

RFP Documents

Application in PDF Adobe PDF | Application in Word Word document – Revised 10/21/2021
Cost Proposal Worksheet Excel – Revised 10/21/2021
Submission Documents Adobe PDF
Data Privacy Addendum Adobe PDF
Minority & Woman-Owned Business Enterprise Requirements Adobe PDF
Questions and Answers Adobe PDF – Posted 10/21/21

Overview

The New York State Education Department (NYSED)’s Office of State Assessment (OSA) is seeking proposals from highly qualified respondents with expertise in the development and administration of statewide English language proficiency assessments to implement the New York State (NYS) English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) for multiple years, as defined in this RFP. These requested services include the ongoing development and administration of tests primarily delivered by computer for grades 2-12, with the exception of the first operational test of the contract, which is to be paper-based for all grades. Kindergarten and grade 1 will remain paper-based for all operational and Stand-Alone Field Tests (SAFTs) for the duration of the contract period. The requested services also include constructing SAFT forms, conducting field testing, scoring SAFTs, constructing interim (mid-school year) assessments, constructing operational test forms, ancillary materials, and scoring materials; scoring of all student responses to questions on operational tests entered by students on computer; and performing analysis and research. Proposals must include the provision of a computer-based platform for grades 2-12 that includes systems for administration and test delivery and a scoring platform. All SAFTs will be administered to students in grades 2-12 strictly on computer, except as an accommodation for students with disabilities, for the duration of the contract. The first SAFTs to be administered by the contractor will take place late February/early March 2023.

The contractor is expected to make the new NYSESLAT interim assessments available to schools starting December 1, 2023. It will be administered in schools strictly on computer for grades 2-12, except that printed editions are to be made available to schools for administration to students with disabilities enrolled in grades 2-12 who require this accommodation. The NYSESLAT interim assessments will be paper-based for Kindergarten and grade 1. Proposals must include the printing, shipping, collection, and return of the paper-based NYSESLAT interim and operational test forms.

Additionally, proposals must include the provision of the same computer-based testing platform for the administration of the existing paper-based NYS Identification Test for English Language Learners (NYSITELL). Note that the development of the NYSITELL has been completed by the previous vendor; therefore, further development of the NYSITELL will not be part of this RFP. Use of the computer-based testing platform for grades 2-12 for the NYSITELL will begin on June 1, 2023.

The primary purpose of the NYSESLAT is to measure annual student progress in achieving English language proficiency and ascertain when students can appropriately exit English Language Learner (ELL) status. In NYS, ELLs are students who, by reason of foreign birth or ancestry, speak or understand a language other than English and speak or understand little or no English, and require support in order to become proficient in English and are identified by scoring below the commanding level on the initial identification test (NYSITELL) or on the NYSESLAT. NYS Commissioner’s Regulations (CR) Part 154-2.3 (l) stipulates that each school district with ELLs shall annually assess the English language proficiency of each such student using such assessment as prescribed by the Commissioner for this purpose. The NYSESLAT is used to assess the English language proficiency of students in kindergarten through grade 12 who are ELLs. The results of the NYSESLAT measure English language proficiency relative to the linguistic demands of ELA Standards in grade-level classrooms and prescribe the provision of ELL services as per CR-Part 154-2 for the following academic year.

According to 2018-19 school year data, of the approximately 2.6 million public school students in NYS more than 238,000 students (9.15%) are ELLs. The linguistic diversity of ELLs and their families consists of more than 200 languages. ELLs are a diverse group of students with various backgrounds, cultures, and academic experiences.

The services described in this RFP are divided into five components. Bidders must bid on all five components.

Component 1 services are for the development of NYSESLAT SAFTs and operational tests. Initial forms will be based on previously developed test items. In addition, Component 1 will also include ongoing development of an operational test item bank and construction of SAFT and operational test forms.
Component 2 services are for computer-based delivery of the NYSESLAT SAFTs and operational tests for grades 2-12.
Component 3 services are for the printing, shipping, collection, and return of printed test forms that will be administered on paper rather than computer. As part of services required by Component 3, the contractor will provide paper-based SAFT and operational test forms for grades K-1 and will also provide paper-based and accommodated versions of the NYSESLAT for those students with disabilities who require these accommodations. This component also includes the printing, shipping collection, and return of printed operational test forms for all test takers in grades K through 12 for the spring 2023 administration.
Component 4 services encompass the provision of interim assessments for students in all grade levels populated with items from previously administered NYSESLAT operational tests.
Component 5 services encompass the provision of a computer-based testing and scoring platform for grades 2-12 for NYS’s existing paper-based NYSITELL. Because the existing NYSITELL test forms will be used on an ongoing basis for the duration of the contract term, future development of new forms of this assessment is not required.

Bidders are required to submit a technical proposal that clearly delineates the bidder’s plan for providing all of the services required in the RFP.

Subcontracting

Subcontracting will be limited to thirty percent (30%) of the total contract budget. A higher subcontracting limit will be allowed only when a bidder is proposing to subcontract for the provision of the CBT platform. In this case, the subcontracting limit will be increased to fifty percent (50%) of the total contract budget. In all other cases, the subcontracting limit will be 30%. NYSED reserves the right to approve all subcontractors. Subcontracting is defined as non-employee, direct, personal services and related incidental expenses, including travel. For purposes of the RFP, the subcontracting limit does not include expenses related to printing, shipping, or the purchase of equipment, supplies, and materials.

NYS’s Transition from Paper-based Tests (PBT) to Computer-based Tests (CBT)

One intent of this project is to shift the NYSELAT and NYSITELL administration from PBT to CBT. The contractor must provide the technical specifications for a multi-faceted electronic assessment technical solution that includes, at minimum, an online test delivery system, online test administration system, and online scoring platform. Technical specifications must include the following:

  1. Minimum specifications for all devices on which the test is delivered,
  2. Minimum specifications for any administrative computer associated with the devices on which the test is delivered (if applicable),
  3. Minimum specifications for the networking associated with any devices involved in the delivery of tests (if applicable),
  4. Minimum infrastructure specifications for Internet, printing, and any other applicable requirements involved in the delivery of the tests, and
  5. Minimum infrastructure specifications for a contractor-based distributed local scoring platform.

NYSESLAT — The NYSESLAT is currently offered to schools exclusively on paper for students in all grade levels. For the first year of this contract, as we shift to CBT for grades 2-12, the contractor will provide the Spring 2023 operational NYSESLAT to schools exclusively with PBT. SAFTs will be administered strictly using the contractor’s CBT delivery system. Starting with the Spring 2024 operational NYSESLAT, all testing, except as noted below, will be with CBT. The contractor must provide printed test materials for students in grades K and 1 and for students with disabilities enrolled in grades 2-12 who require PBT as a testing accommodation.

NYSESLAT Interim Assessment — The contractor must provide schools with an interim assessment to administer to students in the months of December and January of each school year, starting December 1, 2023 (Year 2 of the contract).

NYSITELL — With this contract, NYSED will initiate the transition from PBT to CBT for the NYSITELL for grades 2-12. Beginning on June 1, 2023, NYS schools will be given the option of continuing to administer the State’s existing NYSITELL forms with PBT (printed and provided by NYSED) to students at all grade levels or to administer these tests to students in grades 2-12 using the contractor’s CBT delivery system. Included in the services required for a CBT platform for the NYSITELL is the provision of a computer-delivered scoring platform that will be used by teachers at their students’ schools to score the open-ended speaking and writing items. The CBT system provided by the contractor will also score students’ responses to multiple-choice items (listening and writing) and generate reports with the students’ test results. Since districts and schools are required to administer the NYSITELL within 10 school days of a student entry to a NYS school, the CBT delivery system must be available for use by school personnel on a year-round, as-needed basis for all schools across NYS.

The contractor may choose to subcontract for the provision of a computer-based testing platform. For tests administered by computer, the contractor, and its subcontractor, if there is one, must ensure that the test administration and test delivery systems and scoring platform are compatible with the existing devices and infrastructure most often available in NYS schools. See “Minimum Technical Requirements for Computer Devices to be Used by Schools for CBT” in the RFP for details.

Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE)

Bidders are required to comply with NYSED’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) participation goals for this RFP through one of three methods. Compliance methods are discussed in detail in the Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Participation Goals section below.

Terms of Contract

NYSED will award one contract pursuant to this RFP for a term of three (3) years and three (3) months. The contract resulting from this RFP will be for a term anticipated to begin August 1, 2022 and to end October 31, 2025, with the option to extend for one additional two-year period (November 1, 2025 – October 31, 2027).

Service Area

Statewide

RFP Components

Components contained in RFP Proposal #22-005 are as follows:

  1. Description of Services to Be Performed
  2. Submission
  3. Evaluation Criteria and Method of Award
  4. Assurances
  5. Attachments
  6. Submission Documents (separate document)

Each bidder will be scheduled for a mandatory demonstration of the online delivery system it proposes. The demonstration will be scheduled in consultation with the bidder. It is anticipated that all demonstrations will be scheduled for 90 minutes (which includes a 30-minute question and answer period) on a date mutually agreed upon by NYSED and the bidder. Demonstrations will be conducted by webinar. This demonstration must take place between November 29, 2021 and December 10, 2021. To schedule the demonstration, bidders may contact McKenzie Johnson via email at AssessmentRFP@nysed.gov prior to the deadline for submitting proposals. Bidders who have not scheduled a demonstration time in advance will be provided a time once bids are received.

Questions

Questions regarding the request must be submitted by e-mail to AssessmentRFP@nysed.gov no later than the close of business on October 11, 2021. Questions regarding this request should be identified as Program, Fiscal or M/WBE. A Questions and Answers Summary will be posted here no later than October 21, 2021.

The following are the designated contacts for this procurement:
Program Matters
Fiscal Matters
M/WBE Matters

McKenzie Johnson

Jessica Hartjen

Brian Hackett

Submission Instructions and Due Date

The following documents must be submitted in separately sealed envelopes, as detailed in the Submission section of the RFP, and be received by NYSED no later than November 10, 2021 by 3:00 PM:

  1. Submission Documents labeled Submission Documents – RFP #22-005 Do Not Open
  2. Technical Proposal labeled Technical Proposal – RFP #22-005 Do Not Open
  3. Cost Proposal labeled Cost Proposal – RFP #22-005 Do Not Open
  4. M/WBE Documents labeled M/WBE Documents – RFP #22-005 Do Not Open
  5. CD or USB containing the technical, cost, submission and M/WBE proposals submitted using Microsoft Office.

The mailing address for all the above documentation is:

NYS Education Department
Bureau of Fiscal Management
Attn: (Jessica Hartjen, RFP #22-005)
Contract Administration Unit
89 Washington Avenue, Room 501W EB
Albany, NY 12234

Facsimile copies of the proposals are NOT acceptable)

RFP Documents

Application in PDF Adobe PDF | Application in Word Word document – Revised 10/21/2021
Cost Proposal Worksheet Excel – Revised 10/21/2021
Submission Documents Adobe PDF
Data Privacy Addendum Adobe PDF
Minority & Woman-Owned Business Enterprise Requirements Adobe PDF
Questions and Answers Adobe PDF – Posted 10/21/21

Last Updated: October 21, 2021