EANS Educational Services in the Rest of State (ROS) Region

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is implementing the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) program. Under the EANS program, we have received requests from non-public schools throughout New York State for the educational services outlined below. Through current contracts, nonpublic schools throughout the state have been receiving services; however, as the current contract end date approaches, we are seeking proposals from qualified vendors that are interested and available to continue to provide these services for 23 counties in the Rest of State (ROS) Region for the 2024-25 school year. Questions about this advertisement: Questions regarding the request must be submitted by email to contact@example.gov no later than the close of business May 6, 2024. Answers will be posted with this advertisement by May 13, 2024. The following are the designated contacts for this procurement: Program Matters: Amanda Lolik, contact@example.gov Fiscal Matters: Thomas McBride, contact@example.gov Minority / Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) matters: Brian Hackett, contact@example.gov Submission instructions: The following documents must be submitted by email to contact@example.gov and be received at NYSED no later than by 3:00 PM on June 3, 2024: Technical Proposal Cost Proposal Submission Documents Appendix R: Data Privacy and Security Plan Please use the Cost Proposal, Submission Documents, and Appendix R: Data Privacy and Security Plan templates attached to this advertisement for your submission. In the subject line of the email transmitting your submission, please include the solicitation number EANS #24-025. We understand that this timing poses challenges due to the start of summer and school services; however, we must establish the contract as quickly as possible for the services to be meaningful by the conclusion of the program. With this in mind, we have attempted to make this a streamlined process. Contract Period: The contract resulting from this advertisement will be for a term anticipated to begin July 1, 2024, and to end June 30, 2025. The services requested in this advertisement apply to the second round of EANS funding included in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, which currently must be completed by September 2024. NYSED intends to apply for a liquidation extension, which may allow services to continue through June 30, 2025. Balances of allocations that schools have remaining under this program are attached and expected to be used for estimation purposes only. These balances can be used on educational support services with the winning vendor, social-emotional support services with another contracted vendor and/or ventilation improvement services through contracts previously procured. Some schools may have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with another educational service vendor that will also be providing separate services to schools in this region throughout the summer of 2024 and/or need to transition services to the new vendor on contract execution. NYSED anticipates awarding one (1) contract pursuant to this advertisement, which will serve the following counties: Albany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Erie, Genesee, Greene, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Oswego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Washington, Wayne Pricing: The contractor will be paid based on the hourly rates submitted on their Cost Proposal for the services provided by individuals (employees or subcontractors) in the following titles:  teacher, tutor and curriculum and instructional specialists. The contractor will submit invoices for the services provided by individuals in these titles at the appropriate hourly rate. These fully loaded hourly rates must include all costs incurred by the contractor for performing the services, including, but not limited to:    Total staff cost (including any fringe benefits) including paid breaks, holidays, accruals or paid time off  Total purchased services (e.g., non-employee consultants, subcontractors)  Total non-personal services (e.g., content supplies and materials, etc.)  Indirect costs including non-student-facing time (or non-teacher/administrator-facing time in the case of curriculum and instructional specialists) such as coordination, supervision, and planning for services  The contractor will only bill for the time that teachers and tutors spend directly teaching students, and the time that curriculum and instructional specialists spend directly interfacing with teachers and administrators to develop, assess, and improve curricula and instruction. Payments will be contingent upon properly prepared invoices and acceptable performance by the contractor, as determined by NYSED. Records including a detailed log with daily records of all staff’s/subcontractors’ student-facing time being billed will be required as an attachment to submitted invoices. These records will be verified by each individual school to confirm that services took place.  Staffing: NYSED desires certified teachers; however, upon individual approval from the non-public school, a non-certified teacher can be hired based upon a credential/experience review. All on-site staff and any staff with student contact must have background checks performed prior to initiating work. The vendor must ensure that staff and subcontractors are respectful of the diverse religious and ethnic communities within the nonpublic school population of New York and will provide services and assistance that aligns with the social and societal norms and expectations of the specific population. The vendor may subcontract with other vendors to perform aspects of this work. Subcontracting is defined as non-employee direct personal services and related incidental expenses, including travel. Estimated numbers of schools and students to be served during the 2024-25 school year: NYSED estimates that approximately 40 schools will receive services under this contract. Please see the attached regional breakdown of schools, student enrollment numbers, and funding amounts requested for educational services (“ROS Balances Remaining”). Description of services: These services will fall into two main categories:  Academic Support and Professional Development.  Each of those categories is explained in further detail below.  Academic Support Direct student services that accelerate learning by reinforcing and strengthening key skills – literacy and math, for example – to meet the diverse needs of students. Vendor’s programs must be tailored to the students’ needs to ensure that students strengthen key prerequisite and on-grade level skills to close opportunity gaps and build solid connections into grade level content. Key elements of vendor’s services in core academic content will include: Diagnostic and prescriptive approach that uses data to develop personalized learning plans based on students’ unique needs Intensive High-Dosage Intervention: Where necessary, instructional programs will provide structured learning for vendor’s students in both individual settings and/or in small groups with activities that align to classroom instructional objectives and differentiate lessons to meet the needs of individual students. Instruction includes explicit modeling, guided peer opportunities, and teacher interactive techniques designed to enhance student interest and attitudes toward learning and promote the active engagement of the learner. This intensive support will accelerate students’ learning by targeting key areas of need and supporting grade-level work in core subjects.  Depending on student needs, 1-on-1 and small group instruction will include explicit modeling of skills that develop independence and confidence.  Content will be age-, developmentally and culturally appropriate content with differentiation support. Interim data cycles will use formative and interim assessment data to monitor growth and inform instruction. Tutoring: Where appropriate, the program will provide tutoring and homework assistance during the school day and/or after school (extended day) delivered virtually or at school sites. These services are for students in grades K-12, which include support in literacy, math, science, social studies, and other core subject areas. Services can be structured as: 1:1 or small group tutoring, depending on student needs. Redeveloping instructional plans to address learning loss and/or improve instruction in a remote/hybrid model. Academic supports may also include:  Standards-aligned Enrichment Programming. For example, STEM programs that are aligned to local, state, and national standards, including the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that uses the most up-to-date research and vendor’s scientifically based instructional approach to provide students with an integrated curriculum in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics that also appropriately integrates instruction in literacy, writing, and speaking skills.   Other standards-aligned programming may also be introduced, depending on school and student needs.  Professional Development Vendor’s PD solutions will feature best practices directly informed by research and vendor’s experience with schools and districts. Vendor’s services will be delivered virtually, onsite, or in a hybrid model to support school communities in critical areas with a focus on creating equitable, rigorous, safe, and supportive learning environments to meet the needs of all learners. These may occur in the formats below, or in other research-based models: Workshops – The vendor will offer engaging professional learning content in leadership, pedagogy and curriculum, assessment for learning, learning environment, student and family support, disinfection and disease preventions, and other approved topics. Teacher Coaching – Job-embedded coaching provides teachers direct support in building their instructional practice. Coaches support pedagogy in the following areas: academic planning, teacher modeling, observation, consultation, resource curation/creation. School Leader Coaching – This level of support provides school leaders group and individual coaching opportunities to strengthen the instructional performance of their teachers. Models of support include: 1:1 coaching and strategic planning. Professional Learning Communities (PLC). Technical Proposal Please clearly and comprehensively address the following, in this order, in your Technical Proposal. Do not provide any additional information that is not requested here: Describe, in detail, your plan to address the project. Include in your narrative: the steps you will take to identify the need(s) at each school a base-level staffing plan to ensure appropriate project support and capacity to hire and place additional staff as needed what qualitative and/or quantitative data will be collected to show effectiveness and impact in the schools and how such data will be collected evaluative measures to ensure best use of the service a tentative annual calendar of major planning, deliverables, and meeting dates Describe your company’s experience with projects of similar scale and scope, and the qualifications of your staff to deliver these services. Describe how you will ensure that your staff are respectful of the diverse religious and ethnic communities within the nonpublic school population of New York. Criteria for Evaluating Bids All eligible proposals received by the deadline will be reviewed using the same criteria. NYSED will review each proposal to determine responsiveness to requirements described in this advertisement. NYSED retains the right to determine whether any deviation from the requirements is substantial in nature and may reject in whole or in part any and all proposals, waive minor irregularities and conduct discussions with all responsible bidders. Technical Criteria              (70 Points) Financial Criteria               (30 Points) The Financial Criteria will be scored based upon the grand total in the Cost Proposal, pursuant to a formula that awards the highest score of 30 points to the Cost Proposal that reflects the lowest overall cost. The remaining Cost Proposals will be awarded points based on a calculation that computes the relative difference of each proposal against the lowest cost submitted. The resulting percentage is then applied to the maximum point value of 30 points. NYSED reserves the right to request best and final offers. In the event NYSED exercises this right, all responsive bidders will be asked to provide a best and final offer. Method of Award The aggregate score of all the criteria listed will be calculated for each proposal received. The contract issued pursuant to this advertisement will be awarded to the vendor whose aggregate technical and cost score is the highest among all the proposals rated. If NYSED exercises the right to request best and final offers, the contract must be issued to the vendor with the highest aggregate technical and financial score that results from the best and final offer. If more than one proposal obtains the highest aggregate score, the contract will be awarded to the vendor in that group of highest aggregate scores whose budget component reflects the lowest overall cost. Security and Privacy Mandates The contractor agrees to comply with security and privacy mandates under this contract. The contractor must complete the following or provide a plan that materially addresses its requirements, including alignment with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, which is the standard for educational agency data privacy and security policies in New York state.  The New York State Education Department’s Data Privacy Appendix (Appendix R) is annexed to this advertisement, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference, and shall also be part of the Contract. Bidders should use the templates and instructions in Appendix R to submit the required DPA EXHIBIT 1 - Contractor’s Data Privacy and Security Plan and return it with their proposal for review. Vendor Responsibility State law requires that the award of state contracts be made to responsible vendors. Before an award is made to a not-for-profit entity, a for-profit entity, a private college or university or a public entity not exempted by the Office of the State Comptroller, NYSED must make an affirmative responsibility determination. The factors to be considered include legal authority to do business in New York State; integrity; capacity – both organizational and financial; and previous performance. Before an award of $100,000 or greater can be made to a covered entity, the entity will be required to complete and submit a Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire. School districts, Charter Schools, BOCES, public colleges and universities, public libraries, and the Research Foundation for SUNY and CUNY are some of the exempt entities. A complete list of exempt entities can be viewed at the Office of the State Comptroller’s website. NYSED recommends that vendors file the required Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire online via the New York State VendRep System. To enroll in and use the New York State VendRep System, see the VendRep System Instructions or go directly to the VendRep System on the Office of the State Comptroller's website. Vendors must provide their New York State Vendor Identification Number when enrolling. To request assignment of a Vendor ID or for VendRep System assistance, contact the Office of the State Comptroller’s Help Desk at +1 (555) 000-0000 or +1 (555) 000-0000 or by email at contact@example.gov. Vendors opting to complete and submit a paper questionnaire can obtain the appropriate questionnaire from the VendRep website or may contact NYSED or the Office of the State Comptroller’s Help Desk for a copy of the paper form. Subcontractors: For vendors using subcontractors, a Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire and a NYSED vendor responsibility review are required for a subcontractor where: the subcontractor is known at the time of the contract award; and the subcontractor is not an entity that is exempt from reporting by OSC; the subcontract will equal or exceed $100,000 over the life of the contract.  M/WBE: There is no M/WBE goal for this advertisement.  However, as part of NYSED's commitment to utilizing M/WBE firms, NYSED strongly encourages bidders to use New York State certified M/WBE firms to the greatest extent possible. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Set Aside: No Total MWBE Participation Goals: 0% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Contracting Goal: 0% Due date:06/03/2024 3:00 PM Deadline to ask questions for this advertisement is 5/6/24. A question and answer summary will be posted by 5/13/24. Contract term: 1 year County(ies): Albany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Erie, Genesee, Greene, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Oswego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Washington, Wayne Business entities awarded an identical or substantially similar procurement contract within the past five years: Public Consulting Group Catapult Learning LLC Measurement Incorporated