Focused Reporting with data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

Background The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) was created by Congress in 1988 and comprises 26 members appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Education, including governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, researchers, business representatives, and members of the general public. The Governing Board sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly known as "The Nation's Report Card." More information on the Governing Board and its work can be found at www.nagb.gov. NAEP is an ongoing nationally representative assessment of U.S. student achievement in key academic subjects. Since its authorization by Congress in 1969, NAEP has provided an independent, objective measure of achievement in reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, economics, geography, technology and engineering literacy, the arts, and other subjects. NAEP results are reported nationally, and depending on subject, by state, and in 27 large urban districts. Through results of NAEP assessments, the public, including policymakers, educators, media, as well as business leaders and parents, are informed about the academic achievement of elementary and secondary students in the United States. The Governing Board's Reporting and Dissemination Committee (R&D) is responsible for developing guidelines for reporting and disseminating results, planning and executing the initial public release of NAEP Report Cards, and taking appropriate actions needed to improve the form, content, use, and reporting of results. Project Objectives The release of each Nation's Report Card generates discussion among media, policymakers, parents, and the education community. However, once the test scores and data are released, critical conversations shift to other areas which lie beyond NAEP's statistical mandates. This procurement is designed to generate continued discussion on the results by delving into NAEP data to produce artifacts, briefs, and ancillary materials that extend and enhance reporting of NAEP results. The collateral materials are planned for expanded dissemination via social media tools. The requirements of this procurement support these priorities by bolstering understanding of NAEP results, maximizing the impact of NAEP reporting, increasing the analytic use of contextual variables, highlighting state-level and district-level NAEP data, and publicizing insights from NAEP that could be used to improve education outcomes for all students. Each final analysis and product shall be accompanied by a brief methodology report of the data source, the analyses undertaken, and the quality control process implemented in sufficient detail to facilitate subsequent replication or updating. If results are linked to other data, then these other data sources must be noted and explained. The analytic findings must be accessible to stakeholders of various backgrounds and must bear value on ongoing conversations in education policy. Artifacts and products must be aesthetically appealing, have policy relevance, and must be comprehensible to targeted audience(s). It is of utmost importance to ensure that this research does not pursue or purport any notions of causality, but is focused on the project objectives highlighted above, that will include examining relationships among subgroups and over time. Products may shed new light on subgroup differences and point to new directions in understanding what factors may contribute to these differences which would be helpful in furthering the Board's expanded outreach strategies designed to make greater use of NAEP results. Request for Proposals Proposals are due no later than 4:00 pm EST on Tuesday June 21, 2016. The Department will accept clarification questions from potential offerors. Clarification questions must be submitted by 4:00 pm EST on Monday May 16, 2016. Responses to questions (if received), shall be posted to FBO no later than Tuesday May 24, 2016. The award is anticipated to be firm-fixed price. The contract award is projected to be made prior to August 1, 2016. The contract period of performance is anticipated to be 24 months. This is a new procurement (there is no incumbent). All responsible sources are encouraged to respond to this requirement.