May 4, 2026
RFP Number:
Due Date:
Due Time:
4930.2
May 27, 2026
2:00PM EST
To: Prospective Offerors:
Montgomery County Public Schools is soliciting proposals is to partner with one or more organizations
to provide Adaptive Digital Resources for elementary, middle, and high school Emergent Multilingual
Learners (EMLs) in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Specifically, this RFP targets support
for EMLs in their first two years of English Language Development (ELD) service.
Please respond according to the instructions provided in the attached. Proposals must be received on or
before May 27, 2026 at 2:00pm EST. Proposals received after this date and time will not be considered.
Proposals shall be delivered in a sealed envelope with the RFP number, opening date and opening time
indicated in the lower left corner of the envelope. Proposals shall be delivered to MCPS Department of
Procurement, 45 West Gude Drive, Suite 3100, Rockville, Maryland 20850.
The offeror must submit one (1) original, one (1) redacted copy, one (1) electronic version on flash drive
and one (1) separate copy of the proposal. The proposal must be signed by an official having authority to
contract with MCPS. The firm and official's name shall be used. This solicitation does not commit MCPS
to pay any costs incurred in the submission of proposals or guarantee that an award will be made.
In the event of emergency closing of the MCPS Board of Education offices, this RFP will be accepted at
the same time on the next regular working day.
AMD
Enclosure
Sincerely,
Angela McIntosh Davis, Director
Department of Procurement
Office of Financial Management
MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Department of Procurement, Suite 3100
45 West Gude Drive
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Request for Proposal #4930.2
Adaptive WIDA-Aligned Digital Resource for Multilingual Learners
1.0 INTENT
The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to partner with one or more organizations to provide Adaptive
Digital Resources for elementary, middle, and high school Emergent Multilingual Learners (EMLs) in
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Specifically, this RFP targets support for EMLs in their first two
years of English Language Development (ELD) service.
This RFP seeks partners who provide comprehensive, standards-aligned digital platforms that facilitate
language acquisition across the four domains—Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing—as measured by
the WIDA ACCESS assessment.
The products and services would broadly serve the following objectives:
● Provide robust supplemental and independent study resources that integrate English language
development with core content areas, including Social Instructional, English Language Arts,
Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies;
● Ensure rigorous alignment with the WIDA 2020 Framework, utilizing adaptive technology to scaffold
instruction for students at varying proficiency levels;
● Accelerate the acquisition of academic language to close opportunity gaps for EMLs, ensuring they
have equitable access to high-quality instructional enrichment outside of traditional direct instruction;
● Deliver actionable data and reporting to monitor student progress toward English proficiency and
content mastery.
2.0 INTRODUCTION
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is the 15th largest school system in the United States, and the
largest in the state of Maryland. During the 2025-2026 school year, MCPS served more than 156,000 students
from 157 countries speaking 162 languages. With a Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Operating Budget of approximately
$3.6 billion, MCPS employs more than 25,800 employees. Among the 211 schools that MCPS operates, 45 are
National Blue-Ribbon schools. Six MCPS high schools rank in the top 200 of The Washington Post’s 2015
High School Challenge, and all 25 MCPS high schools appear on this list, which only includes the top 11 percent
of high schools in the country. MCPS has one of the highest graduation rates among the nation’s largest school
districts, according to an Education Week report. The student demographics of MCPS in 2025-2026 are as
follows:
Hispanic/Latino: 35.3%
White: 23.9%
Black or African American: 21.6%
Asian: 13.7%
Two or more races: 5.3%
American Indian or Alaskan Native: 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
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RFP 4930.2
In alignment with our strategic priorities, MCPS believes that each and every student matters; outcomes should
not be predictable by race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status; equity demands the elimination of all gaps; and
creating and maximizing future opportunities for students and staff is necessary. Therefore, MCPS holds high
expectations for all students and staff; distributes resources as necessary to provide extra supports and
interventions so all students can achieve; identifies and eliminates any institutional barriers to students’ success;
and ensures that equitable practices are used in all classrooms and workplace.
MCPS also believes that we must engage every student, every day; learning is achieved by cultivating curiosity
and encouraging determination, focus, and hard work; and adult learning and engagement are key to student
learning. Therefore, MCPS encourages and support critical thinking, problem solving, active questioning, and
risk taking to continuously improve; stimulate discovery by engaging students in relevant and rigorous
academic, social, and emotional learning experiences; and challenge ourselves to analyze and reflect upon
evidence to improve our practices.
3.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES
3.1 Proposals should address the entire scope of services. Requirements include:
(a) Adaptive WIDA-Aligned Scope and Sequence: A comprehensive digital platform that provides
adaptive, individualized learning pathways for students. The platform must automatically differentiate
content complexity based on a student’s specific WIDA proficiency level (Entering, Emerging,
Developing, Expanding, Bridging) within each of the four language domains: Listening, Speaking,
Reading, and Writing.
(b) WIDA ACCESS Simulation: The platform must feature interactive item types that explicitly mimic
the WIDA ACCESS Online assessment interface. This includes, but is not limited to, drag-and-drop
functionality, hot-spot selection, and built-in record-and-playback tools for the Speaking domain to
build student confidence and familiarity with the testing environment.
(c) Content-Integrated Language Development: Modules must support language acquisition in the
context of grade-level academic standards, covering Social Instructional language as well as English
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.
(d) Teacher Resources & Blended Learning: The solution must provide robust teacher-facing
components, including lesson plans, blended learning guides, and offline instructional activities that
allow educators to connect digital independent study with small-group classroom instruction.
(e) Progress Monitoring: Real-time reporting dashboards that allow teachers and administrators to track
student usage and growth across WIDA domains and proficiency levels.
3.2 Technical Requirements and Vendor Experience
(a) Single Sign-On (SSO): The platform must support seamless Single Sign-On via Clever to ensure easy
access for students and staff.
(b) LMS and SIS Integration: The solution must support grade pass-back and deep integration with
Canvas (Learning Management System) and Synergy (Student Information System) to streamline data
flow and grading workflows.
(c) Device Compatibility: The platform must be fully functional on devices currently used by MCPS
students (e.g., Chromebooks) without requiring unique software installations beyond a standard web
browser or managed app.
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RFP 4930.2
3.3 Equivalent Access Requirements
To ensure compliance with Education Article, § 7-910, Annotated Code of Maryland, Entities shall
be required to submit with their Proposal an MCPS Digital Product Accessibility Overview and an
Accessibility Conformance Report that includes a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template for
each of the digital tools that will be offered. “Digital tool” is defined pursuant to Education
Article, § 7-910, Annotated Code of Maryland.
Digital Product Accessibility Overview
Vendors will submit the MCPS Digital Product Accessibility Overview (Attachment F)detailing each
of the distinct digital components of the proposed product with accompanying login credentials for
testing from both a Teacher and Student point of view. Login credentials will be used for
accessibility user testing for the duration of the product review period.
Requirement to provide an Accessibility Compliance Report (ACR)
Vendors shall provide a comprehensive Accessibility Compliance Report (ACR) based on the March
2022 revision of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT 2.4Rev WCAG) provided by
the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) for each distinct digital component listed in the
MCPS Digital Product Overview. The ACR should include a review for each unique digital
component of the Vendor’s product and identify whether the document was completed by internal
staff or a named third-party contractor.
Compliance with WCAG standards:
The Vendor shall be responsible for ensuring that any and all products and/or services provided
under this Contract shall meet all accessibility requirements and standards set forth in applicable
federal and State laws and regulations, including, without limitation, Education Article § 7-910 of
the Annotated Code of Maryland, COMAR 13a.06.05, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities
Act, the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 28 C.F.R. 35 (including the Final Rule on “Accessibility
of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments” the (“Final Rule”)),
and the technical standard set forth in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (“WCAG”) 2.1,
Level AA.
Accessibility Maintenance and Support
During the term of the Agreement involving use of digital tools, the Entity shall provide an updated
and complete Accessibility Conformance Report (“ACR”) annually, or within 30 days of the release
of a significant product update (e.g., version 1.1 to version 2.0), as well as ongoing maintenance and
support for accessibility including:
1. Accessibility Compliance Audit: The Entity will periodically conduct accessibility audits, at least
annually, to ensure continued compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. This audit should include a list
of identified WCAG 2.1 Level AA violations and estimated remediation timeframes.
2. Accessibility Remediation: The Entity shall address any identified violations, conduct
validation testing, and provide documentation of the testing results.
Accessibility Indemnification and Guarantees
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RFP 4930.2
1. The Entity agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Montgomery County Public Schools from any
costs, expenses, liabilities, or obligations arising from accessibility-related issues involving the
digital tools provided under this Agreement. This indemnification includes the defense of any legal
action or proceedings alleging non-compliance with federal or State of Maryland accessibility laws
and regulations and payment of any resulting liabilities. This section will survive the termination of
the Agreement.
2. The Entity failing to meet the equivalent access standards established under Subsection (a)(2) of
Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or WCAG 2.1 Level AA may face civil
penalties stated in Education Article, § 7-910, Annotated Code of Maryland.
Third-Party Technology
The Entity acknowledges that supplying third-party technology and/or content does not exempt the
Entity from ensuring product compliance with this section. The Entity bears sole responsibility for
determining the accessibility of such technology and must ensure that it can be edited or remediated
as necessary to comply with accessibility standards.
NIMAC coordination
By agreeing to deliver materials within this contract, and as per the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), the publisher shall prepare and submit, within 30 days of the contract start
date, a National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) file set to the to the NIMAC
that complies with the terms and procedures set forth by the National Instructional Materials Access
Center (NIMAC) (IDEA Title I, Part D, sec. 674(e)).
The files will be used for the production of specialized formats as permitted under the law for
students with disabilities. The publisher also will submit to MCPS a Certification from NIMAC to
demonstrate submission of the file.
The publisher also agrees to markup materials eligible for NIMAS submission that contain
mathematical and scientific instructional content by using the MathML modular extension of the
DAISY/NIMAS Structure Guidelines, as posted and maintained at the DAISY Consortium website
(refer to the latest applicable version).
Should the vendor be a distributor of the materials and not the publisher, the distributor agrees to
immediately notify the publisher of its obligation to submit NIMAS filesets of the purchased
materials to the NIMAC. The files will be used for the production of accessible formats as permitted
under the law for eligible students (IDEA Title I, Part B, sec. 612(a)).
Accessibility of Print and Printable Digital Materials
All print materials, including digital materials intended for printing, shall be provided to MCPS in an
accessible digital format. Minimum accessibility features include: Document Language, Logical
Reading Order, Appropriate Nesting, Table & Chart Accessibility, and Alternate Text for all
images.
Professional Learning
The digital platform housing any included training materials must comply with the same accessibility
standards as the student-facing platform. All professional learning videos must include accurate
closed captions.
3.4 Timeline for Implementation and Key Staff
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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.