Source Sought-Alternate Assessments

Active

Contract Opportunity

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)
Title: Alternate Assessments for BIE Schools (Grades 3¿8 & 11; ELA, Mathematics, Science)

1. Notice Type & Purpose
This is a Sources Sought / Request for Information (RFI) issued solely for market research and acquisition planning.
This notice does not constitute a solicitation, and no contract will be awarded from this announcement.
Responses will help the Government determine:
- Appropriate acquisition strategy (e.g., small business set aside, full/open competition)
- Contract type and structure
- Market capability and capacity
- Feasibility of timelines for implementation
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2. Background & Objectives
The Bureau of Indian Education's mission (25 CFR 32.3) is to provide high quality, culturally responsive education that supports the holistic development of Native students. Pursuant to 25 CFR 30.100.125, BIE must administer assessments used for federal accountability.
BIE seeks Alternate assessments for students aligned to:
- BIE College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS) ¿ ELA & Mathematics (grades 3¿8 & 11)
- Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) ¿ Science (grades 5, 8, & 11)
For the base year, BIE requires a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) assessment solution that is fully operational (not pilot), has completed standards setting, and includes documented alignment evidence to BIE CCRS (ELA/Math) and NGSS (Science).
In option years, BIE may require customization of the COTS solution or development of a new assessment tailored to BIE needs. The Contractor shall manage all licenses, MOUs, and costs associated with the assessments.
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3. Project Description - Alternate Assessment
BIE seeks information from vendors capable of delivering a turnkey Alternate assessment ecosystem that includes:
- Statewide/SEA level AA AAAS (Alternate Assessment aligned to Alternate Academic Achievement Standards) for ELA, Mathematics, Science
- Paper based and online delivery formats with ELL supportive design
- Registration portal exclusive to BIE and integrated with NASIS (BIE SIS) via API and manual uploads
- On time scoring, standard setting, anomaly detection, and QA
- Parent friendly, FERPA compliant reports (paper and electronic)
- Training (virtual + onsite)
- Project management, communication cadence, and financial tracking
- Helpdesk coverage across multiple time zones
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4. Scope of Services (Summary of SOW Components)
Vendors should identify capabilities across the following components (beginning SY 2026-2027 through SY 2030-2031):
1. Assessment Administration & Scoring
- Produce, deliver, and score paper based and online annual Alternate assessments in sufficient quantities for Spring 2027 and subsequent windows
- Align administration formats and materials to support a high population of English Learners
- Provide in window support (reconciliation, portal assistance, helpdesk)
- Maintain 100% scoring accuracy, perform anomaly detection, and notify BIE of interpretive issues
2. Student Registration Portal (Exclusive to BIE)
- Provide a secure, dedicated online registration portal with 24/7 availability
- Integrate with NASIS via API + manual uploads; support accommodations/accessibility fields
- Enable role based access, scheduling, and test assignment per BIE business rules
- Annual data timeline expectations: initial org/participation/student uploads by last Friday in October; amendment window through second Friday in December; ongoing changes processed as additional orders
- Submit and maintain a Security Plan; adhere to federal privacy/security safeguards
3. Reporting (Paper & Electronic)
Paper:
- Two (2) Individual Student Reports (ISRs) per student
- One (1) parent/guardian report per student
- Aggregate grade level reports (grades 3¿8 & 11)
Electronic:
- EDFacts compliant annual data files
- Data Warehouse (interactive portal) access with user level permissions (student, school, aggregate reports, rosters)
- Machine readable formats (CSV, XLSX, TXT, SPSS, PDF)
- SIS formatted score files compatible with NASIS
- Secure transmission (SFTP/SSH; TLS 1.2+)
- Support peer review evidence; conduct standard setting and establish cut scores (e.g., July¿September 2027)
Data Quality & Security:
- Quality control plan; end to end data integrity protections
- Auditable access controls; threat monitoring; compliance with federal data regulations
4. Test Administration & Data Integration Training
- Up to 10 virtual trainings (recorded and posted on demand) coordinated with the Chief Academic Office (CAO)
- Up to 10 onsite trainings at CAO designated locations with experienced trainers
- Weekly office hours (1 hour) during administration cycle
- Develop Test Coordinator (TC) and Test Administration (TA) manuals; maintain online learning resources
5. Project Management Services
- Weekly PM status meetings; agendas, minutes, action logs; monthly financial tracking and invoices
- Communication plan and risk/issue tracking
- Ability to negotiate revised due dates for delayed dependent deliverables
6. Helpdesk Services
- Phone and online chat support across Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern time zones
- Coverage Mon¿Fri, 9:00 AM¿3:00 PM local during registration (~5 weeks), testing (~6 weeks), and post testing (~3 weeks)
- 15 minute hold time (95% SLA)
7. Optional Services (Option Years)
- Interim Assessments with training aligned to summative standards (grades 3¿8 & at least one HS grade)
- Item development and customization (culturally relevant prompts/materials); pilot testing; integration into item bank; BIE retains IP for all items developed
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Estimated Annual Tested Students (Planning Purposes)
Grade        3        4        5        6        7        8        11
Count        30        30        40        40        25        30        20
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5. Period of Performance (PoP)
Base Year + Four (4) One Year Options
Projected start with SY 2026¿2027 administration; exact dates to be finalized at award.
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6. Security, Privacy, & Compliance Requirements
Respondents must describe controls/practices aligning to federal requirements (as applicable), including but not limited to:
- FERPA, COPPA, CIPA (student data privacy)
- NIST SP 800 53 / 800 53A, FIPS 199 (Moderate), FIPS 140 2 encryption
- DOI IT Security Policies, OMB Circular A 123, Privacy Act, E Government Act §208 (PIA)
- Section 508 accessibility compliance
- Background investigations if system access to BIE environments is required
All systems and data must remain within CONUS.
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7. Government Furnished & School Provided Resources
BIE will provide:
- Student lists/IDs for test administration
Schools will provide:
- Computers/devices and internet connectivity (or local server/network)
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8. Place of Performance
- Nationwide, across BIE funded schools and BIE central offices
- Virtual services and contractor facilities (CONUS only)
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9. Instructions to Respondents
9.1 Administrative
Submission Email: Felicia.Aspaas@bie.edu
- Subject Line: "Sources Sought - BIE Alternate Assessments - [Your Company Name]"
- Response Due: April 22, 2026, 11:00 AM MDT
- Format: Only the RFI document must be submitted (PDF or Word preferred; ¿10 pages recommended)
- Questions: The Government may not respond to all questions under this notice
9.2 Content Requirements
Capability statements should address:
- SEA level experience delivering Alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities
- Alignment evidence (technical reports, alignment studies, standard setting documentation) to BIE CCRS (ELA/Math) and NGSS (Science)
- SIS integration experience with NASIS (API + manual) and data quality controls
- Assessment platform security posture and privacy controls
- Training program design (virtual/onsite) and helpdesk capability
- Project management approach (staffing, cadence, risk/issue management)
- Business size and socio economic status (UEI, CAGE)
- Identification of subcontractors (if applicable)
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10. Disclaimer
This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or proceed to a solicitation.
Costs associated with responding will not be reimbursed.
Proprietary information should be clearly marked.
No feedback or evaluation results will be provided.
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11. Notice to Potential Offerors
All offerors must be registered and active in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.SAM.gov and must have completed Online Representations and Certifications prior to any award.
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12. Attachments
- Attachment 1: Statement of Work (SOW) ¿ Alternate Assessments
- Attachment 2: Request for Information (RFI) ¿ Alternate Assessments
- (Only the RFI response is required at this time.)

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