World Languages Proficiency Assessment RFP

Agency:	Pittsburgh Public Schools
State:	Pennsylvania
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	B - Special Studies and Analyses - Not R&D
Posted:	Apr 25, 2024
Due:	May 3, 2024
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Pittsburgh Public Schools

341 South Bellefield Avenue |

Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3516

https://www.pghschools.org

The School District of Pittsburgh

(Pittsburgh, PA)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

K-12 WORLD LANGUAGES

PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENTS

Issuance Date: April 5, 2024

Submission Date: May 3, 2024

1. Introduction

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit one or more established providers of world languages

curricula to provide Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) with evidence-based, researched, and reviewed assessment

materials in World Languages that are aligned with the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages. This RFP

seeks assessment providers (“Respondents” or “Offerors”) who share a vision for ensuring that all students have access

to the highest quality instructional resources aligned to the research in American Counsel on The Teaching of Foreign

Languages Proficiency Guidelines, PA State Standards, and evidence-based practices, to ultimately increase student

achievement and ensure success in college, careers, and community participation. The program should offer high-quality

ACTFL aligned assessment questions with grade and age-appropriate item types aligned to speaking, reading, writing,

and listening skills. The assessment system should also provide customizable reports at the district, school, grade level,

classroom, and student levels. Assessments must include at least (2) tests per year in K-12 World Languages, with

options to assess additionally as needed. PPS is committed to providing a high-quality education for all students

therefore, this request for proposal seeks a comprehensive World Languages proficiency assessment that meets the

needs of all students, including those who receive the following services: English Language Development, Specialized

Learning, and Gifted.

Adopted assessment materials will be implemented during the 2024-25 school year and all materials will need to be

delivered by July 31, 2024.

2. Background

The Pittsburgh Public School District is the largest of 43 school districts in Allegheny County and the second largest in

Pennsylvania. The district serves approximately 20,000 students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12, with

approximately 60 world languages teachers. Pittsburgh Public Schools has a vision that all students will graduate high

school, college, career, and life ready; prepared to complete a two-or four-year college degree or workforce

certification.

3. Scope of Services

The requirements outlined in this RFP, although extensive, is not exhaustive and is intended to provide interested

Respondents with sufficient basic information to submit proposals meeting minimum requirements but is not intended

to limit a proposal’s content or exclude any relevant or essential information. Proposals should address the entire scope

of services requested. In this RFP, Curricular and Instructional Assessment Materials are defined to be the

comprehensive curricular and assessment materials needed for students in every classroom, aligned to the research in

American Counsel on The Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines and World-Readiness Standards for

Learning Languages, PA State Standards, evidence-based practices, and adaptable to meet the needs of students with

exceptionalities and English Language Learners.

Proposals must comply with the following selection requirements as written in PPS Board Policy 106, Adoption of

Instructional Materials:

• The primary criteria for the selection of instructional materials are to address the needs of students as described

in the Content Standards at each grade level. All instructional materials and supplementary materials shall

reflect in both narrative and illustration a diverse American society and shall provide equal representation of

African American and other cultural and ethnic groups. Adopted instructional materials should avoid stereotyped

images based on race and gender. Instructional materials should reflect gender and ethnic minorities

participating in leadership roles in all aspects of society. The instructional materials that are ultimately selected

in each subject area must be challenging and stretch students to meet high standards.

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4. Assessment and Material Requirements

• Instructional materials must be aligned to the research in American Counsel on The Teaching of Foreign

Languages Proficiency Guidelines and World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages, PA State Standards,

evidence-based practices, and adaptable to meet the needs of students with exceptionalities and English

Language Learners. Instructional materials must be able to align with the Anticipate-Launch-Explore-Summarize

instructional model.

• World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages are an explicit part of instruction, and the assessment

demonstrates authentic connections between content standards and proficiency guidelines.

• Instructional materials are designed to build proficiency across a variety of proficiency levels with scaffolds to

support student growth from one level to the next.

• Instructional materials should include teacher guidance on how to anticipate students’ misconceptions and

errors.

• The instructional design of the materials includes a variety of tasks that address all levels of Webb’s Depth of

Knowledge (DOK).

• Instructional materials must include resources that support tiered instruction in the following areas:

intervention, enrichment, and acceleration.

• Integrate explicit instruction and resources to support the teaching and learning of English Language Learners.

• Digital materials include opportunities for teachers to extend learning, to personalize learning for all students,

and use adaptive or other technological innovations that allow for progress monitoring and data disaggregation

and reporting.

• Include digital and hard-bound print formats.

4a) Assessment Purpose and Use

• The assessment must be able to assess student learning in their language of study for speaking,

listening, reading, and writing. The assessment must have reliability and validity to ensure that results

represent accurate information about students for the intended use of the assessment.

• Any assessment materials should be pre-made and readily available to the teachers, to decrease

preparation time.

• Assessments should:

o Provide students and teachers with a student’s current level of learning in alignment to the

ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.

o Assessments must effectively measure incremental student growth through highly accurate

scoring of speaking and writing, and scaled scores for listening and reading.

o Aid teachers in better understanding how to support all students in accessing grade-level

content and accelerating learning.

4b) Developmental appropriateness

• Assessments should be engaging in order to accurately assess students’ competency rather than their

level of motivation.

• The assessment must include evidence of comprehensible input strategies

4c) Item Types

As requirements, the World Languages Assessment must:

• Include, but not be limited to, items aligned to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines and World Readiness

Standards for Learning Languages.

• Self

• Calendar/Time

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• Colors/Shapes

• Pets/Animals

• School/Classroom

• Weather/Seasons

• Clothing

• Food/Beverage

• Family/Friends

• Home

• Places

• Community

• Daily Routines

• Shopping/Stores

• Leisure/Activities

• Health

• Holidays/Celebrations

• Occupations/Professions

• Transportation Travel/Vacations

• Future plans

• Past events

• Any open-ended questions be free from bias in the portrayal of ethnic groups, gender, age, cultures,

religion, and people with exceptionalities.

4d) Usability

As requirements, the K-12 World Languages assessment must:

• If the assessment tool is computer-based, it includes online tools capabilities (lockdown browser,

highlighter, magnifier, color contrast, etc.).

• Include features that support the access of students with disabilities and are adaptable to meet the needs of

students who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, those with print disabilities, and

students with significant cognitive disabilities.

• Allow for flexibility in meeting the needs of a wide range of students and include accommodations for

special populations, including English Language Learners, students with disabilities, including students who

are visually impaired and/or deaf or hard of hearing, those with print disabilities, and students with

significant cognitive disabilities, and students identified as gifted and talented.

• The vendor should provide resources related to the assessment to assist teachers in ensuring their scopes

and sequences are addressing the assessment content.

• Educators must have access to baseline assessments to give students to measure growth and materials must

be provided to promote students’ grow across the proficiency continuum.

4e) Data and Reporting

As requirements, the K-12 World Languages assessment must:

• Assessments must include at least (2) tests per year in their language of study, with options to assess

additionally as needed.

• Generate data reports that include mastery as well as growth measures.

• Assessments rubrics that are grade-level appropriate

• Data reports must contain detailed performance and progress information in both written and graphical

form to facilitate the use of the scores for instructional planning and decision-making.

• Allow for district and/or teacher to view and save assessment item examples.

• Allow for exporting of test results to upload into the district Data Management System.

• Provide the district the ability to disaggregate data efficiently.

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• Include reports that provide parents/guardians and others with necessary information about the progress of

the learner so that they may provide support at home or outside the school setting.

• If the assessment tool is computer-based, it provides accessible digitally available student-facing, teacher-

facing, and parent/guardian facing data reports in multiple languages.

4g) Support, Training, and Professional Development

• The proposal shall describe the initial training and professional development necessary to begin

implementation of the proposed assessment system. The training plan should include mechanisms to train

district teachers and central staff who, in turn, will train school staff and provide support districtwide,

including availability of digital professional learning tools.

• The proposal shall allow respondent representative(s), in a timely manner, to work on a regular basis with

district/school personnel to answer all questions regarding production or financial matters pertaining to the

individual services required.

• What is the training required to prevent drift in assessment administration processes?

• What is the cost and how often does research show that refresher training is required?

• Can it be administered in large groups? If not, how long does the assessment take per student?

• What are the trainings provided for the use of the results for the individual students?

• How can assessment results be leveraged by the teacher to examine self-practice and improvement?

• How can the results be referenced by school and district leaders to examine school wide growth and

performance,

5.1 Proposal Submission and Deadline

All proposals must be submitted electronically to Ameeta Schmitt, at aschmitt2@pghschools.org by 5:00 PM EST on

May 3, 2024, with “World Languages District Assessment” as the subject line. Proposals, including any/all

attachments and cover letters, should be submitted as a single PDF document. In addition, digital access to all

program materials must be provided. Proposals should be submitted in accordance with the proposal guidelines

outlined in this RFP. Pittsburgh Public Schools reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, waive irregularities,

and to select the proposal that is determined to be the most advantageous to the school district. Late proposals will

not be accepted. Proposals submitted via hard copy or fax will not be accepted.

5.2 Timeline

• The Pittsburgh Public Schools is requesting proposals from experienced and qualified firms to provide the

services described herein. Selection of the firm will be made based upon proposals submitted. There may also

be presentations or interviews (may be conducted remotely). A timetable for the selection process is provided

below:

RFP Issued

April 5, 2024

Proposals Due

May 3, 2024

Presentations (If requested)

Approval by the Board of Directors

May 14, 2024

May 15, 2024

May 16, 2024

May 22, 2024

Notification of Board Recommendation to

Applicant Finalist

By May 23, 2024

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World Languages Proficiency Assessment RFP

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