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Request for Proposal: Secondary ELA Textbook Adoption

Secondary ELA Textbook Adoption (6 – 12)

Solicitation #: 2024-0102

I. Purpose of Request for Proposal (RFP)

Provo City School District (PCSD) is seeking to adopt a comprehensive secondary English Language Arts curriculum for grades 6 – 12. The goal in this adoption cycle is to provide up-to-date, research-based, relevant, and appropriate materials that will effectively support teaching and learning practices in our 6 – 12 English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms that will also offer teachers and students greater access to relevant digital resources/tools.

Moreover, through the curriculum adoption process, PCSD aims to advance the Board of Education’s mission, vision, and values by improving access to (a) meaningful content, (b) increasing awareness of sound instructional practices, (c) providing technological assets that promote creativity, connections, and innovation, and (d) engaging students in rigorous activities/assessments.

The purpose of the RFP is to solicit complete proposals in accordance with the Proposal Response Format listed in the RFP, from agencies with expertise in providing high-quality, standards-aligned primary curricular resources for medium to large public-school districts. The selection and implementation of a primary curriculum is a complex process as it will serve a broad range of stakeholders. Therefore, experience with successful management of similar projects is integral to this project’s success.

This RFP is designed to provide interested parties 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. Respondents are at liberty and are encouraged to expand upon the specifications as to provide further evidence of service capability under any proposed agreement. Bids will be evaluated, and each requirement will be scored. Emphasis will be placed on alignment to the Utah Board of Education Core Standards (USBE) for Secondary English Language Arts, research/evidence base for instructional strategies/resources, quality of supporting texts, support for improved literacy practices, complimentary digital resources, data privacy, set-up costs, initial training, and ongoing support.

Provo City School District reserves the right to reject all proposals or waive any non-statutory informality. The PCSD further reserves the right to make the contract award deemed by the Provo City School District Board of Education to be in the best interest of the district regardless of the selection committee’s evaluation and scoring. The Board’s decision to accept or reject the contract will be final. Upon completion of the curriculum adoption process and selection, Provo City School District will assume ownership of all materials provided as part of the proposal.

The Secondary English Language Arts Curriculum Adoption Committee is composed of highly-qualified teachers, district content specialists, school administrators, parents, and university English Language Arts instructors. To ensure diverse, representational evaluations, the Committee is made up of members from various schools, grade-levels, and backgrounds. Each member will personally review all materials submitted for approval. The committee will then review all evaluations and submit the final recommendation directly to the Provo City School District Board of Education. This multi-level evaluation process, involving numerous people, guarantees to each publisher equity and fairness in the bidding, evaluation, and selection process.

Respondents are strongly encouraged to carefully read the entire request for proposals.

It is anticipated that this RFP may result in a contract award to a single contractor.

This RFP is designed to provide interested offerors 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 data. Offerors are at liberty and are encouraged to expand upon the specifications to evidence service capability under any agreement.

Provo City School District will not be liable for any costs proposers may incur in the preparation or presentation of this proposal.

II. Background

Provo City School District has a 6 – 12 grade student enrollment of approximately 8,500 students. The PCSD currently operates thirteen (13) elementary schools which include the 6th grade classes, two (2) middle schools which include grades 7 – 8, and three (3) high schools which include grades 9 – 12. Provo City School District offices are located at 280 West 940 North, Provo, UT 84604.

III. ISSUING OFFICE AND RFP REFERENCE NUMBER

The District’s Purchasing Department is the issuing office for this document and all subsequent addenda relating to it, on behalf of the Provo City School District Teaching and Learning Department. The reference number for the transaction is Solicitation #: 2024-0102 This number must be referred to on all proposals, correspondence, and documentation relating to the RFP.

NOTICE: Wherever the term bid, bidder, bidding or quote appears in this solicitation or reference is made to a bid, bidder, bidding, or quote, it shall be interpreted to mean offeror, as defined in 63G- 6a-103(30), RFP, or Request for Proposals, as defined in 63G-6a-103(38) and the procurement shall be conducted subject to the provisions of 63G-6a-701-711.

IV. Length of Contract

The Contract resulting from this RFP will be for a period of 5 years with possible extended 1-3 year renewal.

PCSD reserves the right to review contract(s) on a regular basis regarding performance and cost analysis and may negotiate price and service elements during the terms of the contract.

V. Price Guarantee Period

All pricing must be guaranteed for the entire term of the contract. Following the guarantee period, any request for price adjustment must be for an equal guarantee period and must be made at least 30 days prior to the effective date. Requests for price adjustment must include sufficient documentation supporting the request. Any adjustment or amendment to the contract will not be effective unless approved by the Director of Purchasing. Provo City School District will be given the immediate benefit of any decrease in the market, or allowable discount.

VI. Standard Contract Terms and Conditions

Any contract resulting from this RFP will include but not be limited to the District’s Standard Terms and Conditions and the FERPA Student Level Data Protection Standard Terms and Conditions. The District retains the right to refuse to negotiate on exceptions should the exceptions be excessive, not in the best interest of the District, negotiations could result in excessive costs to the state, or could adversely impact existing time constraints.

If negotiations are required, contractor must provide all documents in MS Word format for redline editing. Contractor must provide the name, contact information, and access to the person(s) that will be directly involved in legal negotiations.

VII. Detailed Scope of Work

The desired outcome for this adoption cycle is to provide up-to-date, research-based, relevant, and appropriate materials that will effectively support teaching and learning practices in our 6 – 12 English Language Arts classrooms and will offer all teachers and students greater access to relevant digital resources/tools.

The following list of requirements, although extensive, is not exhaustive and is intended to provide interested parties 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. Moreover, the Committee members will be expected to introduce their knowledge of Provo School District’s learning communities’ needs and classroom requirements as they evaluate the curricular resources in relation to the selection criteria.

Curricular/Design Requirement

  1. Utah Core Standards for English Language Arts Alignment
    • Instructional materials in all formats, including print, digital, and online materials, are aligned to the Utah Core Standards for ELA grades 6-12.
    • Curriculum materials are grounded in best teaching practices for secondary ELA instruction, with a clear and documented evidence base by an outside evaluator.
    •  Rigor matches the rigor of the Core and promotes critical thinking.
    • Program is organized in a way that allows teachers to find core skills and identify standards.
  2.  English Language Arts Content and Emphasis
    • Materials follow developmental progression of ELA skills in a way that is consistent with the progressions in the Standards.
    • Materials reflect a variety of text types and genres.
    • Content is aligned with foundational reading skills and includes materials for reading comprehension for both literary and informational texts.
    • Materials reflect argumentative, narrative, analytical, and informational writing instruction and opportunities in alignment with the Standards.
    • Materials reflect opportunities for listening and speaking skills in alignment with the Standards.
    • Program includes resources to improve fluency, including accuracy, speed, understanding, and prosody as determined by grade-level standards.
    • Program includes reading strategies and skills.
    • Program includes vocabulary development including learning the meaning of new words through direct and indirect instruction
  3. Access for all Students
    • Materials should be thoughtfully designed to support all students in accessing and meeting the Utah Core ELA Standards.
    • Materials include thoughtfully designed scaffolds, strategies, and other supports for Multi-language learners in accessing and meeting the Utah Core ELA Standards
    • Additional materials provide appropriate levels and type of scaffolding, differentiation, intervention, and support for a broad range of learners (e.g., Multi-language learners, accelerated learners, students with IEPs, students reading below grade level).
    • Systematic approach to incorporating language acquisition strategies that ensure equitable access across language ability levels.
    • Materials are visually balanced, age-appropriate, accessible, and engaging to a diverse range of student cultures and learning abilities.
  4. Pacing and Program Design
    • Pacing guides outline reasonable, suggested time frames for instruction and assessment.
    • Lesson design incorporates direct instruction, guided practice, differentiated grouping, and independent practice.
    • Program demonstrates and provides clear vertical alignment in instruction and assessment.
  5. Assessment
    • Assessments support teachers in guiding instruction to meet the needs of individuals and groups of students. There is a clear connection between instruction, standards, and assessment. Assessment reports provide teachers with specific data by standard with suggested intervention resources specific to student needs.
    • Assessment tasks align with RISE, ACT, Aspire, etc.
    • Ability to customize, edit, and share assessments at the district, school, and teacher levels. Printable and online options for assessments are available.
    • Assessment reports are accessible at the district, school, and teacher levels quickly if not immediately.
    • Program includes a universal reading screener for grade levels 6-12.
  6. Digital Resources/Tools Requirements
    • Robust and dynamic digital materials/tools engage students in meaningful learning experiences using innovative online content and visual representations to enhance or extend classroom instructional practices.
    • Digital tools regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure progress, as well as mastery of grade level standards.
    • User-friendly access and navigation for all users (e.g., Single Sign On, Compatible with current LMS-Canvas).
    •  All digital/electronic/online resources and tools meet all federal and state student data privacy requirements.
    • Parent/home connection is designed to support student learning.
  7. Training, Service, and Support
    • Agency has knowledgeable, experienced and capable curriculum deployment/implementation specialists who will guide our district employees through the implementation process and appropriate data use.
    • Agency offers initial and ongoing training, both on-site and digital.
    • Agency offers initial and ongoing on-site training, training of trainers, and refresher trainings as necessary.
    • Agency has knowledgeable client support staff who are available to personally provide immediate assistance.
    • Access to digital and physical materials, for professional development and preparation, available for summer teacher trainings.

VIII. Anticipated Solicitation Timeline

  • Release RFP 11/28/2023
  • RFP Due 12/15/2023 2:00PM
  • Evaluation Period 12/2023 – 4/2024
  • Final Committee Evaluation Made 5/2024
  • Board of Education Award Approval 5/2024

IX. Questions

All questions must be emailed to: judyr@provo.edu.

X. Proposal Response Format

All proposals must include a technical proposal and cost proposal. Formats for both documents follow:

A. Technical Proposal Format

Hard copies are to be tabbed by section.

Tab 1

Executive Summary. The one or two page executive summary is to briefly describe the offeror’s proposal. This summary should highlight the major features of the proposal. It must indicate any requirements that cannot be met by the offeror. The reader should be able to determine the essence of the proposal by reading the executive summary. Protected information requests should be identified in this section.

Tab 2

Detailed Response. This section should constitute the major portion of the proposal and must contain at least the following information:

  1. A complete narrative of the offeror’s assessment of the work to be performed, the offeror’s ability and approach, and the resources necessary to fulfill the requirements. This should demonstrate the offeror’s understanding of the desired overall performance expectations. Clearly indicate any options or alternatives proposed.
  2. A specific point-by-point response, in the order listed, to each requirement in the RFP.

Tab 3

Protected Information. All protected information must be included in this section of proposal response. Do not incorporate protected information throughout the proposal. Rather, provide a reference in the proposal response directing reader to the specific area of this Protected Information section.

The Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA), Utah Code Ann., Subsection 63-2-304, provides in part that:

the following records are protected if properly classified by a government entity:

  1. trade secrets as defined in Section 13-24-2 if the person submitting the trade secret has provided the governmental entity with the information specified in Section 63-2-308 (Business Confidentiality Claims);
  2. commercial information or non-individual financial information obtained from a person if:
    • disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to result in unfair competitive injury to the person submitting the information or would impair the ability of the governmental entity to obtain necessary information in the future;
    • the person submitting the information has a greater interest in prohibiting access than the public in obtaining access; and
    • the person submitting the information has provided the governmental entity with the information specified in Section 63-2-308;
  3. records the disclosure of which would impair governmental procurement proceedings or give an unfair advantage to any person proposing to enter into a contract or agreement with a governmental entity, except that this Subsection does not restrict the right of a person to see bids submitted to or by a governmental entity after bidding has closed; ….

GRAMA provides that trade secrets, commercial information or non-individual financial information may be protected by submitting a Claim of Business Confidentiality.

To protect information under a Claim of Business Confidentiality, the offeror must: provide a written Claim of Business Confidentiality at the time the information (proposal) is provided to the district and include a concise statement of reasons supporting the claim of business confidentiality (Subsection 63-2-308(1)).

If you submit a proposal containing confidential information you must submit an electronic “redacted” (excluding protected information) copy of your proposal response. Copy must clearly be marked “Redacted Version.”

A Claim of Business Confidentiality may be appropriate for information such as client lists and non-public financial statements. Pricing and service elements may not be protected. An entire proposal may not be protected under a Claim of Business Confidentiality. The claim of business confidentiality must be submitted with your proposal on the form which may be accessed below:

An entire proposal cannot be identified as “PROTECTED”, “CONFIDENTIAL” or “PROPRIETARY” and may be considered non-responsive if marked as such. To ensure the information is protected, you must include all protected information in Tab 3 of the proposal response. Any protected information incorporated in other sections of the proposal response may result in release of data at no fault of the District.

All materials submitted become the property of Provo City School District. Materials may be evaluated by anyone designated by the District as part of the proposal evaluation committee. Materials submitted may be returned only at the District’s option.

XI. Cost Proposal Format

The proposal must be set forth in such a way that it will allow the merits of the proposal to be evaluated in conjunction with applicable cost. Please review the Best and Final Offers section below to ensure you properly submit your cost proposal.

XII. Submitting Your Proposal

Proposals must be received by the posted due date and time. Proposals received after the deadline will be late and ineligible for consideration.

Hard copy proposals must be delivered to Tiffany McLoud, Finance Dept. For this RFP one original and eight identical copies of your proposal must be received at Provo City School District Teaching and Learning Department, 280 West 940 North, Provo, UT 84604.

All submitted proposals will consist of a technical proposal and a cost proposal. These documents should be separate of each other. The cost proposal should be in a sealed envelope with the RFP number and the phrase “Cost Proposal” clearly printed on the envelope.

Cost will be evaluated independent from the technical proposal, and as such, is to be submitted separate from the technical proposal. Failure to submit cost separately may result in your proposal being determined non-responsive. Inclusion of any cost or pricing data within the technical proposal may also result in your proposal being determined non- responsive.

NOTICE: By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, offeror is acknowledging that the requirements, scope of work, and the evaluation process, outlined in the RFP are fair, equitable, not unduly restrictive, understood and agreed to. Any exceptions to the content of the RFP must be protested to the purchasing agent prior to the closing date and time for submission of the proposal.

XIII. Proposal Evaluation Criteria

A committee will evaluate proposals against the criteria in section VII Curricular/Design Requirements. Each area of the evaluation criteria must be addressed in detail in the proposal. All proposals in response to this RFP will be evaluated in a manner consistent with the Utah Procurement Code, rules, policies and the evaluation criteria established in the RFP.

Understandability and comprehensiveness of information supplied in this RFP will affect the evaluation of the above criteria.

XIV. Discussions with Offerors (Oral Presentation)

An oral presentation by an offeror to clarify a proposal may be required at the sole discretion of the District. However, the District may award a contract based on the initial proposals received without discussion with the Offeror. If oral presentations are required, they will be scheduled after the submission of proposals. Oral presentations will be made at the offerors expense.

XV. Best and Final Offers

Vendors should offer their best offer in the original technical and cost proposals. The use of a Best and Final Offer process is regulated by Utah Code 63G-6a-707.5 and will only be used if:

  1. no single proposal addresses all the specifications stated in the RFP;
  2. all or a significant number of the proposals are ambiguous on a material point and the evaluation committee requires further clarification in order to conduct a fair evaluation of proposals;
  3. the evaluation committee needs additional information from all offerors to complete the evaluation of proposals;
  4. the differences between proposals in one or more material aspects are too slight to allow the evaluation committee to distinguish between proposals;
  5. all cost proposals are too high or over budget; or
  6. another reason exists supporting a request for best and final offers, as provided in rules established by the applicable rulemaking authority

It is important to understand this so as not to anticipate that a best and final process will allow for a vendor to “sharpen their pencil” in a subsequent phase.

XVI. Award of Contract

Award shall be made to the offeror whose proposal is the most advantageous to the District taking into consideration price and the other evaluation factors set forth in this request for proposals.

The District reserves the right to award the contract(s) to a technically qualified lower cost offeror(s) in the event the high scoring offer is determined to not be the best value offered to the District, based on a cost benefit analysis.

Cost Proposal Form can be found on the below Request for Proposal: Secondary ELA Textbook Adoption pdf.

Shauna Sprunger
  • Coordinator of Communications
  • Shauna Sprunger
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