Questions and Answers
1. The Request for Proposals (RFP) requires the identification of a project manager, fiscal manager, and project coordinator for each subcontractor. Can these all be the same individual?
No, the RFP states requirements of the management team in several sections. The concept of team implies a group organized to work together. In 5.4.D, it states that the proposed management team must include a project manager, fiscal manager, and project coordinator for each subcontractor. This section also states that the proposal must include resumes for the proposed management team and for each contract participant/subcontractor. In section 11, the Rating Criteria and Evaluation form, Management and Staffing (number 8, subsection b), asks the bidder to identify a management team that includes a project manager, fiscal manager, and project coordinator for each subcontractor.
2. Does the Evaluation need to include students who take the California Alternative Performance Assessment?
No, the project will be looking only at student assessment data from the California Standards Test (CST) and the California Modified Assessment (CMA). See RFP section 3.2.A and 3.2.D.
3. What kind of data do we need to examine to determine how students are transitioned out of special education?
If awarded the contract, the bidder must work with local educational agencies (LEAs) to understand the criteria used to move students out of special education.
4. Please clarify if the submitted proposal needs to be double-spaced.
The following portions of submitted proposals are exempt from double-spacing: Tables, charts, and other graphic materials. See RFP section 5.1.
5. Please verify the deadline for submission of Special Education Teacher Professional Development (SETPD) proposals.
Proposals are due on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 by 1:00 p.m. pacific standard time.
6. Is this a different RFP than was released last spring?
Yes, although the purpose remains the same, there are differences. This RFP is seeking proposals from eligible bidders to conduct an independent evaluation study of the implementation, effectiveness, and impact of the SETPD Pilot Project.
7. Are all sites referred to in the RFP receiving funding in 2009-10? Have there been any delays in funding or implementation in previous years? What is considered the baseline year for the sites described in the RFP (i.e., the year prior to receiving SETPD funding)? Is it the same for all sites? For all schools in the sites? (Page 2, 2.2)
All sites are receiving funding in 2009-10 and there has been no delay in funding which began in July 2008. The implementation of the program is one of the research questions in section 3.2.A and should be addressed in the bidder’s proposal. Baseline data would be prior to the July 2008 implementation date for all sites and LEAs.
8. When will 2010 CST/CMAs be available to the contractor? Are they expected to be incorporated in the final report? (Page 4, 3.1)
The 2010 CST/CMA Production One (P1) data will be available August 15, 2010 and this data is expected to be incorporated into the final report.
9. For what years has End of Year (EOY) and Beginning of Year (BOY) assessment data been collected by CDE? Must the contractor collect this data from sites for remaining implementation years? What is the last date these will be administered by sites? (Page 6, 3.2.A)
The CDE has collected the data for fall and spring of 2008-09 and fall of 2009 and will pass it along to the contractor. The contractor will be responsible for collecting the data for spring 2010. See Appendix 2 for timeline and Appendix 3 for Data Recording Form currently being used by LEAs.
10. Is it possible that any of the sites have delayed adoption of Reading Language Arts (RLA) materials because of the flexibility they now have in budgetingor that sites may be operating under the new adopted list? (Page 7, 3.2.A)
Due to the flexibility of Senate Bill 4 of the 2009-10 Third Extraordinary Session (SBX34) (Chapter 12, Statutes of 2009), some LEAs may have delayed adoption of the RLA materials, but others have adopted.
11. Is the state Professional Assignment Information File (PAIF) available for use in this project? (Page 8, 3.2.C)
Yes, the PAIF file will be available upon request by the contractor. (See Appendix 1 for additional data collection information)
12. Is data available or being collected about participation of individual teachers in the required professional development hours? (Page 8, 3.2.C)
The CDE has collected the professional development hours completed by individual teachers participating in the SETPD program for the 2008-09 school year and plans to collect this information for the 2009-10 school year. This information will be available if requested by the contractor.
13. Is there a page limit to the sections of the technical proposal? What are those limits? (Page 20, 5.4)
There are no page limits for the technical proposal sections. Proposal specifications are included in the RFP section 5.
14. Will identification information about the students that individual participating teachers teach be provided by CDE to the contractor? If not, will the sites be expected to provide this information to the contractor? (Page 8, 3.2.C)
Identification numbers for students are included on the BOY/EOY Assessment Recording Sheet (Appendix 3) which also includes the name of the teacher. This information will be available to the contractor (RFP section 3.3.A and Appendix 1).
