Description
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is seeking assessment vendors to join a Departmental Master Agreement (MA) that will pre‑qualify tools for preschool language and literacy assessment. Vendors must demonstrate that their assessments are valid, reliable, culturally and linguistically appropriate for Massachusetts preschool children, and must provide extensive documentation (reliability/validity evidence, bias analysis, cost breakdown, equity statements, professional development, and reporting samples). Once approved, assessments will be listed on a public roster and made available to DESE’s Early Education & Care Office, public school districts, and community‑based childcare programs through separate downstream contracts. Pricing for any assessment placed on the MA is locked through June 30 2029, and vendors must submit a Supplier Diversity Program plan if anticipated annual spend exceeds $250,000. The solicitation remains open for rolling submissions until 31 Dec 2027.
• Scope – Provide teacher‑administered preschool language‑literacy assessment tools (screening, formative, summative or diagnostic) that meet psychometric thresholds (reliability ≥ 0.70, validity ≥ 0.60, screening AUC ≥ 0.80).
• Requirements – Submit evidence of reliability/validity, cultural/linguistic suitability, baseline‑ceiling guidance, cost structure, Prompt‑Payment Discount, and Supplier Diversity Program (if applicable). No price increases allowed through 2029.
• Contract – Master Agreement effective July 1 2024, terminating June 30 2029 (with possible 12‑month renewals). Vendors become part of a pre‑qualified list; downstream contracts are funded separately.
• Evaluation – Uses an internal scorecard (max 100 points) weighting reliability, demographic relevance, professional‑development support, cost‑effectiveness, usability, equity, and mandatory SDP compliance.