The Working Group is directed to: conduct a benchmarking or gap analysis study comparing the education policies of Montana to the education policies of high-performing international and domestic education systems or review a similar analysis conducted for another state; develop recommendations to adapt the appropriate education policies of high-performing education systems for the public education system in Montana; identify objectives to put the education performance of pupils in Montana in parity with that of pupils in high-performing education systems and make recommendations on how to meet the identified objectives; develop an implementation plan for the recommendations, which includes an analysis of the costs of the plan; and publish its recommendations and implementation plan no later than January 30, 2026. then develop recommendations and an implementation plan. This type of benchmarking or gap analysis study is a highly specialized endeavor and the facilitation skills to work with a diverse array of policymakers and education stakeholders is also very unique. The NCEE has spent decades developing this knowledge base of high-performing education systems and has successfully facilitated efforts similar to what the Working Group is tasked with in other states, including MD and NV. The Working Group will have roughly seven months to accomplish the work outlined under #1. This is an incredibly tight timeline; other states doing similar have taken 1-2 years. Contracting with the NCEE will allow the Working Group to review previous benchmarking studies in other states rather than conducting a new one, greatly expediting the process. The Working Group will need to start its work in July 2025, which will also provide teachers and school administrators more of an opportunity to participate in the effort. This ambitious timeline combined with the highly specialized knowledge base and skill set required to meet the timeline necessitates a sole source procurement. Please note: This is a Sole Source Notification.
