2.1 The State seeks proposals from bidders interested in evaluating the alignment of the South Dakota high school assessments to the State’s math, English language arts (ELA), and science standards. The State is transitioning to the ACT assessments for their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) high school math, ELA, and science assessments. The specific assessments that will be evaluated in this study are the ACT Math, English, Reading, Writing, and Science assessments. The ELA Assessment will be comprised of the ACT English, Reading, and Writing assessments. The successful bidder will conduct an alignment study that is technically sound (i.e., method and process, appropriate units of analysis, clear criteria) and document adequate alignment. In addition, the bidder will need to establish a connection of the ACT assessments to career and college readiness. Bidders should describe in detail their plans for accomplishing each task and meeting the requirements outlined below. We encourage innovative approaches that will improve efficiency and reduce costs without sacrificing quality and accuracy. 2.1.1 A bidder must demonstrate: • Knowledge of Federal Peer Review Critical Elements • Knowledge of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) legislation • Knowledge of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) • Familiarity with strategies to support resource coaches around the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in schools. • Experience providing professional learning to educators • Experience in conducting alignment studies. • A master’s degree or higher in Education or a related field is required. • In addition to the narrative, the successful bidder will include curriculum vitae (CVs) of any staff who will be working on the project. 2.1.2 Consultant responsibilities include: • Project management and adherence to the timelines outlined in the bid • Recruitment of experts, educators, project assistants and/or any project management resources necessary to track project progress. • Compensation for experts, educators, and/or vendor specific project team members, including travel and lodging, if applicable • Training of experts and/or educators in the process • Training of all participants in any survey and data management tools needed to document information pertaining to any of the studies • Conduct recurring meetings between State representatives and Consultant’s team on an agreed-upon basis • Produce and publish project status reports • A description of a systematic process and timeline the State can use to address any gaps or weaknesses identified in the alignment study • Produce a final Technical Report on the Independent Alignment Study that will, at minimum, serve as evidence for sections 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 6.2, and 6.3 of the U.S. Department of Education’s Assessment Peer Review Process
