documents - eBOARDsolutions

Georgia Kindergarten Entry Profile
eRFP# 41400-DOE0000026
Attachment I Statement of
Work (SOW)
Purpose, Background, and Considerations
Purpose
The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) seeks a highly qualified Supplier to provide
services and products for the development of a formal statewide Kindergarten Entry Profile
(KEP) as a component of the Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS).
GKIDS is a year-long performance-based assessment aligned to the state’s learning standards
and is used as a formative assessment in all public Kindergarten classrooms across the state.
GKIDS was built to be developmentally and culturally appropriate and allows flexibility to meet
the individual needs of students. As part of the state’s Race to the Top - Early Learning
Challenge initiative, Georgia will augment GKIDS by creating a Kindergarten Entry Profile
which will provide formative assessment information during the first six weeks of kindergarten.
The purpose of the Kindergarten Entry Profile is to provide educators, parents, and the state with
high-quality information about individual student readiness so that appropriate supports and
interventions can be put into place as needed to ensure all students, regardless of where they
began, leave kindergarten ready to learn at high levels and thrive.
Kindergarten entry is an important time to assess children’s skills because it is, in essence, the
“gateway” between the early childhood system and the K-12 educational system. The
information gathered through Georgia’s Kindergarten Entry Profile will provide valuable
information for kindergarten teachers to individualize instruction, provide the K-12 educational
system with an understanding of the skills of children entering public schools (which will affect
instructional and professional development supports), and provide the early childhood system an
understanding of the skills of children leaving the system - to provide system-level information
about supports and resources needed to ensure that every kindergarten student starts school with
the skills needed to be successful.
The Kindergarten Entry Profile must be built using research-based best practices for young
children to ensure the measure is developmentally appropriate. The results of the assessment
must provide clear, accurate, and actionable information about the skills of children when they
enter kindergarten. The primary purpose of the measure will be to inform instruction so that all
students, regardless of where they begin, are afforded the opportunity to excel.
This new Kindergarten Entry Profile will consist of both direct (e.g., structured performance
tasks) and indirect (e.g., observational) tools. The protocols, tasks, and rubrics that will serve to
provide the Kindergarten Entry Profile must align with the Georgia Early Learning and
Development Standards (GELDS), which can be located using the following link:
http://www.gelds.decal.ga.gov/
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The goal of this procurement is to identify a highly-qualified vendor to assist GaDOE with the
design, development, and implementation of a new Kindergarten Entry Profile. This new
assessment must:
• be aligned with the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS);
• be vertically aligned with the College and Career Ready Georgia Performance Standards
(CCGPS);
• cover all Essential Domains of School Readiness; and
• be valid, reliable, and appropriate for the target population and for the purpose for which
it will be used, including English learners and students with disabilities.
Background
Georgia has a long record of working to ensure young children begin school on a sound
foundation. The Georgia General Assembly recognized the importance of this in 1985, charging
the State Board of Education with establishing first-grade readiness criterion. The purpose of this
requirement was to determine a student’s “readiness” for first grade so that appropriate
instructional supports could be provided when warranted. Ultimately, the Georgia Kindergarten
Assessment Program (GKAP) was established and administered periodically, at key intervals,
throughout the kindergarten school year. The program consisted of (1) a series of individually
administered structured student assessment activities (SAA) based upon teacher-supplied stimuli
and (2) a behavioral checklist representing a series of teacher judgments regarding student
behaviors that were observed during regular classroom activities. These structured assessment
activities were developed so that they could be administered to students as part of an ongoing
educational experience. Each SAA was presented in an instructional context and was designed to
be as naturalistic as possible. The information gathered was used to identify children who might
need additional support services in kindergarten and/or first grade.
Currently, the Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) is utilized in all
public kindergarten classrooms across the state. GKIDS is a year-long formative, performancebased assessment that is aligned to the state’s learning standards. GKIDS was built to be
developmentally and culturally appropriate and allows flexibility to meet the individual needs of
students. The purpose of the GKIDS is to provide teachers with ongoing formative information
about kindergarten students’ developing skills and to provide a summary of individual student
performance at the end of the kindergarten school year.
GKIDS provides teachers with ongoing information, in real time, about kindergarten students’
developing skills in seven domains of learning which cover the five Elements of School
Readiness as shown below.
GKIDS Domain
English Language Arts
Mathematics
Social Studies
Science
Approaches to Learning
Personal and Social Development
Motor Skills
Element of School Readiness
Communication, Language and Literacy
Cognitive Development and General Knowledge
Cognitive Development and General Knowledge
Cognitive Development and General Knowledge
Approaches to Play and Learning
Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development and Motor Skills
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GKIDS is a flexible tool, used by teachers throughout the school year to gauge how students are
progressing. It allows teachers to assess student performance during instruction, record student
performance in an online database, and generate reports for instructional planning, progress
reports, report cards, student support teams, and family conferences. These reports detail the
degree to which students have achieved the expectations set forth in the content standards (e.g.,
not yet demonstrated, emerging, progressing, met, exceeded). Many districts around the state use
GKIDS as a standards-based progress report, issued at various points throughout the school year,
to inform families of the progress made by their student(s).
GKIDS utilizes a web-based data collection system to capture teacher-recorded information at
multiple points throughout the school year. This data collection system also provides for
individual student reports to be printed on demand. It is expected that a similar system will be
utilized to collect data from KEP field tests conducted as part of this procurement.
Further information on GKIDS can be located on the GaDOE website:
http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/GKIDS.aspx
Sample GKIDS activities can be found in the GKIDS Administration Manual and the GKIDS
Assessment and Instructional Guide on the following website:
http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/GKIDSResources.aspx
Considerations
This SOW defines the requirements for Georgia’s Kindergarten Entry Profile. The selected
Supplier will work closely with the GaDOE, DECAL, and with committees of Georgia early
childhood educators (including Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade) to complete all tasks.
All procedures, processes, and products used by the Supplier to complete the work associated
with this SOW must be approved by the Department. Throughout the contract period, the
selected Supplier will confer with the Department on a continuing and consistent basis and will
be involved in frequent face-to-face meetings or teleconferences with the Department, as
necessary.
Georgia’s public school system is comprised of 198 state-funded local education agencies
(LEA). This includes 180 school districts, 3 state schools, and 15 state charter schools operating
more than 2,263 schools. Grade enrollment for the 2013-2014 school year was approximately
49,208 in Pre-Kindergarten and 137,283 in Kindergarten. Additional information about the
numbers and types of schools as well as student enrollment may be found at the following link
(under the heading ‘Reports’):
http://www.gadoe.org/Technology-Services/Data-Collections/Pages/Home.aspx
 All work products and protocols developed as a result of the contract must be able to be
used by the GaDOE in perpetuity at no additional cost to the GaDOE. Work produced
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under this project will be considered work for hire, and as such, all materials shall be the
sole property of the GaDOE. Any materials developed for this project shall not appear in
other publications outside of Georgia without prior written approval.
Georgia Kindergarten Entry Profile Development Plan
As an expansion and augmentation of the current GKIDS, already aligned to Georgia’s Pre-K
assessment, Georgia seeks a highly qualified Supplier for the development of a formal statewide
Kindergarten Entry Profile. This profile will extend the existing GKIDS administration and will
provide data about the skills of children at Kindergarten entry. Results of the profile will be
provided following an initial period of assessment at the opening of the academic year, within
the first six weeks.
The successful Supplier must have a demonstrated record of effectiveness in performing services
related to the comprehensive assessment and analysis of early childhood development and
learning benchmarks. Within its proposal, the Supplier shall outline its plan for developing and
delivering protocols and performance activities and tasks to comprise a Kindergarten Entry
Profile. So that the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the proposed solution can be
appraised, the proposal shall describe how protocols and structured performance tasks will be
developed to provide information about individual student readiness so that appropriate supports
and interventions can be put into place as needed. The assessment shall be based upon both
direct (structured tasks) and indirect (observational) measures of concepts and skills that are
deemed essential at the beginning of a student’s Kindergarten experience.
Data from the profile will link to the Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) to enable
state, district, and school administrators and policymakers to address key policy questions. It is
important to note that this data will only be used for aggregate reporting and not for any program
level accountability or as the single source of data for high-stakes decisions, such as promotion
or retention.
The Kindergarten Entry Profile must align with the state’s early learning and development
standards (GELDS) and cover the five Essential Elements of School Readiness.
The proposed technical approach for the development of the Kindergarten Entry Profile will be
evaluated on the requirements listed below. Further details on these requirements are provided in
the sections that follow.
 Describe how a KEP Development Committee will be assembled, naming the proposed
national early childhood expert(s) to be included, upon GaDOE approval, and provide
details of meetings to be conducted with the committee.
 Describe how the vertical articulation between GELDS and CCGPS will be analyzed.
 Describe the procedures and plans for conducting a comprehensive literature review.
 Describe the procedures for developing the KEP blueprint and test specifications,
including identifying essential concepts and skills to be included in the KEP, based upon
literature and expert opinion. Include the procedures for grouping essential concepts and
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skills by domain and determining the best assessment method (direct/indirect) for each
concept.
Describe, in detail, the procedures and guidelines for conducting protocol and task
development, including but not limited to the qualifications, selection, and training of
those involved in the creation, including how the tasks and protocols developed will be
developmentally appropriate for young learners and how high quality, annotated rubrics
(to be used by teachers) will be developed and validated.
Describe how the pilot(s) and field test(s) in Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms will be
conducted and how these processes will inform revision of the protocols and tasks.
Describe the types of data analyses that will be performed and how data review meetings
will be planned, coordinated, and conducted.
Describe the plan for conducting an inaugural launch of the KEP in a representative
sample of Kindergarten classrooms, including how a survey will be developed and
administered to all participating teachers to obtain feedback regarding administration
procedures and the utility of results.
Describe the process for developing online professional development modules that will
prepare Kindergarten teachers to properly administer the KEP, apply the scoring rubrics,
and use results to inform instruction.
Describe the plan for facilitating all necessary training for pilot/field test administrations,
as well as the initial launch.
Describe how score reports will be developed to effectively communicate with intended
audiences including parents, teachers, administrators, school boards, press, and the
general public.
Describe the measurement approach and plan for providing benchmarks for the KEP
data.
Describe the validity and reliability studies that will be conducted as well as the plans and
procedures for compiling technical documentation.
In addition, the proposal must include the following mandatory requirements:
 The Supplier must provide sample early childhood materials of the ilk described in this
SOW. Sample protocols/tasks should include all associated stimuli and ancillary
materials, including but not limited to scoring rubrics and student exemplars (if
applicable). A variety of tasks/protocols should be provided in order to demonstrate the
Supplier’s competency with developing high quality tasks aligned to the GELDS and
CCGPS. If subcontractors are proposed, sample work products should be provided for
each subcontractor.
 All work products and protocols developed as a result of the contract must be able to be
used by the GaDOE in perpetuity at no additional cost to the GaDOE. Work produced
under this project will be considered work for hire, and as such, all materials shall be the
sole property of the GaDOE. Any materials developed for this project shall not appear in
other publications outside of Georgia without prior written approval.
KEP Development Committee
The Supplier shall describe the plan for assembling a KEP Development Committee of
representatives including Georgia educators who serve in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and
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first-grade settings, national early childhood experts, and key staff from DECAL and GaDOE,
along with staff from other stakeholder groups such as the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.
The input of these experts will be important in ensuring that the essential concepts and skills
identified, and the tools created, are developmentally appropriate and accessible for these young
learners as they enter kindergarten. The Supplier shall work collaboratively with the GaDOE and
DECAL to identify 10-12 educators for this committee. Teachers of the following populations
should be included: 1) rural areas; 2) children with identified special needs or developmental
delays; 3) English language learners; and 4) areas with large numbers (or large percentage) of
low-income children. The Supplier shall explicitly name the national early childhood experts
they propose to include in this committee, and provide a brief description of each expert’s
qualifications. Final selection of committee members is subject to GaDOE approval.
The Supplier must plan and organize all committee meetings in Atlanta. All meetings will be
conducted in collaboration with GaDOE staff. The Supplier shall be responsible for arranging,
recruiting, organizing, and paying the costs of bringing committee members together for the
meetings. All meeting costs, including meeting rooms and equipment rental, provision of
meeting materials, substitute reimbursement ($125.00 per day on average; systems must be
reimbursed the actual amount paid to a substitute, not to include administrative fees), travel, and
per diem expenses of participants (including GaDOE and DECAL staff) shall be paid by the
Supplier. Reimbursement for participants will be at the rates authorized by the GaDOE and in
accordance with the State of Georgia Travel Regulations (available at
http://sao.georgia.gov/state-travel-policy). Currently mileage is reimbursed at $.56 per mile and
the maximum per diem reimbursement is $36.00 (breakfast - $7.00; lunch - $9.00; dinner $20.00). Honoraria for educators participating in meetings and not under contract (e.g., during
the summer months) must be paid at the rate of $125.00 per day. Educators under contract during
summer months may not be paid honoraria.
The Supplier shall also be responsible for keeping detailed minutes of each meeting and
reporting the outcomes of each meeting to the GaDOE.
The Supplier shall be responsible for planning all aspects of these meetings, including: securing a
location (with GaDOE approval); identifying and inviting educators (with GaDOE approval);
preparing materials (including agendas, sign-in sheets, name tags, etc.); furnishing all audio and
technical needs; and preparing materials for review by the committee. The Supplier shall be
responsible for the facilitation of these meetings. Committee meetings require careful planning to
ensure representation of Georgia’s diverse geographic and ethnic groups and to ensure sufficient
time is provided for adequate consideration of the meeting tasks.
Information about the minimum number of meetings related to program tasks and activities is
provided below. Suppliers should use their expertise in proposing committee meetings.
Meeting Purpose
Initial planning meeting
Identification of key concepts and
skills/Blueprint development
# of
Approximate Timeline
Meetings
1
December 2014
2
January - February 2015
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Review tasks and protocols
Review training and scoring modules
Data Review
2
1
3
Review proposed reports
Benchmark KEP profile indicator
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1
March 2015; August 2015
March 2016
July 2015; October 2015; June
2016;
June 2016
November 2016
 Describe how a KEP Development Committee will be assembled, naming the proposed
national early childhood expert(s) to be included, upon GaDOE approval, and provide
details of meetings to be conducted with the committee.
Vertical Articulation Study
The first step in developing the GKIDS Kindergarten Entry Profile will be to review the
alignment between the current GKIDS and the GELDS. GKIDS has already been aligned with
the CCGPS for Kindergarten. The GKIDS alignment review will highlight potential gaps and
will inform the specific development of the GKIDS Kindergarten Entry Profile.
Key to this review will be a thorough analysis of the GELDS and CCGPS for the purpose of
identifying the essential concepts and skills to be sampled for measurement. The vertical
articulation between these two sets of standards must be carefully analyzed with the
Kindergarten Entry Profile measure in mind to establish which concepts and skills are likely to
signal success in future learning opportunities for young students. Supplier shall ensure that
concepts from non-academic domains are appropriately sampled.
Further information on the GELDS and CCGPS can be located on the following websites:
Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS):
http://gelds.decal.ga.gov/ English Language Arts CCGPS:
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Common-Core/Pages/ELA-K-5.aspx
Mathematics CCGPS:
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Common-Core/Pages/Math-K-5.aspx Science GPS:
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Pages/BrowseStandards/ScienceStandardsK-5.aspx
Social Studies GPS:
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Pages/BrowseStandards/SocialStudiesStandardsK5.aspx
Physical Education:
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Pages/BrowseStandards/PhysEdK-5.aspx
 Describe how the vertical articulation between GELDS and CCGPS will be analyzed.
Literature Review
The Supplier shall conduct an extensive literature review in the early stages of the project in
order to equip all engaged in this work with the necessary research-based knowledge to enter
into productive discussions regarding the design of this new function and role for GKIDS. The
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literature review will inform the work of the KEP Development Committee in identifying the
essential concepts and skills to be assessed, selecting the assessment methods to be used, and
ensuring the developmental appropriateness of the KEP protocols and tasks. The Supplier shall
propose an outline for the literature review.
 Describe the procedures and plans for conducting a comprehensive literature review,
including a preliminary outline.
KEP Blueprint and Test Specifications
Development of the Kindergarten Entry Profile must begin with the identification of essential
concepts and skills that students must possess to excel in their kindergarten experience. The
National Research Council (NRC) provides guidelines in the area of early childhood assessment
that will be important to consider and apply to this work. Paramount to all developmental work
in early childhood is the inclusion of all students, including those with special needs. The
Supplier shall describe how the NRC’s guidelines for early childhood assessment will be
considered in the identification of essential concepts and skills, and how the KEP Development
Committee will inform this process.
The Supplier shall provide a thorough development plan for the Kindergarten Entry Profile
blueprint and test specifications. This plan must include the involvement of the GaDOE,
DECAL, and KEP Development Committee. The blueprints and test specifications will inform
how the domains and standards are represented on the assessment, thus serving as a basis for
constructing the KEP. The Kindergarten Entry Profile must align with the state’s early learning
and development standards (GELDS) and cover the five Essential Elements of School Readiness.
It is expected that the KEP will reflect prioritized knowledge, concepts, and skills deemed
necessary to position students for success and be as minimal as necessary to elicit sufficient and
reliable information. Ultimately, administration of the KEP should be unobtrusive and
naturalistic within the Kindergarten environment. It is critical that instructional time be protected
and that administration of the KEP is not burdensome. The Supplier shall explicitly address
approaches to ensure these expectations are met.
The blueprint for the KEP shall:
• Clearly define the standards, concepts, and skills to be assessed, the rationale for
selection, the assessment method to be used (direct/indirect), and how instruction can be
informed;
• Clearly specify progressive levels of achievement within each standard and reporting
domain;
• Delineate the number of tasks/protocols for each standard and reporting domain that will
be assessed ;
• Provide the basis for selecting tasks/protocols to include in the KEP, including the
associated research to support the inclusion;
• Provide the reporting structure, including the grouping of standards within reporting
domains;
• Define the assessment length and overall characteristics, considering the expectations
described above.
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 Describe the procedures for developing the KEP blueprint and test specifications,
including identifying essential concepts and skills to be included in the KEP, based upon
literature and expert opinion. Include the procedures for grouping essential concepts and
skills by domain and determining the best assessment method (direct/indirect) for each
concept.
Development of Protocols and Tasks
The Kindergarten Entry Profile will be comprised of both direct (structured tasks) and indirect
(observational) measures of the essential concepts and skills identified by the KEP Development
Committee. These are foundational skills that prepare students for future learning. The protocols
(observational checklists/instruments) and structured performance tasks developed for the
assessment must be designed to assess, in a developmentally-appropriate manner, the following
domains:
• language and literacy development,
• cognition and general knowledge of early mathematics and science,
• approaches to learning,
• physical well-being and motor development, and
• social and emotional development
Given the purpose of the KEP is to inform instruction, the protocols and tasks developed must be
able to be administered in a naturalistic manner, require minimal setup, and be easy to
implement, so as to not detract from instruction. They must also utilize common materials and
manipulatives readily available in a Kindergarten classroom and not require special or unique
materials. Each protocol and task must reliably elicit good information about student skill,
understanding, and readiness for future learning.
ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science standards shall be assessed using two to five
performance levels for each skill/element.
•
•
•
•
•
Not Yet Demonstrated
Emerging
Progressing
Meets the Standard
Exceed the Standard
The number of performance levels for each task/protocol will be determined in collaboration
with the KEP Development Committee and will be specific to the skill/element being assessed,
based on the range of student performance that can be observed for each skill/element.
For structured performance tasks, high quality customized rubrics shall be developed, including
thorough descriptions of each performance level. Each rubric shall:
•
•
be tailored to the assigned task;
be designed to account for multiple correct responses, if applicable;
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•
•
be straightforward, easy to interpret, accurate, and complete, such that teachers will easily
be able to use them; and
include a broad array of valid and realistic responses.
As appropriate, the Supplier shall propose how final rubrics will be accompanied by multiple
student exemplars demonstrating each performance level. Each exemplar shall be annotated to
explain the features of a student’s response that led to the performance level assigned. Rubrics
and annotated exemplars must be available in a readily-accessible electronic format (such as
Word or pdf).
For observational protocols, rubrics should include an array of student responses/actions that
may be observed to demonstrate each performance level.
 Describe, in detail, the procedures and guidelines for conducting protocol and task
development, including but not limited to:
• the qualifications, selection, and training of protocol and task writers,
• the style of task prompts, stimuli, and graphics,
• how the tasks and protocols developed will be developmentally appropriate for
young learners, and
• how high quality, annotated rubrics (to be used by teachers) will be developed and
validated.
 The Supplier must provide sample early childhood materials of the ilk described in this
SOW. Sample protocols/tasks should include all associated stimuli and ancillary materials,
including but not limited to scoring rubrics and student exemplars (if applicable). A variety
of tasks/protocols should be provided in order to demonstrate the Supplier’s competency with
developing high quality tasks aligned to the GELDS and CCGPS. If subcontractors are
proposed, sample work products should be provided for each subcontractor.
Piloting & Field Testing Protocols and Tasks
The Supplier will be responsible for developing administration procedures and policies for all
pilots and field tests, and providing all necessary materials.
Following the initial development of protocols and tasks, an informal pilot test shall be
conducted in a sample of Pre-K classrooms across the state (Spring 2015). This process will
allow for the collection of information regarding student interaction with the structured
performance tasks and appropriateness/functioning of the observational protocols, and will guide
any necessary revisions prior to field testing.
After protocols and tasks have been revised and approved following the informal pilot, a field
test shall be conducted in Kindergarten classrooms (Fall 2015). Data and feedback from the PreK pilot and Kindergarten field test will inform further refinement of tasks and protocols as well
as development of training and scoring modules.
Following further revisions to protocols and tasks, as needed, and development of online training
modules, an additional field test shall be conducted in Pre-K classrooms (Spring 2016).
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For each pilot/field test, the Supplier will be responsible for the development of all necessary
materials and resources, including pre-administration training.
The Supplier shall describe how each pilot/field test will be conducted. The Supplier should
propose a detailed plan outlining how key data will be captured, and all logistics such as printing
and shipping. It is preferred that all data be captured via a web-based data collection system. The
plan shall include the minimum number of students for each pilot/field test, taking into
consideration that the GaDOE seeks to avoid interruption of the instructional day as much as
possible. Each pilot/field test event should culminate in a Technical Report.
 Describe how the pilot(s) and field test(s) in Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms will be
conducted and how these processes will inform revision of the protocols and tasks.
Data Analysis & Review
The Supplier shall conduct analyses in order to evaluate the technical quality of the
tasks/protocols. The Supplier shall describe the types of analyses that will be conducted to
identify any problematic tasks/protocols, as well as those that function well. The Supplier shall
explicitly detail the analyses and review to be conducted to evaluate the developmental
appropriateness of tasks/protocols. The Supplier shall propose a thorough and accurate data
report on each task/protocol and follow national industry standards as well as best practice. The
Supplier shall describe the approach to data analysis, including exactly what data will be
provided for each task/protocol. Tasks and protocols shall also have validated rubrics attached
with completed scoring, brief scoring descriptions, student exemplars (if applicable), and other
deemed ancillaries.
After each pilot/field test, the GaDOE, DECAL, and KEP Development Committee will review
all tasks in concert with any relevant performance data. The purpose of this review is to
determine which tasks are appropriate for possible inclusion on the Kindergarten Entry Profile,
to refine and finalize performance level descriptors, as well as further refine tasks if necessary
based on educator input.
The Supplier must plan, organize, and conduct data review sessions with the KEP Development
Committee.
 Describe the types of data analyses that will be performed and how data review meetings
will be planned, coordinated, and conducted.
Operational Launch
After all tasks, protocols, and administration procedures have been refined based on feedback
from the field tests in Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms, the KEP will be launched in a
representative sample of Kindergarten classrooms (Fall 2016). Supplier should propose a
solution to ensure this inaugural administration is seamless within GKIDS.
The Supplier shall develop and administer a survey to all participating Kindergarten teachers to
obtain feedback regarding administration procedures and the utility of results. Survey results will
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be used to inform final refinement of all tasks/protocols, administration procedures, and
training/scoring modules, and reports prior to the statewide operational launch (Fall 2017).
As the KEP is being developed as an augmentation to GKIDS, the statewide operational launch
will be the responsibility of the current GKIDS contractor, the Georgia Center for Assessment
(GCA). It is expected that the Supplier will work collaboratively with GCA, through the
Department, to ensure the KEP becomes a seamless component of GKIDS. To that end, the
Supplier will be responsible for redesigning administration manuals and supporting documents
for GKIDS to include information necessary to complete the Kindergarten Entry Profile,
working collaboratively with both the GaDOE and GCA.
 Describe the plan for conducting an inaugural launch of the KEP in a representative
sample of Kindergarten classrooms, including how a survey will be developed and
administered to all participating teachers to obtain feedback regarding administration
procedures and the utility of results.
Professional Development
The establishment of protocols and tasks that comprise the new KEP will necessitate that all
Georgia Kindergarten teachers receive training to prepare them to properly assess students and
maintain fidelity of the administration and rating/scoring. All Kindergarten teachers will receive
professional development related to the KEP, specifically as an augmentation to GKIDS. The
training content will include a robust set of online modules with video content showing and
detailing kindergarten teachers using the newly developed tools to assess students. Modules will
also be developed to allow teachers to practice applying the scoring rubrics to ensure consistent
(reliable) scoring throughout the state. The GaDOE will work with DECAL to utilize a webbased training platform developed for the GELDS and the online modules will be housed within
Georgia’s state learning management system.
Training should include, but not be limited to, administration procedures, scoring, and use of
assessment results to inform instruction, as well as guidance on how to share this information
with families. Training shall also establish inter-rater reliability and ensure teachers are
appropriately calibrated to all rubrics and scoring protocols.
The Supplier will be responsible for outlining the module specifications and building/refining the
modules. The Department will contract with Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) for production
of the necessary video content. The Offer shall work collaboratively with GPB, through the
GaDOE, to ensure the necessary video content is produced and serves the intended purpose
within the online modules. Modules will be reviewed by the GaDOE, DECAL, and KEP
Development Committee, as well as Kindergarten teachers participating in the field test. All
modules built by the Supplier must be SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model)
compliant.
The Supplier will be responsible for facilitating all necessary training for pilot/field test
administrations, as well as the initial operational launch (Fall 2016). The Department anticipates
the need for initial face-to-face training for participating teachers prior to each pilot/field test and
the initial launch, conducted in at least five regional locations across the state. Follow-up training
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(if needed) could be conducted via webinar. Training for the Spring 2016 field test should
incorporate the online modules in order to assess their utility. Training for the statewide
operational rollout will be provided in face-to-face regional workshops facilitated by the
GaDOE, with support from the Supplier.
The Supplier must plan and organize all training in collaboration with GaDOE and DECAL staff.
The Supplier shall be responsible for arranging, organizing, and paying the costs of bringing
teachers together for the training sessions. All training costs, including meeting rooms and
equipment rental, provision of meeting materials, substitute reimbursement ($125.00 per day on
average; systems must be reimbursed the actual amount), travel, and per diem expenses of
participants (including GaDOE and DECAL staff) shall be paid by the Supplier. Reimbursement
for participants will be at the rates authorized by the GaDOE and in accordance with the State of
Georgia Travel Regulations (available at http://sao.georgia.gov/state-travel-policy). Currently
mileage is reimbursed at $.56 per mile and the maximum per diem reimbursement is $36.00
(breakfast - $7.00; lunch - $9.00; dinner - $20.00). Honoraria for educators participating in
training and not under contract (e.g., during the summer months) must be paid at the rate of
$125.00 per day. Educators under contract during summer months may not be paid honoraria.
Training Needed
Informal pilot
Kindergarten field test
Pre-K field test
Inaugural administration
Operational Administration
Type of Training
Face-to-Face
Face-to-Face
Webinar/Modules
Face-to-Face/
Modules
Face-to-Face/
Modules
Educators
Pre-K
K
Pre-K
K
Approximate Timeline
April 2015
July 2015
April 2016
July 2016
K
July 2017
 Describe the process for developing online professional development modules that will
prepare Kindergarten teachers to properly administer the KEP, apply the scoring rubrics,
and use results to inform instruction.
 Describe the plan for facilitating all necessary training for pilot/field test administrations,
as well as the initial launch.
Score Reports
The Supplier will be responsible for the creation of a variety of reporting shells that can be
populated from the GKIDS database and printed from the GKIDS application. The Supplier will
collaborate with the GKIDS contractor, GCA, through the Department, to ensure that reporting
shells developed are compatible with the GKIDS application.
Reports are to be produced at the student, class, school, district, and state levels. Reports must be
straightforward, easy to interpret, accurate, and complete. At a minimum, reports must provide
numeric, narrative, and graphic representations of assessment results and must effectively
communicate with intended audiences including parents, teachers, administrators, school boards,
press, and the general public. Importantly, reports will comply with all requirements of state and
federal laws and regulations by providing both aggregated and disaggregated data at the school,
system, and state levels. Suppliers should also consider the purpose and use of the KEP in their
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design of score reports. Of particular importance is ensuring the reports proposed and ultimately
produced provide actionable information to educators so that appropriate enrichment or
remediation opportunities can be planned for individual students.
The Supplier will deliver electronic data files at the system and state levels following each
pilot/field test administration and each subsequent assessment event. Electronic data must be in a
format (e.g., flat ASCII file) and include the fields approved by the Department that can be
readily imported into local databases for use. Data structures/files must be built to readily
interface and be compatible with the data structures of the GKIDS database developed and
implemented by GCA. The Supplier will work collaboratively, through the Department, with
GCA to ensure compatibility. All data files must be accompanied by detailed layouts with clear
and comprehensible data field descriptions.
Current GKIDS reports include the following:
Individual Student reports
• Skill/Element-Level Report: shows the student’s performance level for every
skill/element.
• Standard-Level Report: shows a summary of student performance for each standard.
• Strand-Level Report: shows a summary of student performance for each strand within a
domain (e.g., Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language strands within the
domain of ELA).
Summary Reports
• Class Report: shows the percentage of students at each performance level for every
skill/element.
• School Report: shows the percentage of students at each performance level for every
skill/element.
• System Report: shows the percentage of students at each performance level for every
skill/element.
These reports are listed for illustrative purposes only. It is not expected that the full range of
reports will be desired or needed for the KEP. The Supplier should propose its best thinking
about the development of highly salient, succinct reporting shells that communicate effectively
with the intended audiences, primarily teachers and parents.
The Supplier will be responsible for developing all score report specifications in collaboration
with the GaDOE and KEP Development Committee and creating the reporting shells to be
populated with the GKIDS platform.
 Describe how score reporting shells will be developed to effectively communicate with
intended audiences including parents, teachers, administrators, school boards, press, and
the general public.
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Benchmark KEP Indicator
The Supplier shall propose measurement solutions for reporting student information on the KEP.
Currently, GKIDS is formative and therefore not scaled. The Supplier should propose
appropriate psychometric/measurement plans, including plans to provide benchmarks for the
KEP data, which will help teachers and parents understand how students are progressing relative
to readiness to embark upon their K-12 experience. The instructional needs of students and the
purposes of the KEP must be taken into consideration in developing the proposed benchmarking
methodology. Benchmarks should be developed to signal students who need additional supports,
as well as those who have achieved mastery and are best offered enrichment opportunities.
 Describe the measurement approach and plan for providing benchmarks for the KEP
data.
Validity & Reliability Studies
The Supplier will be responsible for ensuring the technical quality of the KEP given its purposes
and uses. The Supplier must follow national industry standards and best practices in developing
the KEP, with particular detail paid to ensuring the instrument is developmentally appropriate for
all students, including those with disabilities and English learners. All work must be conducted
according to the most recent version of the Standards for Educational and Psychological
Testing, as promulgated by the American Psychological Association (APA), the American
Educational Research Association (AERA), and National Council of Measurement in Education
(NCME). It is expected that best practices and evidence-based procedures be demonstrated and
applied at all levels of the work.
The Supplier will be responsible for collecting evidence of the technical quality and synthesizing
findings in a series of technical briefs and reports following each pilot and field test. The
Supplier should propose a cohesive and thoughtful series of reliability and validity studies to be
conducted throughout the development process. Such studies should be designed to inform the
evaluation of the technical merits of the KEP to fulfill its intended uses. Within its response, the
Supplier should outline a proposed validity framework and detail the evidence to be collected,
including the timing of each validity and/or reliability study. Key consideration must be given to
ensure the proposed protocols and tasks are developmentally appropriate and provide clear
signals of a student’s readiness for learning. The Supplier will be responsible for synthesizing all
evidence of technical quality and addressing possible counterclaims.
The Supplier will be expected to present its work plans and results to Georgia’s Technical
Advisory Committee (TAC), comprised of six national measurement experts. Georgia’s TAC
meets on a quarterly basis and is charged with providing GaDOE with impartial technical advice
about the quality of its assessments programs. The Supplier will be responsible for engaging
TAC and incorporating their feedback into all appropriate work plans.
 Describe the validity and reliability studies that will be conducted as well as the plans and
procedures for compiling technical documentation.
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Deliverables
Summary of Deliverables
All deliverables, timelines, deadlines and communications shall be based on Eastern Standard
Time. The GaDOE's standard working hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
All deliverables must be received by GaDOE on or before the due date during GaDOE's standard
working hours. A summary of the products required by this RFP is provided below. The
approximate due date for each service or product is also provided in this table. The dates and
products listed in this table are intended to serve as a guide for the creation of the initial project
work plan, to be delivered with the proposal. This table is not a comprehensive listing of all work
products and the submission dates are for illustrative purposes only. The specific date for
submission of the product or service will be decided collaboratively with the Supplier and the
GaDOE; however, certain key dates are non-negotiable. The project plan shall specify each
deliverable product or service and the exact due date associated with the product or service. The
final project work plan shall be decided collaboratively by the Supplier and the GaDOE.
Deliverables
Preliminary Dates
Initial Project Planning Meeting
December 2014
Finalization of Project Plan
December 2014
Establish KEP Development Committee
Contract with national early childhood experts and begin
comprehensive literature review
Examine vertical articulation between GELDS and CCGPS
Conduct Precision Review of GKIDS compared to GELDS and
CCGPS
Complete comprehensive literature review
Identify key concepts and skills (in identified domains) based upon
literature, input of national experts, and Georgia educators
Develop KEP blueprint and test specifications
Develop task/protocol specifications
Determine validity and reliability studies
Develop tasks and protocols
Develop administration procedures and policies
December 2014 - January
2015
December 2014 - January
2015
December 2014 - January
2015
December 2014 - January
2015
December 2014 - January
2015
December 2014 February 2015
December 2014 February 2015
December 2014 February 2015
January - February 2015
February 2015 - March
2015
February 2015 - March
2015
Training for informal pilot
April 2015
Informal pilot in Pre-K classrooms
May 2015
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Data Review/Revise tasks based on informal pilot
June 2015 - July 2015
Develop training materials and resources, train for field test in
Kindergarten settings
June - July 2015
Conduct field test of designed tasks in Kindergarten settings
August - September 2015
Data Review/Revise tasks based on Kindergarten field test
Develop score report structures
Outline online training and scoring modules
October - December
2015
November 2015 - May
2016
July 2015 - August 2016
Build modules
August 2015 - March
2016
Committee Review/refinement of modules
March - April 2016
Training for Pre-K field test
April 2016
Conduct field test in Pre-K settings
May - June 2016
Data Review/finalize design
June - July 2016
Committee Review of proposed reports
June 2016
Training for inaugural launch
July 2016
Conduct inaugural launch in representative sample of Kindergarten
classrooms
August - September 2016
Set Kindergarten-ready standard
November 2016
Issue inaugural KEA profile scores
November 2016
Compile technical documentation
Train participating teachers on score interpretation and usage
Survey participating Kindergarten teachers
November - December
2016
November - December
2016
October - December
2016
Train Kindergarten teachers for operational administration/launch
online training and scoring modules
July - August 2017
Statewide Operational Administration
August - October 2017
Issue KEA Profile scores
August - October 2017
Train Kindergarten teachers on score interpretation and utility for
instruction
September - December
2017
Validation studies
Ongoing
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Experience, Capabilities, and Project Staffing and Oversight
In addition to the technical approach for KEP development, proposals will be evaluated on the
experience and capabilities of the Supplier, as well as proposed project staffing and oversight of
the technical solution.
Proposals will be evaluated on the requirements listed below. Further details on these
requirements are provided in the sections that follow.
 The Supplier shall describe experience with similar projects that involve the development
of protocols and tasks aligned to early childhood learning standards;
 The Supplier shall describe experience with educational agencies and schools related to
the development and piloting of early childhood measures;
 The Supplier shall provide a minimum of two reference contacts for each agency (if work
performed was of similar scope);
 Describe the qualifications and experience of all assigned staff directly tied to specific
activities and timelines as well as their experience in performing work of a similar nature,
including, but not limited to, relevant knowledge and experience in the following areas:
o Pre-K through early elementary learning and child development;
o Development and implementation of kindergarten readiness programs;
o Administration of statewide programs or assessments similar to GKIDS;
o Education and evaluation of children with disabilities;
o Education and evaluation of English language learners; and
o Administration of training and professional development programs for educators
and other professional development programs for pre-K and/or early elementary
educators.
 Describe the time commitments of proposed staff by providing a description of allocated
time to all other assigned projects, as well as the time allocated to this project.
 Describe how the proposed Project Manager has sufficient experience and qualifications
to be responsible for all aspects of project oversight and management.
In addition, proposals must include the following mandatory requirements:
 The Supplier must disclose all litigation, past and present, of which the Supplier was a party
and provide a description of the outcome of any such litigation;
 The Supplier shall provide evidence of company financial stability. Please include the most
recent Dunn & Bradstreet report or other equivalent financial rating;
 Resumes must be provided for all key personnel involved with assessment development and
implementation (including subcontractors).
 The Supplier must designate a project manager to be the primary point of contact with the
GaDOE project manager.
 The work plan schedule must be developed such that the GaDOE Project Manager shall have
at a minimum ten business days to review all documents and deliverables.
Experience and Capabilities
Suppliers will be evaluated on their experience and capabilities. The successful Supplier must
have demonstrated experience in the development and analysis of assessments aligned to early
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childhood learning standards. Suppliers shall provide summaries of their experiences within the
state of Georgia, if applicable, as well as in other states or school districts, provided they were of
similar scope and targeted early childhood. Supplier should include all agencies, public and
private, that it has contracted with for early childhood assessments and provide a short summary
of the accomplishments and experiences obtained throughout the term of the services provided.
To be clear, this is a formative assessment, and the Supplier should refrain from providing
summaries of summative assessment experiences exclusively. The Department views this
development as unique, given the age of the students to be evaluated, and therefore seeks a
partner who has demonstrated experience in building developmentally appropriate protocols and
tasks for young children.
 The Supplier shall describe experience with similar projects that involve the development
of protocols and tasks aligned to early childhood learning standards;
 The Supplier shall describe experience with educational agencies and schools related to
the development and piloting of early childhood measures;
 The Supplier shall provide a minimum of two reference contacts for each agency (if work
performed was of similar scope);
 The Supplier must disclose all litigation, past and present, of which the Supplier was a party
and provide a description of the outcome of any such litigation;
 The Supplier shall provide evidence of company financial stability. Please include the most
recent Dunn & Bradstreet report or other equivalent financial rating;
GaDOE staff, at their discretion, may conduct periodic onsite visits to the successful Supplier’s
facilities to ensure compliance with the terms of the contract and RFP. The Supplier will be
responsible for all travel expenses of GaDOE staff, per state travel regulations.
Project Staffing and Oversight
The Supplier must submit thorough documentation demonstrating personnel experience,
capabilities, and expertise congruent with the requirements of this RFP. The Supplier’s project
manager and all other key personnel of the Supplier must be identified in writing to the GaDOE
and are subject to approval by the GaDOE. The Supplier should not label any position as “to be
determined.” Failure to name all key staff members may result in disqualification. Any change to
proposed personnel is subject to approval by the GaDOE and may not be made without approval.
 Describe the qualifications and experience of all assigned staff directly tied to specific
activities and timelines as well as their experience in performing work of a similar nature,
including, but not limited to, relevant knowledge and experience in the following areas:
o Pre-K through early elementary learning and child development; and
o Development, implementation and/or administration of kindergarten readiness
programs or assessments similar to GKIDS.
 Describe the qualifications and experience of all assigned staff involved in the
development of training materials and online modules, including their experience in the
administration of training and professional development programs for educators and other
professional development programs for pre-K and/or early elementary educators.
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 Describe the time commitments of proposed staff by providing a description of allocated
time to all other assigned projects, as well as the time allocated to this project.
 Resumes must be provided for all key personnel involved with assessment development and
implementation (including subcontractors).
The Supplier shall assign an experienced and qualified project manager who will be responsible
for all aspects of project oversight and management.
The Supplier’s Project Manager shall:
• Be authorized to negotiate all details of the project implementation with the GaDOE
Project Manager on behalf of the Supplier and commit the Supplier to decisions reached;
• Develop and present a detailed work plan to the GaDOE Project Manager for review and
sign–off. The work plan will include, but not be limited to, a detailed listing of the tasks
to be accomplished, including documentation of when specific tasks are to be performed
and specific deliverable products to be submitted;
• Maintain accurate, updated information of the current status of all work on assessment
development, and communicate this status in a timely fashion to the GaDOE Project
Manager;
• Submit twice-monthly status reports to the GaDOE Project Manager updating the
GaDOE on all phases of assessment development and implementation;
• Respond in a timely and courteous manner to all GaDOE requests for data and
information concerning assessment development. Answers to phone and email inquiries
from GaDOE shall be provided within 24 hours, or immediately if necessary (as
determined and communicated by GaDOE). If this is not possible, a written response
indicating the reason for the delay and the schedule for providing the information shall be
communicated to the GaDOE within 24 hours;
• Coordinate and arrange all project-related meetings including, but not limited to,
meetings with GaDOE staff and meetings with the KEP Development Committee;
• Submit deliverables to the GaDOE Project Manager on a specified schedule as approved
in the work plan.
The GaDOE Project Manager will:
• Serve as the Supplier’s Project Manager’s immediate point of contact for all
communications with the GaDOE;
• Assist, when necessary, with the arrangements and scheduling of all project-related
meetings (although this is the primary responsibility of the Supplier);
• Receive, review, approve or accept all deliverables, documents, and materials for
accuracy, completeness, and quality;
o The work plan schedule must be developed such that the GaDOE Project Manager
shall have at a minimum ten business days to review all documents and
deliverables. While some documents can be reviewed more quickly, the Supplier
shall plan on a minimum of ten business days for the GaDOE to review all
deliverables.
• Serve as a liaison with all other GaDOE and DECAL personnel, as well as other
contractors related to this project (GCA);
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•
•
Provide evaluation of Supplier’s performance on such things as Supplier’s
communication and the timeliness and quality of project deliverables if Supplier falls
below performance expectations.
Approve all aspects of this project including, but not limited to, the following:
o All materials, products and services produced by the Supplier. This includes, but
is not limited to, all procedures, support materials, guides, and any other printed
or disseminated material produced for the project.
o All development plans and timelines for product development, product
maintenance, and data review.
o All schedules, meeting agendas, and meeting minutes, including but not limited
to, task/protocol review schedules.
o All reports, and the formatting of the reports, including but not limited to,
technical reports and data reports.
o All tasks, protocols and other associated stimuli delivered by the Supplier.
o Any staffing changes, including the Supplier Project Manager and key
subcontractor personnel (if applicable), or Supplier personnel assigned to any part
or phase of the project on and after award of the contract and commencement of
work for the duration of the contract. This shall not apply to staff members that
completely leave the employment of the Supplier; however, the Department
reserves the rights contained in the contract relating to the interview and approval
of replacement staff.
 The Supplier must designate a project manager to be the primary point of contact with the
GaDOE project manager.
 The work plan schedule must be developed such that the GaDOE Project Manager shall
have at a minimum ten business days to review all documents and deliverables.
 Describe how the proposed Project Manager has sufficient experience and qualifications
to be responsible for all aspects of project oversight and management.
Completion or Termination of Contract
Upon completion or termination of the contract awarded as a result of this procurement, the
contractor must assist the GaDOE in completing a seamless transition to any successive vendor
and/or the GaDOE, as required under this paragraph and the Contract awarded pursuant to this
RFP. This shall include, but not be limited to, assisting the GaDOE in developing and
implementing a feasible transition plan as much in advance of the anticipated expiration or
termination of the contract as necessary. The successful Supplier must cooperate fully with any
successive vendor and the GaDOE and refrain from any activity that would interfere with the
successful implementation of the transition plan and a seamless transition. The successful
Supplier must provide (a) all products, reports, materials, data and equipment owned by the
GaDOE in the Supplier’s possession, and (b) any information reasonably useful to and requested
by GaDOE in developing a Request for Proposal to obtain a successive vendor, as much in
advance of the anticipated expiration or termination of the contract as necessary. The Supplier
also will provide the GaDOE with a list of all computer programs and software tools necessary to
allow an end user to read and export any data provided by Supplier under this contract.
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