Authorize Negotiations with the Highest Ranked Firm, Scantron, for RFP #4781-TS Formative Assessment System (Information and Technology Division)

On May 5, 2006, the Purchasing Department, on behalf of the Information and Technology Division, issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Formative Assessment System based upon the specifications provided by the Information and Technology Division. The purpose of this RFP is to establish a partnership with a qualified firm, for five years, to develop and install a district-wide student assessment program and to purchase related items required by the District to improve instruction.

To ensure fair and open competition, the District utilizes an online vendor registration system to notify potential bidders of opportunities. Through this system, six (6) proposals were received (Attachment A). The evaluation process included a diverse committee of stakeholders representing teachers, principals and district-level personnel (Attachment B). The evaluation consisted of two phases. In Phase I the committee spent May 30, 2006, evaluating the proposals based on the RFP Criteria. In Phase II Purchasing Staff contacted references to assist the committee. The companies advancing to Phase II presented to the committee on June 5, 2006. After the presentations, the committee reviewed key points as a group and individually rated each vendor for a final compilation and ranking (Attachments C and D).

If the District is unable to reach acceptable terms with Scantron, we may seek to reach acceptable terms with the next highest ranked firm. The initial term of the contract shall be five years with an effective date of July 12, 2006. The Purchasing Department will maintain this bid file and related documents. A more detailed review of specifications and the committee evaluation can be obtained by contacting the Purchasing Department. Once the contract is finalized, accountability measures will include a quarterly review process throughout the duration of the contract.

As stated in OPPAGA report: “Efficient purchasing and warehousing requires that management processes be in place to ensure that supplies, equipment and services vital to the school’s education mission are purchased from a competitive source, in the right quantity, delivered timely to the correct location, and stored in a secure location. These criteria should be met for each purchase without sacrificing quality.”

Five year costs will be $1,570,558 of Technology Funds, $1,318,500 of Instructional Funds, $190,000 of Staff Development Funds, for a total five year cost of $3,079,058.

Contract Administration or evaluation is performed by the Project Manager (end user) and the Purchasing Analyst, who function as a team. Reviews are conducted face to face, typically quarterly, or by utilizing an online vendor performance report. Prior to soliciting a new contract, the Contract Administration team must first give consideration to the specifications and supporting data of the expiring contract.