Notice Details

Please note that proposals are due via electronic mail to DCPSubmissions@schools.nyc.gov

To download the solicitation, go to https://vendorportal.nycenet.edu/vendorportal/login.aspx. If you cannot download, send an e-mail to VendorHotline@schools.nyc.gov. Include your company’s name, address, phone and fax numbers, email address, Tax ID Number, RFP Number and Title.

Questions regarding this solicitation should be addressed to COPContracts@schools.nyc.gov by no later than 4:00p.m. EST, October 3, 2023. Subsequent amendments and answers will be posted to https://vendorportal.nycenet.edu/vendorportal/login.aspx. Review this site periodically for important updates.

The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) on behalf of the Office of Assessment (OA) is seeking proposals from organizations experienced and capable in providing a computerized adaptive testing (CAT) program, in addition to a paper-based version of the program for a small number of test-takers who cannot sit for the computer-adaptive test, with the objective of selecting students for admission to New York City’s specialized high schools. New York State Education Law, through the 1971 Hecht-Calandra Act, mandates that admissions to the Specialized High Schools be determined by a single competitive examination.

The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) is designed to satisfy the aforementioned state mandate. It is meant to assess some of the knowledge and skills that students have learned through middle school. The assessment covers high-level mathematics and English language arts (ELA) knowledge for students who have completed 7th or 8th grade, and the test will take no more than three (3) hours, including directions, to complete. Students may be tested at their home schools during the school day or on weekends, with separate morning and afternoon sessions on both Saturday and Sunday.

The successful proposer will provide the content and platform for a CAT as well as a paper-based version of the test for a small number of test-takers who cannot sit for the computer-adaptive version because of a disability. The successful proposer will also provide all ancillary materials related to the development, production, delivery, administration, scanning, scoring, reporting, and preparation for the SHSAT for both versions of the test. For the purposes of this RFP, the term “computerized adaptive testing” (CAT) refers to a digital exam that dynamically sequences questions in order to identify a reliable score for the student’s ability in fewer total questions than a fixed-length paper-based version of the exam. Detailed service description and requirements are provided in the Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitation.

PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY NO LATER THAN 1:00 P.M. EST, OCTOBER 25, 2023. LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

This RFP may result in one (1) requirements contract agreement. The awarded contract will be for a term of six (6) years and three (3) months, with services anticipated to commence on or about July 1, 2024, and ending on September 30, 2030.

A virtual pre-proposal conference will be held on September 28, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. EST. The City of New York will be utilizing the Microsoft Teams platform. The link to the pre-proposal conference is https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MGNmYmRhNzYtYzA2MC00YWRmLWI3NTctMGE5MDRmN2JhYmYx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2218492cb7-ef45-4561-8571-0c42e5f7ac07%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22713abe03-f6ef-4fb1-a762-26edd46c0b79%22%7d.

We recommend that proposers download the free Microsoft Teams Application on their computer and/or mobile device to participate in the Teams Event in advance of the conference and attendees should plan to log in 5 minutes prior to the conference start time. Attendance for the pre-proposal conference is optional and does not require prior registration or RSVP.

For electronic proposal submissions, please note the following procedures: Proposal submissions in response to the RFP must be sent via electronic mail (“The Proposal Submission Email”) to DCPSubmissions@schools.nyc.gov (the “RFP Submission Email Address”). RFP Submissions sent to any other email address will be disregarded. The subject line of your RFP Submission Email must include the solicitation number and the name of the submitting vendor (e.g. R1342 – 12345 Corporation). Please attach the completed RFP and proposal documents to the RFP Submission Email as separate files. Please name proposal attachment “RFP Proposal.” If the files accompanying your proposal submission are too large to be transmitted as email attachments, please include in the first line of your RFP Submission Email a link to a Microsoft OneDrive folder containing all of your RFP-related documents. Please note that if you are using OneDrive, do not attach any documents to the RFP Submission Email. Further, please include a separate folder within your OneDrive folder which includes the separate RFP Proposal file. Please name this folder and the RFP Proposal file “RFP Proposal.” The name of your OneDrive folder must match the subject line of your RFP submission, and your OneDrive folder must not contain any files unrelated to the RFP Submission.

Guidance for first-time Microsoft One-Drive Users: Microsoft OneDrive (“OneDrive”) is a file hosting and synchronization service operated by Microsoft as part of its web version of Microsoft Office. OneDrive allows users to grant access to files which are too large to transmit via electronic mail to other users. If you do not have Office 365, please take the following steps to gain access to a free version of OneDrive so that you can upload those RFP submission documents which are too large to transmit via electronic mail: 1. Conduct an internet search for “Microsoft OneDrive;” 2. Navigate to the official Microsoft website and sign up for a free account; 3. Once you have created a folder for the solicitation whose name matches the subject line of your RFP Submission Email, upload the documents relevant to your RFP submission in this folder. 4. Create a share link for this folder; 5. Be sure to check your share settings so that anyone receiving the link that you create will be able to open the link and access the files. If your share link permissions are restricted (e.g. to only your organization in Office 365), the DOE will not be able to view your solicitation documents. It is your responsibility to ensure that the link(s) you provide allows the DOE to view, download and/or open your documents; and 6. Include the link which you have created as the first line of your RFP Submission Email.

For hard copy (paper) Proposal submissions, please follow the below instructions: Further to prior instructions regarding submissions of Proposals. In addition to electronic submission via email, the proposer may choose to hand deliver their Proposal packages to NYC DOE at any time prior to the Proposal Due Date/Time. If you plan to submit a paper Proposal. You must provide notice by emailing DCPSubmissions@schools.nyc.gov, including “Paper Submission Request for Solicitation # R1342” in the subject line, at least three (3) business days in advance of the anticipated date and time and place you or your agent plan to arrive at 65 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, Rm 1201 to drop off your Proposal. Proposers should include in their notification e-mail the name of the person who will be delivering the Proposal or advise that the Proposal Package will be arriving by messenger. Proposers who fail to provide advance notification of intent to hand-deliver a proposal risk not having anyone to receive the Proposal Package

Please continue to check the DOE website and/or Vendor Portal for updates. https://infohub.nyced.org/vendors https://www.finance360.org/vendor/vendorportal/