Evaluation of the VDOE Reading First program
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is soliciting sealed proposals to establish a contract for the evaluation of the VDOE Reading First program. The VDOE intends to award an 18 month contract beginning on May 1, 2008, and ending on November 1, 2009. The evaluation will provide information to assist intended audiences (Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), VDOE, U.S. Federal Government and/or its representatives) in making informed judgments about reading programs implemented as a result of the Reading First funding. Its underlying philosophy is to be utility-driven to LEAs as well as the VDOE.
The evaluation project will use the Stanford Reading First assessments for students in grades K-2, and the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) English assessment for students in grade 3. Stanford Reading First and the Virginia SOL English assessments are used by Virginia's Reading First schools as summative, outcome measures. The outcomes from these assessments will be used as the primary outcome measures to assess the success of the Reading First program in each of the Virginia Reading First schools and across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Qualified Offerors shall have expertise in designing effective quantitative research and program evaluation design. The Offeror must be an established organization of at least two years and have had extensive experience with data collection, management, analysis, reporting, and program evaluation. The project director assigned to the project will have an advanced degree, doctorate preferred, in research or a related field. At least one member of the project team will have a thorough knowledge base of early elementary reading research and instruction.
The evaluation project also comprises Stanford Reading First testing facilitation services. The Contractor will be responsible for testing administration including communication to the field, as well as the purchase, distribution and collection of testing materials.
