Technical Support in Psychometrics, Assessment Development, and Preparedness for Postsecondary Endeavors
The National Assessment Governing Board (hereafter referred to as Governing Board) has a requirement for technical support in psychometrics, assessment development, and research on preparedness for postsecondary endeavors, pursuant to its legislatively mandated responsibilities in Public Law 107-279.
The National Assessment Governing Board was created by Congress in 1988 and comprises 26 members appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Education, including governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, researchers, business representatives, and members of the general public. The Governing Board sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly known as "The Nation's Report Card." More information on the Governing Board and its work can be found at www.nagb.gov.
For over four decades, NAEP has provided information on the achievement and performance of students in the United States. NAEP, also known as "The Nation's Report Card," is the most comprehensive and only continuing, valid source of information on what U.S. students know and can do in various subject areas. Tracking student performance has permitted the nation to assess U.S. students' academic progress over time. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the Department of Education, has responsibility for administering NAEP. The Governing Board is responsible for setting policy for NAEP. The Governing Board's legislative responsibilities include identifying subjects to be tested in NAEP; determining the content and design for each assessment; approving all test questions; setting appropriate achievement levels; improving the form, function, and use of NAEP results; and planning and executing initial releases of NAEP Report Cards.
REQUIREMENTS
The Governing Board carries out many of its legislative responsibilities through the work of three standing committees: the Assessment Development Committee (ADC), the Committee on Standards, Design and Methodology (COSDAM), and the Reporting and Dissemination (R&D) Committee. The Governing Board has a requirement for technical support to facilitate some of the work of ADC and COSDAM. Committee materials and minutes from previous Board meetings can be found at: https://www.nagb.org/what-we-do/quarterly-board-meeting-materials.html. Requirements will include technical support in the following areas:
Implementation of Governing Board's Strategic Vision
The Governing Board requires technical support for implementation of activities pursuant to the Governing Board's Strategic Vision adopted in November 2016 and will guide Board work through 2020.
(See https://www.nagb.org/content/nagb/assets/documents/newsroom/press-releases/2016/nagb-strategic-vision.pdf.)
Implementation of the Strategic Vision will require several technical activities to include the following:
• Planning and designing statistical linking studies;
• Researching how NAEP is used by various audiences;
• Validating the intended uses and appropriate interpretations of NAEP;
• Developing approaches to updating assessment frameworks while maintaining trends;
• Reconfiguring the Long-Term Trend assessments;
• Learning best practices from other assessment programs; and
• Exploring uses of NAEP as a measure of preparedness for postsecondary education and careers.
Achievement Levels
On November 17, 2016, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released the final report of their evaluation of the NAEP achievement levels for mathematics and reading (See https://www.nap.edu/catalog/23409/evaluation-of-the-achievement-levels-for-mathematics-and-reading-on-the-national-assessment-of-educational-progress). As stated in the NAEP legislation, the Commissioner of NCES is to use the findings from the evaluation to decide whether the achievement levels should continue to be used on a "trial basis" or whether that designation can be removed. In addition, the final report included conclusions and recommendations that have implications for future Governing Board achievement levels-setting activities. Section 303, 5(6) of Public Law 107-279 specifies that the Governing Board must prepare a formal response to the evaluation.
The Governing Board's response to the evaluation (included in the March 2017 COSDAM materials: https://www.nagb.org/what-we-do/quarterly-board-meeting-materials/2017-march.html) refers to several follow up activities to be pursued over the next few years.
Technical support will be needed to assist the Governing Board with implementing some of these activities to include providing input to inform Board policy revision on setting achievement levels for NAEP; conducting research on the relationship between NAEP achievement levels and concurrent or future performance on measures external to NAEP; conducting research on how the achievement levels are used by various audiences; preparing validity arguments to support the intended uses and interpretations of the achievement levels; conducting research and producing guidance on inferences best made with achievement levels and those best made with scale scores.
Academic Preparedness for Postsecondary Endeavors
For more than a decade, the Governing Board has been conducting research in pursuit of NAEP serving as an indicator of academic preparedness for postsecondary endeavors. Starting with the 2013 grade 12 results, the NAEP reading and mathematics assessments have been used to estimate the percentage of students academically prepared for college. The Governing Board did undertake considerable research to explore the feasibility of using NAEP as an indicator of academic preparedness for job training, but thus far this use has not been supported (a summary of that work can be found at: https://nagb.gov/content/nagb/assets/documents/what-we-do/preparedness-research/nagb-job-training-report-102215.pdf). Additional validation research is still underway related to academic preparedness for college, and the Strategic Vision calls for re-conceptualizing preparedness for postsecondary endeavors beyond college (i.e., for the workforce). Technical support will be needed to assist the Governing Board staff with work related to NAEP as an indicator of preparedness for postsecondary endeavors.
The technical support will include research studies; technical memos; literature reviews and syntheses of best practices; attendance at Governing Board and other meetings; expert consultant services; and other ad hoc and quick turnaround requests.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The Request for Proposals (RFP) is being issued under full and open competition. A subcontracting plan is required if offers are large businesses.
Proposals are due on Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Contract award will be made on a Firm Fixed Price basis. There is no incumbent for the requirement.
The contract award is projected to be made prior to September 1, 2017. The contract period of performance is 36 months -- 12 months for the base year, with annual options of 12 months each.
Munira Mwalimu, Contracting Officer, Phone (202) 357 6906, Fax (202) 357-6945, Email Munira.Mwalimu@ed.gov - Anthony R. White, Contract Specialist, Phone (202) 357-0395, Fax (202) 357 6945, Email anthony.r.white@ed.gov
