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FBO DAILY ISSUE OF SEPTEMBER 10, 2011 FBO #3577
SOLICITATION NOTICE

B -- Studies to Recommend Cut Scores for the 2009 Grade 12 Reading and Mathematics NAEP: Judgmental Standard Setting Workshops

Notice Date

9/8/2011
 

Notice Type

Justification and Approval (J&A)
 

NAICS

611710 — Educational Support Services
 

Contracting Office

Department of Education, National Assessment Governing Board, Executive Office, Suite 825, 800 N. Capitol Street, NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20002-4233
 

ZIP Code

20002-4233
 

Solicitation Number

ED-NAG-10-R-0005
 

Point of Contact

Munira Mwalimu, Phone: 2023576906, Munira Mwalimu, Phone: 2023576906
 

E-Mail Address

Munira.Mwalimu@ed.gov, Munira.Mwalimu@ed.gov
(Munira.Mwalimu@ed.gov, Munira.Mwalimu@ed.gov)
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Award Number

ED-NAG-10-C-0004
 

Award Date

9/24/2010
 

Description

The National Assessment Governing Board intends to negotiate and award a sole source contract modification to undertake additional research within the purview of the original contract scope of work, under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 (b)(1)(i). Background: In Fiscal Year 2010, the Governing Board awarded contract # ED-NAG-10-C-0004 to WestEd under full and open competition. Under the requirements of the contract, WestEd is conducting judgmental standard setting studies for 12th grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) preparedness research. The goal of the studies is to set a cut score on NAEP in reading and in mathematics to represent the minimal level of academic preparedness required for entry into a job training program in each of five different occupational areas selected for research with the 2009 grade 12 NAEP in each subject. The National Assessment Governing Board is requesting the contractor to perform additional research to validate findings obtained from judgmental standard setting studies for 12th grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) preparedness research. The purpose of the original studies, as agreed upon under the terms of the contract, is to ascertain the scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress grade 12 reading and grade12 mathematics that represent the academic knowledge and skills needed for a student to be placed in a college entry-level, credit-bearing course in the subject without remediation or to be eligible for entry in a job training program in one of five occupations selected for this research. Data collected in the standard setting studies will serve to identify reference points on NAEP for college level and occupational job training preparedness. Observations, evaluations by panelists, and anecdotal information collected throughout the judgmental standard setting studies have resulted in a need to validate the study findings. Additional research is needed to gather internal validity evidence for the preliminary results of the Judgmental Standard Setting Studies. Contract Modification Scope: Contract task orders have been issued on a time and materials basis, in accordance with the requirements of FAR Subpart 16.5 Indefinite Delivery Contracts. The period of performance under the contract is 24 months. The Governing Board is planning to issue Task Orders 6 and 7, on a time and materials basis, to conduct additional research to collect internal validity evidence as described in detail below. The contract period of performance will be extended, based on the project and deliverable schedule mutually agreed upon, not to exceed 12 months. The purpose of the modification is to conduct additional research to gather internal validity evidence under the scope of the existing contract. The research is required because the observations, evaluations by panelists, and anecdotal information collected throughout the judgmental standard setting studies have raised questions regarding whether the panelists were able to exercise their judgment effectively. There appears to be a lack of correspondence between the requirements of the assessment and those of the training programs. Panelists typically considered portions of the assessment to be "irrelevant." The specific portions that were considered irrelevant varied somewhat from occupation to occupation for mathematics. For reading, the literary passages tended to be identified as "irrelevant," and panelists considered many questions about informational passages to miss the mark for their training requirements. The panelists' evaluations of the process indicate that they understood the procedures to be implemented, and the teams of content and process facilitators, as well as technical experts who observed the process, generally agreed. The panelists seemed to understand what they were supposed to do. But, there is doubt that their current content knowledge in mathematics and their familiarity with reading pedagogy were sufficient for making the judgments required for setting the cut scores to represent preparedness. There is concern that the content assessed by NAEP is not well matched to the content required of students in occupational training programs, at least not for the five occupations studied: automotive master technicians; computer support specialists; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technicians; licensed practical nurses; and pharmacy technicians. There is no source of external information to inform the Governing Board of where the standard should be set. Thus, we need to evaluate internal evidence to understand the results of our studies better. In particular, we need to have a clearer understanding of the actual knowledge and skills required of students to be eligible to enter these programs and the requirements for students in these programs. The collection of information on actual course requirements and on the content of specific courses required of students entering and exiting these programs will allow the Governing Board to evaluate the content of courses in the training programs of the panelists and to compare those requirements to the descriptions of minimal preparedness requirements used for setting cut scores on NAEP and to the items representing performance on NAEP near the preparedness cut scores. These comparisons will help us to know if the knowledge and skills required of students in the training programs are appropriately represented by the descriptions of the minimal requirements for students to be prepared and by the items on NAEP that represent performance classified as "prepared." Interested parties may submit a capabilities statement to Munira.Mwalimu@ed.gov no later than Friday, September 16, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. ET. All information submitted should support the offerors capability to provide the services required, and shall be furnished at no cost or obligation to the Government. Responses must be in writing and must provide clear and concise documentation indicating an offerors bona fide capability to provide these services. Such capabilities will be evaluated solely of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. No RFP will be issued based upon this Notice of Intent. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. Please submit the aforementioned documents to Munira.Mwalimu@ed.gov.
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/ED/NAGB/NAGB/ED-NAG-10-R-0005/listing.html)
 

Place of Performance

Address: National Assessment Governing Board, 800 North Capitol Street NW, Suite 825, Washington, District of Columbia, 20002, United States

Zip Code: 20002
 

Record

SN02568358-W 20110910/110909001414-54d85b05471545566438334b2fd00cae (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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