Introduction:

A requirement of the Alaska State ESSA plan is that schools designated as Comprehensive Support and Improvement or Targeted Support and Improvement must 1) complete a comprehensive needs assessment and 2) must create and implement a school improvement plan with stakeholders input and feedback. The Department is committed to supporting these requirements by way of providing an evidence-based process, curated to the unique needs of our Alaska schools, providing technical assistance, and reviewing and approving these plans in a timely manner.

In the last two years of rolling out this process, a consistent piece of feedback we have received is the need for a platform to more effectively support the capacity of these schools and districts, particularly considering the high level of turnover often associated with these higher needs’ schools. The current method of version control of these plans and needs assessments is not sustainable for the schools, districts, or state in the long term.

Background or Project Information:

The State of Alaska is seeking a planning platform to house required information (including resources, tutorials, and aids), support School and Community Leadership communications, conduct a thorough Needs Assessment (NA), build, review, and report (quarterly) on a School Improvement Plan, and crossover with the federal requirements for a Schoolwide plan. The goal is to start with schools designated under ESSA using the platform and expand to all schools using it for school and district planning.

These services will consist of, but not limited to:

• Organized sections for schools/districts to document School Improvement Needs Assessment information (from the review forms attached)
• Form for schools/districts to build out a school improvement plan including goals, strategies, milestones, and actions (see attached School Improvement Plan)
• Downloadable reports (that will be ADA compliant) \
  • Statewide
  • District Wide
  • School
• Multi-user function
  • Multiple users at one time
  • Different levels of permissions
• History Log for updates and changes made (notes date and user inputting the changes/updates)
• Reporting functions- users can input quarterly reports on progress towards goals.
• Filterable by goal at a district and state level
  • General goals provided by SEA
  • Ability to update/add goals at SEA level
• Ability to assign action tasks a deadline as well as a person responsible for overseeing
  • Emails/alerts with due dates
• Connecting goals and actions to identified practices (approximately 50 practices total (see attached Practice Review Form)
• User guide on how to utilize the planning platform (in the form of a pdf that meets ADA compliance standards)
• Archival process

  WANTS

• Toggle between different needs assessment (NA) specifications
  • ie, select what the NA is for (School Improvement, Schoolwide, or others that may be added later) to add or remove necessary elements to the NA in an effort to not re-do or over-do required processes
• A way to highlight evidence-based-interventions being used (this is more of a want) to meet federal requirements
• Ability to change permissions to documents as viewer, editor, and owner
• Space for Assurances (approval sign off) for administrators (principal and superintendent)
• Ability to provide exemplars to users
• General budget management

Minimum Experience Required:

• Works with other states and/or education agencies

Important Notice:
This RFI does not extend any rights to prospective vendors or obligate the state to conduct a solicitation or purchase any goods or services, nor will the State be financially responsible for any costs associated with the preparation of any response for the requested information. This RFI is issued for the sole purpose of obtaining information as described in this notice. However, the information obtained from this request may be used to prepare a purchase or solicitation in the future.