Design and Conduct of an Evaluation of TRIO Implementation and Outcomes: The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is conducting market research. This RFI is being used to determine if sufficient interest and capability exists regarding potential future solicitations. This notice is provided as information to the marketplace and is an invitation for interest. Information submitted in response to this RFI may be used as a basis for future solicitations and/or as a basis for more in-depth research of an organization's capability. ED's Institute of Education Sciences (IES), National Center for Education Evaluation (NCEE) anticipates the award of a multi-year contract that contains a feasibility assessment and an option to execute a rigorous quasi-experimental evaluation of program implementation strategies in both Upward Bound and Talent Search. Depending on the results of the 18-month feasibility phase, NCEE may exercise the option for a quasi-experimental evaluation that would examine the association between Upward Bound and Talent Search implementation strategies and student outcomes. In response to this Draft Statement of Work (subject to change), ED hereby solicits capability statements from qualified small businesses. Information Gathering: ED seeks capability statements from only small businesses. Capability Statement Instructions: In response to the attached Draft Performance Work Statement, the U.S. Department of Education hereby solicits capability statements from eligible contractors. These statements shall be no longer than 6 pages (single-spaced, with a minimum of one-inch margins and 12 point font). Contractors should include resumes in the appendix (no more than 5 resumes shall be included and only resumes for key personnel that will work on the contract are to be included); these resumes will not be counted as one of the 6 pages of the capability statement. Resumes should not exceed 5 pages. Interested contractors (the primary contractor and/or subcontractors) must have experience with conducting large-scale, multi-site rigorous quasi-experimental impact evaluations in education settings. Corporate experience with sophisticated econometric modeling including HLM analyses as well as experience with interrupted time series analyses and matched comparison designs are also required. Interested contractors should have prior demonstrated experience, at the corporate level, with rigorous research on programs designed to promote college attendance of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and demonstrated knowledge of those programs. The capability statement should describe the qualifications and experience of key staff, as well as related corporate experience and capacity, in each of the following areas: • Conducting rigorous quasi-experimental impact evaluations in education settings including those involving interrupted time series and matched comparison group designs. Contractors should document their quasi-experimental impact evaluation and econometric modeling expertise, including experience with study design, site recruitment, and data analysis. The Project Director, Co-Project Director, and/or Principal Investigator must have significant expertise in these areas. • Conducting large-scale, multi-site studies in educational settings. Contractors should describe the multi-site studies in educational settings that have been conducted. The size of the studies (sites, teachers, students, etc.) should be included, as well as the specific role that key proposed staff played within these studies. • Research on programs designed to promote college attendance of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Contractors should document their experience with research on programs designed to promote college attendance of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including experience and skill in the use of data from the National Student Clearinghouse Data and Federal Student Financial Aid Records. • Preference will be given to contractors who have expertise in the Upward Bound and Talent Search programs. • Developing and administering surveys of high school students, and collecting active parental consent forms for high school students. Contractors should document their experience in the development and large-scale administration of surveys of high school students and the collection of active-parental consent forms for high school students, and should document the response rates attained in those data collection efforts. • Working with program grantees, states, and high schools. Contractors should document their experience in gaining the cooperation of grantees, states, and high schools for an evaluation effort. • Experience in gathering and analyzing state or school district longitudinal school records data, and in merging those data with other types of student-level data. • Experience and skill in conducting rigorous research on programs designed to promote college attendance of students from disadvantaged backgrounds; No conflicts of interest (perceptions of bias or financial interest in the outcome of the study) that would call into question the independence of the study's findings. Interested small business parties are asked when submitting the Capability Statements to include the following information: 1) Company Name and Mailing Address and 2) Point of Contact (name, title, e-mail address, and telephone number). The deadline for submitting capability statements (electronically) is Monday, February 1, 2010 by 2:00 p.m. EST via e-mail to the following:
[email protected] Note: The Government will not pay for the provision of any information nor will it compensate any respondents for providing this information. This notice is NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL and in no way obligates the Government to award any contract. ED will not be responsible for any costs incurred in responding to this announcement.