SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)
Title: English Language Proficiency (ELP) Assessment Ecosystem for BIE Schools (Grades K–12)
1. Notice Type & Purpose
This is a Sources Sought / Request for Information (RFI) issued solely for market research to inform acquisition planning.
This notice does not constitute a solicitation and no contract will be awarded based on this announcement.
Responses will support BIE in determining:
• Appropriate acquisition strategy (e.g., small business set-aside, full/open competition)
• Contract type
• Availability and capability of potential vendors
• Scope and structure of the future solicitation
2. Background & Objectives
The Bureau of Indian Education’s mission (25 CFR 32.3) is to provide high quality, culturally relevant education that meets the needs of Native students. Under 25 CFR 30.100–125, BIE must administer English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessments for federal accountability reporting.
BIE seeks a fully operational, U.S. Department of Education–approved ELP assessment system for grades K–12 across 183 BIE funded schools in 23 states. The resulting solution must provide an integrated ecosystem—including assessments, registration, administration, reporting, data integration, training, technical support, project management, and compliance with all federal privacy/security regulations.
The Contractor must deliver:
• Standard & Alternate ELP Assessments
• ELP Screeners
• A complete technology platform (COTS preferred)
• On-time administration, scoring, and reporting
• End to end data security and CONUS-only data residency
• Training, helpdesk support, and strong project management
• Clear, parent-friendly reporting
• Compatibility with BIE systems (NASIS, Data Warehouse)
3. Project Description – ELP Assessment Ecosystem
The Government seeks market information from vendors capable of providing a turnkey ELP assessment solution covering:
• Grades K–12
• Online and paper-based administration
• Standard and Alternate ELP Assessments
• Two ELP Screeners
• Culturally responsive materials and support
• Comprehensive reporting for schools, families, and accountability
The solution must be fully operational beginning in School Year (SY) 2026–2027, with optional enhancements in subsequent option years.
4. Scope of Services (Summary of SOW Components)
Vendors able to deliver an integrated assessment system should identify capabilities across the following areas:
1. Annual ELP Assessment Services
a. Assessment Administration & Scoring
• Paper-based and online administration windows
• Materials production and shipping
• Online environment readiness
• 100% scoring accuracy
• Anomaly detection and quality assurance
b. Secure Student Registration Portal (COTS, BIE-exclusive)
• 24/7 availability
• Integration with BIE’s Student Information System (NASIS) via API + manual uploads
• Role based user access
• Scheduling, accommodations, and registration verification
• Monthly change logs and data ingestion QA
c. Reporting Requirements
Paper Reporting:
• Two (2) Individual Student Reports (ISRs) per student
• Parent/guardian report
• School, district, and BIE-wide aggregates
Electronic Reporting:
• EDFacts-compliant files
• BIE Data Warehouse (interactive portal) exports (XLSX, CSV, TXT, SPSS, PDF)
• SIS ingest-ready score files
• Secure transmission (SFTP/SSH; TLS 1.2+)
• SIS import success rate target: 100%
d. Test Administration & Data Integration Training
• Up to 10 virtual sessions
• Up to 25 onsite sessions
• Weekly web-based office hours
• TC/TA manuals, online resources, and 24/7 learning platform
e. Project Management Services
• Weekly PM meetings
• Monthly financial reporting
• Communication plan
• Qualified Project Manager (PMP preferred)
• Risk, issue, and deliverable tracking
f. Helpdesk Services (Four Tiers)
• Multi–time zone coverage (Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern)
• Phone + online chat
• SLA: ≤15 minute hold times (95% of contacts)
• Issue resolution tracking with escalation procedures
2. Training Services
• Virtual and onsite training per approved travel authorization
• Student registration support during training sessions
• Credentialed lead trainer required
3. Optional Services (Option Years)
• Interim assessments aligned to summative standards
• Dashboards or analytic tools
• Research studies
• Test item development (as needed)
5. Period of Performance (PoP)
• Base and 4-1 year options
6. Security, Privacy, & Compliance Requirements
Respondents must describe controls/practices aligning to federal requirements (as applicable to the services offered), including but not limited to:
• FERPA, COPPA, CIPA compliance (student data privacy).
• NIST SP 800 53 / 800 53A, FIPS 199 (Moderate) categorization and FIPS 140 2 encryption; DOI IT security policies; OMB A 123; Privacy Act; Section 208 of the E Government Act; Section 508 accessibility. (See Section 8.0 of SOW.)
7. Government Furnished & School Provided Resources
• BIE will provide student lists/IDs.
• BIE funded schools provide computers and connectivity (or local server/network).
8. Place of Performance
Nationwide across BIE funded schools and BIE central offices; virtual services as specified.
9. Instructions to Respondents
9.1. Administrative
• Response Format: Only the RFI document must be submitted.
• Submission Email: Felicia.Aspaas@bie.edu
• Subject Line: “Sources Sought – BIE ELP Assessments – [Your Company Name]”
• Response Due: April 22, 2026, 11:00 AM MDT
• Questions: Government may not respond to all questions under this notice.
10. Disclaimer
This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract. The Government will not reimburse costs incurred in responding. Proprietary information should be clearly marked. No feedback or evaluation results will be provided.
11. Notice to potential offerors: All offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.SAM.gov and must have completed the Online Representations and Certifications Application.
12. Attachments
• Attachment 1: Statement of Work (SOW) – ELA Assessments
• Attachment 2 – Request for Information (RFI) – ELA Assessment
(Only the RFI response is required at this time.)
