The following questions have been submitted for response. Please see the responses below. If you would like any additional clarity, please reach out.
1. What types of (and how many) data collection methods are your Include Me program specialists currently using?
Currently IM uses a mixed model of qualitative and quantitative data, reporting on stories and field notes collected by program specialists over a school year in addition to pre- and post- school year surveys that measure individual student impact and teacher impact throughout targeted classrooms. Training numbers and survey results are collected from professional developments presented, with attendance and feedback gathered from staff receiving training. Virtual programs have post- surveys to gauge student and parent observations. Case studies are also created from observations, discussions, and school staff check-ins. In a nutshell, data is collected through interviews, field notes and observations and collected surveys.
2. What systems or tools are used to store and manage the data today?
We use Apricot from Bonterra.
3. How many program specialists are there, and across how many regions and school sites do they currently operate?
IM is currently structured for 9 specialists across Pennsylvania and 2 remote team-members in addition to a Director. There are 4 regions. 1. Pittsburgh and the surrounding area. 2. School District of Philadelphia. 3. Central (Harrisburg area and an hour in any direction) 4. North Central (Covering Union, Snyder, Northumberland, Montour, and Columbia counties). We serve 25-35 School districts over an academic year with a potential for multiple school buildings within each school district. Some districts only request professional development. Schools are categorized by interest and level of involvement, with a level 4 school receiving weekly in-person supports and a level 1 receiving training or virtual support as needed.
4. Are there certain school districts or sites that you would be interested in having the observation component completed?
Hard to say and depends on the relationship with school leadership. There have been schools that have welcomed outside observation efforts in the past.
5. Are there any prohibited expenses for this contract?
We ask that, if you are chosen, you do not include reimbursement for proposal preparation costs. Also, general unallowable costs such as entertainment, alcohol, lobbying, fundraising, fines and penalties, bad debts, or any travel upgrades (ex. 1st class travel, etc.). We request that all expenses follow federal and state standards of necessary, reasonable, allocable, and consistent.
6. Could you share more about the sustainability policy that may need to be provided upon request?
The Arc of PA withholds the right to request information on your social responsibility and governance and ethics to make sure they align with our organizational values and mission.
7. What is the impetus for conducting the evaluation now? And what additional considerations, if any, determine the timeline presented?
The IM program was evaluated by The University of Pittsburgh for over 10 years. During this time, the program grew and changed but the evaluation methods did not. We are looking for an evaluation of what evaluation/data tools were used, should we continue using them and what data we are not collecting that would have insight on the impact of the work.
8. Does the program have a logic model or theory of change available for review?
No.
9. We’ve reviewed the 10 year impact report (2010-2020) to gather some context and have some clarifying questions: What are the program’s target outcomes?
The program has never had measurable target outcomes defined other than what is in the report.
10. How, if at all, have the program or its target outcomes changed?
The program has in many ways. We are looking for the new evaluator to make recommendations on outcomes we are missing and how to gather that information. I recommend you go to our website and look at the work we are doing.
11. To what extent are the data collection tools and processes described in the 10-year impact report still used?
We have not been evaluating the program for over a year.
12. How many Include Me Program Specialists are currently active, and approximately how many school districts participate in the program?
We have 9 field specialists, a Director of the program, and two other support people. We are assisting over 15 school districts at varying levels. Not all school districts receive in classroom technical support, there are districts that just receive professional development.
13. In the RFP, the Scope of Work includes the following: “Create a list of data collection tools, practices and surveys to be considered as a result of evaluative results on the effectiveness of current data collection tools and identified gaps.” Do you imagine the data collection tools, practices, and surveys in the list will be described or created as part of the project?
The tools, practices, and surveys do not have to be fully developed. A description would suffice knowing that it would be difficult to fully develop when you have not met with the staff.
14. Are there any expectations of in-person work, or remote work is acceptable?
Remote work is acceptable. Please be sure to include how that remote work will be conducted in your submission.
15. Is the organization required to be registered in Pennsylvania?
No
16. Can the Certificate of Liability Insurance be purchased prior to contract execution? Is it required at the time of RFP submission?
Yes, it can be purchased and presented once chosen to do the work. Please state that it will be purchased at time of contract on your submission.
17. The RFP identifies students, parents, teachers, and administrators as stakeholder groups whose perspectives should be represented in the evaluation framework, while the Scope of Work directs the evaluator to collect data from Include Me staff. For the initial September 1–November 1 engagement, should bidders plan for direct primary data collection with external stakeholder groups, or primarily assess whether the current tools adequately capture those perspectives?
Coinciding with the beginning of the school year and covering the period of Sept 1-Nov 1 engagement, it is requested that bids assess the current data collection tools currently being used, and, in the event that those tools do not adequately capture the needs of the Include Me purview, offer alternatives to be considered for future data collection from the identified external stakeholders.
18. For the requested list of data collection tools, practices, and surveys, does The Arc expect fully developed or pilot-ready instruments during the initial contract, or an annotated set of recommendations and selected sample revisions, with broader development and implementation potentially occurring during a future renewal period?
Data collection tools, practices, and surveys are requested to have a history of validity and relevance to the data being sought. Annotated lists and samples are acceptable but tools that have been used and verified in prior research efforts of similar scope will receive greater considerations. Integrated tools or novel data collecting efforts will be considered but it will be up to the proposal to clearly demonstrate and communicate the genesis of these tools and how they may achieve data collection efforts as outlined in the RFP.
19. Approximately how many Include Me specialists or regional teams, current instruments, reports, and data systems should the evaluator anticipate reviewing? Will these materials be available electronically at project launch?
The Include Me program supports (4) geographical regions across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, supporting multiple urban and rural counties in each. Include Me has about 12 individual staff with different roles and responsibilities assigned. Each region supports multiple school districts, and the number of individual school buildings supported vary by district. Last year, Include Me served ~20 school districts, 48 school buildings, and trained about 4,000 educational professionals. It is anticipated that number will rise in the 2026-2027 year covered by the proposal. Past data collection efforts will be made available electronically. It is advantageous that proposals consider informational interviews with program staff as part of the initial period to better understand the scope and scale of the Include Me program.
20. Does The Arc anticipate a minimum number of in-person meetings, observations, or site visits, or may the work use an agreed combination of in-person and virtual methods?
The Arc does not anticipate setting a minimum number. A combination of in-person and virtual methods is acceptable. Superior understanding of the program and it’s ideals is the aim.
21. Please confirm whether any bid, performance, or payment bond is required. Will The Arc also provide a specific Small Diverse Business Attestation form?
Only the documents listed in the RFP are required. If a Small Diverse Business Attestation form is needed from The Arc of PA on your end for reporting, please note that in your RFP submission.
22. Are applicants for the Include Me opportunity allowed to include indirect costs? If so, what rate is allowed? Our federally negotiated rate is 42%. May we charge that in the budget?
Yes, indirect costs may be included in your proposed budget for the RFP. they can be included using your federally negotiated rate.
23. Can The Arc provide a list of the current data collection tools, such as surveys, observation forms, mentoring logs, outcome measures, and reporting templates, and any details about how they are currently used, including frequency, purpose, and the groups from whom data are collected?
Please reference the Include Me 10-year report, which covers desired measurables and three data collecting tools. Other data collection tools include pre- and post- surveys, field notes, and testimonials gathered from school teams, parents, and students themselves. FOCAL and CEPIs are administered 2x a year, usually once in October and once in May. Field notes and mentoring logs are contained with our Apricot system and include a synopsis of what was observed, the intent of the visit, what school building goal were these efforts directed to, and who was involved/present in each visit. It should be noted that we are looking for unbiased and new approaches from our current tools.
24. The Federal Requirements section states that a completed Small Diverse Business Attestation must be submitted with the proposal, but the form is not included in the RFP, and the attestation is not listed under Documents Required for Submission. Please confirm whether this attestation is required from bidders that are not certified Small Diverse Businesses and, if so, provide the attestation template.
SMALL DIVERSE BUSINESS ATTESTATION
Company Information
- Company Legal Name: [Company Name]
- Doing Business As (DBA): [DBA Name, if applicable]
- Company Address: [Street, City, State, ZIP Code]
- Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN): [FEIN]
- Primary NAICS Code: [Primary NAICS Code]
Business Classification & Diversity Status
I hereby certify and attest that the above-named business is classified as a Small Diverse Business (SDB) under the following qualifying criteria:
- Small Business Status: The company qualifies as a small business concern by meeting the revenue and/or employee limits established by [Select one: the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) / the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of General Services].
- Diversity Ownership: The business is at least 51% unconditionally and directly owned, controlled, and actively managed by one or more U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents who are members of the following recognized diverse group(s):
- Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE)
- Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)
- Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (VOB)
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (SDVOB)
- LGBTQ-Owned Business Enterprise (LGBTBE)
- Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE)
Certification & Signature
I attest that the information provided in this document and any accompanying documents is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that making false statements or misrepresenting facts to qualify for diverse business contracts may result in financial penalties, termination of contracts, and debarment.
- Name of Authorized Signer: [Authorized Representative Name]
- Title: [Title, e.g., Owner, CEO, President]
- Signature: _______________________________________
- Date: _______________________________________
25. Does The Arc of Pennsylvania have an agreement template that will be used for this work? If so, can that template be shared? Would The Arc be open to using an agreement template from the submitting vendor?
Contracting will be discussed after the RFP submission is chosen.
26. The RFP objectives reference students, parents, teachers, and administrators, while the Scope of Work specifically says to collect relevant data from Include Me staff. Should bidders assume that new data collection is limited to Include Me staff, or should the proposal include new data collection from other stakeholder groups?
We are looking at a model of impact that includes all stakeholders listed. Recently, that data has been compiled and collected by Include Me (IM) staff, but it should not be limited to IM staff only. Successful proposals will include new approaches from our current data collection efforts.
27. For the observation component named in the RFP, what type of observations does The Arc expect? For example, should bidders plan for observations of staff data collection processes, observations of Include Me activities, virtual observations, document or protocol review, or in-person site observations?
This is dependent on the proposal and staffing constraints set forth therein. The Arc will be realistic when it comes to observations, including a blend of in-person or virtual observations. It is not expected that proposals include in-person observations across every school building the Include Me program is partnered with. But expectations are there will be flexibility and consideration of some field observations or data collection efforts throughout the proposal’s timeline.
28. For the LRE alignment component, should the evaluator assess alignment against federal IDEA/LRE requirements only, Pennsylvania-specific guidance, district, or an internal Include Me framework?
The Include Me program works and reports to the Bureau of Special Education for the state of Pennsylvania. It is suggested that LRE alignment considerations adhere to PA-specific guidelines.
29. What final deliverables does The Arc expect beyond the written report and list of data collection tools, practices, and surveys? For example, would The Arc want a tool inventory, assessment rubric, implementation roadmap, presentation, or data collection framework?
The Arc is looking for new and innovative approaches from our current tools and ways of data collection. Final deliverables that assist in enhancing our data collection efforts and implementation will strengthen all proposals received.
30. Will current tools, relevant documentation, and any existing data outputs be available to the selected evaluator at project kickoff on September 1, 2026?
These items can be discussed at contracting once the RFP is chosen.