TOWN OF STRATFORD
PURCHASING DEPARTMENT
STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT
RFP No. 2013-049
Issued: June 7, 2013
Subject: Tutoring / Interventionist Services for the Board of Education
The Town of Stratford through the Office of the Purchasing Agent will receive SEALED PROPOSALS for furnishing the equipment described in the accompanying specifications, in accordance with the instructions, conditions and reservations that follow:
A. CLOSING DATE:
Proposals will be received until 11:00 am June 21, 2013, in the Office of the Purchasing Agent, Room 202, Town Hall, 2725 Main Street, Stratford, CT 06615.
Any proposal may be withdrawn prior to the above-scheduled time for receiving bids or authorized postponement thereof. Any proposals received after the date and time specified shall NOT be considered. No bidder may withdraw a proposal within 45 days after the actual opening thereof.
B. INSTRUCTIONS:
Proposals are to be submitted (FOUR COPIES) in a sealed envelope and clearly marked with the bid number and description on the outside of the envelope, including all outer packaging (DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc).
Proposals must be delivered to:
Purchasing Department
Stratford Town Hall — Rm 202 2725 Main Street
Stratford, CT 06615
C. CONDITIONS:
Bid Surety:
A Bid Surety is not required.
Taxes: The Town of Stratford is exempt from all State and Federal taxes. Do not include these amounts in your quotation.
Addendums: All addendums will be posted on the town website www.townofstratford.com. It is the responsibility of the bidder to check the website for any addendums before submitting their bid.
Conflict of Interest: No public official or employee shall, while serving as such, have any financial interest or engage in any business, employment, transaction or professional activity or incur any obligation of any nature which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his/her duties or employment in the public interest.
D. RESERVATIONS:
The Town of Stratford may consider informal any proposal not prepared and submitted to the Town in accordance with the provisions herein stated. The Town of Stratford reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or parts of proposals; to waive defects in same proposals; or to accept any proposal or part thereof deemed to be in the best interests of the Town of Stratford.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL – TUTORING / INTERVENTIONIST SERVICES
I. INTRODUCATION
A. GENERAL INFORMATION
The Stratford Board of Education is seeking proposals from firms that have successfully worked with school districts to provide scientifically-based literacy instruction to beginning readers, and to readers who need catch-up growth instruction because they struggle with literacy acquisition, and as a result, are reading well below their peers. In addition to providing services to students who struggle with reading, the Stratford Board of Education needs interventionists to provide services in social thinking and pragmatics, since these areas impact behavior and literacy instruction. The primary purpose of services, is to assist classroom teachers with providing on-site, targeted, direct, explicit, differentiated literacy instruction (in the areas identified as critical in effective research-based reading programs) during collaborative grade level reading blocks. Secondary purposes include providing additional caseload interventions to students who have been identified (by foundational skills assessments) as needing catch-up growth instruction. Thirdly, services must include social interventions for students who struggle with the pragmatics of language. Efficient, science-based systems that monitor the fidelity, student growth, and progress of all students serviced by the firm, are required.
Stratford is a town with an old New England feel complemented by a Fairfield County urban location. It is a town rich in diversity, not just in the racial makeup of its population but also socio-economically. The town’s topography varies from beaches, marinas, to urban neighborhoods, to forest. With all of its variety, there is a strong sense of identity among the town’s residents that gives a “family” feel to the community. In 2011, Stratford made the Top Ten List of Communities of 50,000 or more residents in Connecticut Magazine and significant progress in the schools contributed to this recognition.
The Stratford Public Schools educate the 7000 diverse prek-12 student body in two high schools, two middle schools, nine elementary schools and one magnet elementary school open to all Stratford students.
B. SCOPE OF REQUIRED SERVICES
The interventionist program will run from June 28, 2013 to July 1, 2014. Services should include a minimum of at least 5 Full-time and up to 16 Part-time trained literacy and/or social interventionists who will assist classroom teachers in Stratford Public Schools to provide small group literacy/and or social interventions to students during designated reading blocks. Caseloads of strugglers who need additional explicit and systematic support with either literacy and/or pragmatics (social thinking) will also be assigned to interventionists.
Interventionists will assist in:
1. Assessing student reading abilities
2. Providing catch up growth instruction to those students who struggle with aspects of reading and/or pragmatics
3. Monitoring student progress
4. Providing after-school homework assistance (as needed)
C. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS – PROPOSAL FORMAT
In order for Stratford Board of Education to learn more about your organizations’ qualifications and the scope of work please prepare a written response to the following:
1. Describe the experience of your directors in leading this effort.
2. Describe actual services.
3. Provide profile/s of interventionists.
4. Describe how you intend to work with the school staff and others, as appropriate during this period.
5. Provide the cost to perform the service.
Attendance and a presentation at a Board meeting may be required. The schedule will be mutually coordinated and in advance.
The successful respondent must hold the appropriate liability insurances for the program.
Evaluation of Proposal
The Board reserves the right to reject any and all proposals submitted and to
request additional information from all bidders. The award will be made to the firm that, in the opinion of the District, best meets the specification of the RFP. The following factors will be considered in evaluating the responses to decide the award of the contract.
a. Responsiveness of the proposal.
b. Understanding of the work to be performed and proposed procedures.
c. Experience of the firm and assigned project team.
d. References
e. Fees
Submission
Proposals must be submitted by June 21, 2013 at 11:00am to:
Michael Bonnar
Purchasing Agent
2725 Main Street
Stratford, Connecticut 06615
Email:
Please submit four (4) bound and sealed proposals
Hard copies must be submitted. Fax and e-mail versions will not be accepted.
All questions should be submitted in writing via e-mail.
Proposals will become a part of the requestor's official files.
Schedule
The following dates and actions are relative to this RFP. If it becomes necessary to make changes or clarifications to the scope, actions, or dates, such changes will be accomplished by written addendum to this RFP.
Release of RFP Friday June 7, 2013 Deadline for Questions Thursday, June 13, 2013 Proposal Due Date Tuesday, June 18, 2013 Anticipated Award Friday, June 21, 2013 Deliverables Due To be negotiated
Questions should be emailed to Michael Bonnar, Purchasing Agent at
D. MISCELLANEOUS:
Please indicate if your application is web based and if so, its features.
1. Rejection of Bids: The Board may:
a. Reject any or all bids, waive any irregularities or informalities and select the best bid in the opinion of the Board.
b. Require exceptions to bid specifications to be listed under a separate cover. Failure to do so may result in rejection of bid.
c. Reject unauthorized modifications of bid specifications, forms or terms.
d. Render a bid invalid for failure to enter into the subsequent contract within 60 days after award.
2. Familiarity: Proposers shall thoroughly examine and be familiar with these specifications. The failure or omissions of any proposer to receive or examine these documents shall in no way relieve any proposer of obligations with respect to this request for proposal. The submission of a proposal shall be taken as prima face evidence of compliance with this paragraph.
3. Disposition of Proposals: All materials submitted in response to this RFP will become the property of the Board. All information submitted is considered public and disclosable after a contract has been signed.
4. Cost Incurred While Responding: Each proposer shall bear all costs in connection with its preparation and submission of a proposal. This solicitation does not commit the Board to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals or in making necessary studies for the preparation thereof, nor to procure or contract for services.
5. Assignment: The successful proposer shall not assign, transfer, convey, or otherwise dispose of the contract, or right, title of interest, or power to execute such a contract to any person, firm, or corporation without the prior consent in writing by the Stratford Board, which consent may be withheld in the Board’s sole discretion.
6. Causes for Termination: Causes for termination of the agreement may include any of the following: Failure to promptly and faithfully provide the services required at the prices indicated in the Proposal; violation of any law governing any public government depositories; failure to cooperate upon receiving any reasonable request for information or service; or improper actions of the officers or employees, which in the opinion of the Board, would adversely affect its interest, or endanger the structure of the banking institution such as a spin off or merger which materially affects the terms of this agreement. The Board may terminate the agreement without penalty on 90 days prior written notice. The Board also reserves the right to terminate the agreement for convenience upon 180 days prior written notice.
Request for Proposals, Tutoring / Interventionist Services Page 1