Request for Proposal (RFP)

Adaptive Math Learning Pilot Projects Grant

2015-2017

REVISED GRANT APPLICATION DUE DATE: MONDAY, MAY 2, 2016

5:00 PM PT

Oregon Department of EducationOffice of Teaching and Learning

255 Capitol Street NESalem, OR 97310-0203

It is the policy of the State Board of Education and a priority of the Oregon Department of Education that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age or disability in any educational programs, activities, or employment. Persons having questions about equal opportunity and nondiscrimination should contact the Oregon Department of Education, 255 Capitol Street NE, Salem, OR 97310; Telephone (503) 947-5600; Fax (503) 378-5156.

Background and Legislative Intent

In 2011, the Oregon Department of Education disseminated the Oregon STEM Education Initiative to catalyze the formation of regional STEM Education Partnerships by defining STEM education and goals related to preparation for college, careers, and citizenship needed for improvement in STEM education.

In 2013, the Oregon Education Investment Board proposed strategic investments to support Oregon’s attainment of the 40/40/20 goal. The Oregon STEM Investment Council and the Oregon Education Investment Board recommended expanding activities related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Supported activities would lead to increased student interest, preparation, and attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for success in related degrees and careers.

In 2015, HB 3072 directed the Department of Education to distribute monies that expand and sustain regional networks that support STEM education. Specifically, four STEM innovation grants were identified to expand the implementation of effective programs related to STEM and propose innovative approaches or programs that provide professional development to transform instruction within the STEM disciplines.

The four STEM innovation grant programs focus on:

1. Providing regional teacher professional development in applied mathematics in grades 7 through 10.

2. Identifying and piloting computer based adaptive learning environments for students in kindergarten through 8th grade.

3. Providing professional development to promote digital literacy grades 7 to 12.4. Partnering with existing out-of-school time STEM programs to expand student

opportunities grades 4 to 8.

In order to transform STEM education in Oregon, there will need to be a change in the complexity of the STEM content as well as in the knowledge and skill teachers bring to

Oregon Department of Education – March 2016 2

“STEM Education is an approach to teaching and lifelong learning that emphasizes the natural interconnectedness of the four separate STEM disciplines. These connections are made explicit through collaboration between educators resulting in real and appropriate context built into instruction, curriculum, and assessment. The common element of problem solving is emphasized across all STEM disciplines allowing students to discover, explore, and apply critical thinking skills as they learn. “

Oregon Department of Education, 2011

instructional practice and the ways in which students are engaged in the learning experience. All STEM Innovation grants are designed to address the definition, outcomes, and complexity of the STEM Education Initiative.

Equity Lens

All STEM Innovation Grant recipients will be expected to incorporate and adopt the principles of the Oregon Equity Lens, the perspective through which the Oregon Department of Education considers the creation of strategic opportunities for students of color. The Equity Lens provides twelve core beliefs that fuel opportunities to bolster success for diverse student populations across the state. The beliefs most pertinent to the work of this set of grants are highlighted below:

We believe that everyone has the ability to learn and that we have an ethical responsibility and a moral responsibility to ensure an education system that provides optimal learning environments that lead students to be prepared for their individual futures.

We believe that the students who have previously been described as “at risk,” “underperforming,” “under-represented,” or minority actually represent Oregon’s best opportunity to improve overall educational outcomes. We have many counties in rural and urban communities that already have populations of color that make up the majority. Our ability to meet the needs of this increasingly diverse population is a critical strategy for us to successfully reach our 40/40/20 goals.

We believe that resource allocation demonstrates our priorities and our values and that we demonstrate our priorities and our commitment to rural communities, communities of color, English language learners, and out of school youth in the ways we allocate resources and make educational investments.

We believe that communities, parents, teachers, and community-based organizations have unique and important solutions to improving outcomes for our students and educational systems. Our work will only be successful if we are able to truly partner with the community, engage with respect, authentically listen -- and have the courage to share decision making, control, and resources.

And, we believe in the importance of supporting great teaching. Research is clear that

teachers are among the most powerful influences in (student) learning. An equitable

education system requires providing teachers with the tools and support to meet the needs of each student.

Oregon Department of Education – March 2016 3

General Information

A. Purpose of the Adaptive Math Learning Pilot Project

The Oregon STEM Council in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) intends to conduct a series of pilot tests of math adaptive learning technologies in Oregon classrooms grades K to 8. An adaptive learning technology is software or a Web-based application that can personalize education for a student, adapt based on student interaction, and provide feedback to teachers and families about student progress.

This project was funded by the Oregon Legislature as part of the STEM Innovation Grants. The total project budget is approximately $1.1 million for the 2015-2017 biennium. The funds will be awarded to schools to pilot math adaptive learning technologies identified and approved through this RFP process. Findings related to the outcomes of the project will be provided to the Oregon STEM Council, Oregon Legislature, and Oregon State Board of Education at the conclusion of the project.

The purpose of this project is to identify and evaluate interactive, computer-based programs to support blended learning environments. For the purposes of this grant, blended learning1 is defined as a range of possible instructional models that combine internet and/or digital media content with established classroom instruction that requires the physical co-presence of teachers and students2.

That is, the intent of blended learning is not for digital media content to replace established classroom-based instruction. Rather, blended learning occurs when digital media is used to supplement and enhance classroom-based instruction. This could potentially occur through providing individualized independent practice, or by providing detailed reports that inform educators what content a given student has mastered so they may adjust their instruction accordingly and devise/implement appropriate strategies and interventions to support the learner. District staff are encourage to investigate promising practices3 in blended learning to better understand how it may be used to meet their students’ needs4.

Supplemental digital math learning programs include media that allows for math content and instruction to occur with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace of their learning. Adaptive math learning programs include an additional element where the program itself is collecting formative information about an individual

1 Stalker, H., & Horn, M. B. (2012). Classifying K–12 blended learning. Mountain View, CA: InnosightInstitute, Inc. http://www.christenseninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Classifying-K-12-blended-learning.pdf 2 Friesen, Norm (2012). Report: Defining Blended Learning. http://learningspaces.org/papers/Defining_Blended_Learning_NF.pdf 3 Murphy, R., Snow, E., Mislevy, J., Gallagher, L., Krumm, A., & Wei, X. (2014). Blended learning report. Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. http://www.edweek.org/media/msdf-blended-learning-report-may-2014.pdf 4 Watson, J. (2008). Blended Learning: The Convergence of Online and Face-to-Face Education. Promising Practices in Online Learning. North American Council for Online Learning. Chicago. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED509636.pdf

Oregon Department of Education – March 2016 4

student learning and uses these data to adjust the program to meet student needs and provide feedback to teachers and parents about the child’s progress through the content.

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In January 2016, ODE requested information from vendors on math adaptive learning technologies that could to be used in a pilot testing program during the 2016-2017 academic year. Technologies used for this project were required to meet the following requirements to be considered as a possible program to be included in the adaptive math pilot program:

Provide opportunities for personalized student learning in mathematics. Organizes content into coherent sequences for students aligned with Common Core

State Standards in mathematics for any combination of grades from Kindergarten to grade 8.

Provide mathematics content to support math learning for remedial to advanced students in the grade levels targeted by the adaptive learning technology.

Promote collaboration between home and school through 24 hour access to student reports and/or activities.

Provide activities that promote both conceptual and procedural mathematics learning and, whenever possible, demonstrate application of mathematics.

Provide accommodations for students with learning disabilities and/or students who are English language learners.

Provide an intuitive user interface that requires minimal training for teachers to implement in the classroom.

Provides reporting of student progress that can be used to support formative assessment practices.

From May 2016 to June 2017, the project will support a limited number adaptive learning programs to be piloted in Oregon K-8 classrooms. Results of the vendor request for information will be provided to interested districts. From this list, districts will need to identify at least two, and up to three available platforms they would be willing to pilot during the 2016-17 school year.

ODE staff will work to ensure a maximum number of programs are piloted during this project and will notify districts which of the selected programs will be funded for the pilot.

The four categories of outcomes related to this project are as follows:1. Student mathematics content knowledge:

o Increase student mathematics achievement aligned to Oregon standards through implementation of applied mathematics problems.

o Decrease the mathematics achievement gap between historically underserved students and their peers through implementation of applied mathematics problems.

2. Student attitudes and beliefs that are correlated to higher achievement:o Increase student interest, enthusiasm, and self-efficacy in math by providing

opportunities to engage in interactive, student-centered problems using adaptive learning technologies.

3. Teacher instructional practices:

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o Increase pedagogical preparedness of teachers to successfully implement blended learning environments in K-8 mathematics.

4. Teacher attitudes and beliefs about themselves and students:o Increase teacher enthusiasm and self-efficacy for teaching mathematics o Increase teacher beliefs that all their students are capable of doing mathematics.

B. Type of Grant

This grant begins no later than May 13, 2016 and ends on June 30, 2017. Under certain circumstances and with prior notification, ODE may approve use of grant funds between June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017. For the Adaptive Math Learning pilot program, the will be a total of $1,100,000 dedicated to piloting programs during the 2016-17 school year and any associated costs for professional development and equipment needed to pilot a given program.

The maximum funding for a single project will vary depending on the cost of the identified program. Districts will be asked to submit budget proposals for up to three vendors whose products they would be willing to pilot in their district using the program costs found within the vendor request for information submissions.

C. Eligibility

Eligible applicants include Oregon public school districts, Education Service Districts (ESD), public charter schools, or combination of such entities.

D. Grant Requirements

This grant supports classrooms of students to pilot adaptive learning technologies during the 2016-17 school year. Participating teachers and districts will work closely with the Oregon Department of Education to support implementation and evaluation of adaptive learning programs.

In order to accomplish the purpose of this project, grantees will: Identify a business officer from the fiscal agent to manage grant funds (an ESD or

school district may serve as the fiscal agent). Local fiscal agents will be responsible to ensure the identified vendor receives funds for their services.

Identify up to three approved adaptive math learning programs posted on the ODE website they are willing to pilot, with the understanding that they may be funded for only two.

Ensure teachers meet minimum training requirements identified by the vendor to implement the program with fidelity.

Work with district information technology (IT) staff to ensure district has the required hardware, software, and infrastructure necessary to implement the adaptive learning technology.

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Identify project leadership to attend required meetings with the Oregon Department of Education.

Ensure assessments are collected from both participating teachers and students to evaluate the adaptive learning platforms. These assessments will be given to students in participating classes during the grant, including possible pre-assessments, mid-grant assessments, and post-grant assessments. Non-identifiable student data shall be shared with ODE so that aggregate reports can be made for the project. Sources of achievement data may include:

Local achievement data for mathematics Achievement data obtained from the piloted programs Obtain the needed permission to collect student survey and achievement data

needed for this project. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The partner school districts must ensure the FERPA regulations are met. For additional information and to view the related laws visit www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

Participating schools will be required to pilot the given program for an entire class of students for a given school year. A classroom of students is considered to be a “cohort” of students committed to using the program for the 2016-17 school year. A classroom may be an entire group of students assigned to a given teacher, but it may also include a subset of the district students that cross grade levels. Ideally, each classroom or cohort of students would include approximately 15-30 students. A regional collaborative involving multiple districts is allowable, as is a collaborative of students from separate buildings (as is a collaborative of students from separate buildings as would be the case when building a cohort in cases where typical class size is less than 15). District staff will determine the number of participating teachers, classes, and students.

Applicants will be asked to identify the following in their proposal: Names of participating school sites for the pilot project. Number of participating classrooms/cohorts, teachers, and students. Grade levels of participating students. Student demographics of identified schools. Math Achievement data of identified schools on summative assessments.

Additionally, the following costs must be identified within the district proposal: Cost of any technology purchases to meet a 2-to-1 device to student ratio within the

pilot classrooms. Other expenses to meet minimum software and hardware requirements. Cost of any professional development associated with a given program. Total expenditures. Cost per classroom unit rate (total expenses/number of participation classes).

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Costs for individual programs will vary, as will district expenditures needed to implement the adaptive math program during the 2016-17 school year. To manage the costs of the grant, the Oregon Department of Education will consider proposals within the given parameters of cost per classroom and maximum request per district.

Number of grades piloted

Example grade bands

Maximum request per participating district

Average cost per classroom

3 K-2, 3-5, or 6-8 $50,000 Average cost per classroom and/or cohort must not exceed $20,000

6 K-5, or 3-8 $100,000

9 K-8 $149,000Districts may choose to submit proposals where two or three programs are piloted and can still fit within the overall limits above.

Grant Award and SelectionIn order to advance the work described in the legislation, the Oregon Department of Education is accepting proposals from districts, ESDs, and charter schools to participate in this pilot project.

ODE staff will select participating districts based on the following needs of the project: Diversity in school and district size and geographical region. Diversity in participating students including historically-underserved students, which

include students experiencing poverty, students with disabilities, students of color, and English language learners.

Alignment of adaptive learning programs with the goals of the district. Maximize the number of vendors and classrooms participating in the pilot project.

Award and Allowable Use of FundsAll funds will be issued as reimbursement through the Electronic Grants Management System (EGMS). All expenditures must be made prior to June 30, 2017.

Eligible expenses include: Software expenses, including licensing fees to use in classrooms Hardware expenses, including student devices to achieve a 2-to-1 technology to

student ratio in participating classrooms. Extra duty for participating teachers and/or administrators and related substitute

costs. Expenses to purchase standardized assessment for participating students. Travel and lodging at state rates for required meetings.

Grant-related supplies and materials that are not normally provided by the school district needed to implement the Adaptive learning program.

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TimelineActivity Date

April 1, 2016 Request for Proposals (RFP) available online

April 6, 2016 @ 3:30-4:30 PDT

Technical Assistance Webinar – Understanding the RFP

Please register for Adaptive Math Learning Pilot Projects Grant at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2392026402778390531

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

May 2, 2016 *Applications due to ODE by 5:00 PM PDT*

May 10, 2016 Applicants expected to be notified of final award

May 17 to June 30, 2016Meetings at local school sites (as needed)

Work with identified vendor to set up trainings to support implementation of adaptive math learning programs

June 10, 2016

Required online meeting (time TBD)Issues regarding implementation.Related ODE policies.Agreements on grant outcomes and measures.Identifying assessment strategies.

June to August, 2016

Local trainings for teachers (as needed)Finalize professional development schedule with vendorProvide training for participating teachersEnsure technology readiness to implement

September, 2016

Pre-assessmentsCollect pre-assessment data for teachers and students to establish baseline measures.

September 2016 to May 2017

Implementation of Adaptive Math ProgramsMonitor implementationWork with vendor to ensure fidelity to program

December 2016

Mid-grant assessmentsCollecting mid-grant data for use of legislative reportOngoing technical assistance as needed

June 2017 (meeting date TBD)

Final assessments & Required online meetingCollect final data from teachers and studentsDebrief of experiencesRecommendations for next stepsTurn in final materialsTurn in student data

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Submission and ContactsOnly complete applications meeting the specifications listed below will be scored. Each of these sections is described more fully in the following pages.

Please submit the application documentation with the file types listed below.

Cover Page (doc, docx, or pdf) – REQUIRED – Identify each school district that will participate in the grant activities. The cover page is available in Appendix A.

Application Narrative (doc, or docx) – REQUIRED – This section may not exceed 5 pages, and can be found in Appendix B.

Budget Worksheet and Narrative (doc, docx, or pdf) – REQUIRED – This section should include a narrative and budget worksheet from appendix C. There is no page limit.

Statement of Assurances (doc, docx, or pdf) – REQUIRED – One assurance statement signed by a project director who is authorized by the fiscal agent.

Files should be emailed to ODE.STEMGrants@ode.state.or.us no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, May 2, 2016. You should receive an automatically-generated away message that will confirm the email was received.

For assistance related to the STEM Innovation Grant: Applied Math Regional PLCs Grant application, please contact:

Mark Freedmark.freed@state.or.us503-947-5610

Donna Brantdonna.brant@ode.state.or.us503.947.5622

Linda Simeone(Submission questions)linda.simeone@state.or.us(503) 947-6500

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Format and Application Instructions for Submission

ODE is not responsible for incomplete submissions, or submissions not received through the approved secure file transfer process described below. Applicants will not be notified if an application appears to be incomplete. Please check all files before submission.

All applications must meet the following criteria:

12-point font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins on the sides, top, and bottom of 8½” by 11” paper, maximum 5 page narrative as described in the Required Application Section, and numbered pages.

An electronic version of the completed application including a scanned copy of the signed Statement of Assurances and Statement of Commitment, in Word (.doc or .docx), or pdf format must be received by ODE via Secure File Transfer by 5:00 PM on May 2, 2016.

Secure File Transfer Process – An electronic version of the complete application must be submitted using the Secure File Transfer system available on the ODE district website: https://district.ode.state.or.us/apps/xfers/. Follow the instructions provided on the secure file transfer website. Multiple files must be compressed (zipped) into a single folder for submission. Please name the files as follows: the agency it is being submitted from, underscore, and Grant Name (i.e. OregonESD_Adaptive Math Pilot). Only complete applications submitted by the due date will be scored. Contact the ODE helpdesk at 503-

947-5715 if you need assistance with the Secure File Transfer Process.

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An electronic version of the Grant Application

must be submitted to ODE.STEMGrants@ode.state.or.us

via Secure File Transfer by

5:00 PM on May 2, 2016

Appendix A: Application – Cover Page

Part 1: Grant Contact Information

General Contact InformationLead District or ESD NamePrimary Contact NamePrimary Contact EmailPrimary Contact Phone

Fiscal Agent InformationPrimary Contact NamePrimary Contact EmailPrimary Contact Phone

Part 2: Participating schools and local contacts (expand as needed)

School Name Name of School Contact for this Project Email

1234

Part 3: Summative achievement data in mathematics (expand as needed)Please identify available data of percent of students at levels 3 & 4 in math the 2014-15 statewide summate assessment. If no data is available for the given grade, then you may leave blank.

School Name 2014-15 Math Achievement Data by Grade Level School average3 4 5 6 7 8

1234

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Part 4: Student ParticipationPlease identify the anticipated number of participating students, classrooms and teachers for the 2015-16 school year pilots.

Anticipated participation (pilots only)Participating Schools (identified in part 2 & 3 above)

School 1

School 2

School 3

School 4

Projected number of studentsProjected number of classrooms and/or cohortsProjected number of teachers

Part 5: Student Outcomes by subgroupPlease identify school performance in mathematics by student subgroups as found on the 2014-15 school report cards. Please put “n/a” in the cell if the data was not reported.

Student Group Outcomes in Mathematics for 2014-15 school year

Participating Schools (identified in part 2 & 3 above)School

1School

2School

3School

4Economically DisadvantagedEnglish LearnersStudents with DisabilitiesMigrantTalented and Gifted

Race/Ethnicity subgroup performanceAmerican Indian/Alaskan NativeAsianBlack/African AmericanHispanic/LatinoNative Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderWhiteMulti-Racial

Gender subgroup performanceFemaleMale

Part 6: Identify Adaptive Learning PlatformsIdentify a minimum of three (3) learning platforms you would be willing to pilot in the 2016-17 school year. You may be assigned any of the identified programs below. However, you may rank order your preference and every attempt will be made to assign platforms in order of your preference.

Learning PlatformsPlatform #1 (required)Platform #2 (required)Platform #3 (optional)

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Oregon Department of Education – March 2016 15

Appendix B: Application Narrative and Scoring Guide

Respond to the following statements. Limit your total response to 5 pages double-spaced.1. Describe experience your school or teachers have had in implementing blending learning

environments in K-8 mathematics instruction.High Scoring Response Medium Scoring Response Low Scoring ResponseTeachers have been involved with professional development related to blended learning environments in K-8 math, and have implemented those strategies.

Teachers have experience and/or demonstrated interest with implementing blended learning environments in K-8 math but have not been involved in professional development related to that activity.

Teachers have not had demonstrated interest in implementing blending learning environments in K-8 mathematics.

2. Describe how you perceive adaptive learning programs in K-8 math benefiting students in your school.

High Scoring Response Medium Scoring Response Low Scoring ResponseDescribed benefits align well with the principles of the Equity Lens and focus heavily on equivalence based on core academic standards.

Described benefits align with the principles of the Equity Lens and alignment with core academic standards can be inferred.

Described benefits are only loosely aligned with the principles of the Equity Lens

3. Identify standardized math achievement data that you would be able to use during the 2016-17 school year. This may either be a program that is already being used by the district, or one that would be used specifically for the participating students.

High Scoring Response Medium Scoring Response Low Scoring ResponseDescribed reliable and valid standardized math assessment already in use by the district that can be used for pre-, mid-, and post-assessments.

or,

Identify a reliable and valid standardized math assessment that could be purchased for use in this project for the 2016-17 school year.

Described a local math assessment that can be used for pre-, mid-, and post-assessments, however, reliability and validity of standardized scores produced has not been established.

Described a local math assessment that can be used for pre-, mid-, and post-assessments. However, achievement scores produced are not standardized and reliability and validity of measures has not been established.

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Appendix C: Budget Worksheet

School Name:__________________________________________________________________________

District Name:_________________________________________________________________________

(1) Adaptive Learning Program Name:_______________________________________________

(2) Adaptive Learning Program Name:_______________________________________________

(3) Adaptive Learning Program Name (optional):_______________________________________

Object

Program 1: Program 2: Program 3 (optional):

Overarching costs associated with pilots Total by

Object

1XX Salaries

2XX Benefits

31XInstructional, Technical and Professional Services

34X Travel

470 Software (including subscription expense)

480 Hardware

4XX Supplies & Materials (other)

690 Administrative Costs @ 5%

Total by Program*

Total Number of classrooms and/or cohorts served**

Average cost per classroom***

*Total grant funds may not exceed limits identified within the grant requirements (Page 8)**Classroom is defined as a cohort of students that would be committed to using the same program during the 2016-17 school year. Cohorts could be single or mixed grades depending need and structure of the school. ***Average cost per classroom (or cohort) must not exceed $20,000 without prior approval.

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Budget Narrative

Provide details about how salaries, benefits, and travel were determined for the budget. The description should include sufficient information to show both required meeting costs and local meeting costs. All required statewide meetings will be held online.

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Appendix D: Assurances

STATEMENT OF ASSURANCES FOR ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS

School Contact Name:

School Name:

School District:

Address:

City: State: Zip:

Phone: Email:

2015-2017 Statement of Assurances

The district, school, or charter school assures and certifies compliance with the regulations, policies, and requirements as they relate to the acceptance and use of state funds for programs included in this application.

The district, school or charter school agrees to carry out the project as described in the application.

Violations of the rules or laws may result in sanctions which may include but are not limited to reduction, revocation, or repayment of the grant award.

The Authorized Agent certifies that to the best of his/her knowledge the information in this application is correct, that the filing of this application is duly authorized by the governing body of this organization, or institution, and that the organization or institution will comply with the general statement of assurances.

Print Name of Authorized Agent Title

Signature of Authorized Agent Date

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