REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR FLORIDA DIGITAL TOOL CERTIFICATES RFI 2016-57 Florida Department of Education 325 West Gaines Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400 Please email submissions to: Florida Department of Education Attn: ReGina Fields Email: regina.fields@fldoe.org
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FLORIDA DIGITAL TOOL CERTIFICATES Purpose and Scope I. INTRODUCTION The State of Florida, Department of Education, hereinafter referred to as the Department, is requesting information regarding the availability of industry certifications and industry certificates to be designated by the Department as Digital Tool Certificates in accordance with the provisions of sections 1003.4203 and 1008.44, Florida Statutes. These certificates are a component of the annual implementation of the Career and Professional Education (CAPE) Act and the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List. The statutory definition of industry certification is provided in s. 1004.392: A voluntary process through which students are assessed by an independent, third-party certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge, skills and competencies, resulting in the award of a credential that is nationally recognized and must be at least one of the following: (a) Within an industry that addresses a critical local or statewide economic need; (b) Linked to an occupation that is included in the workforce system's targeted occupation list; or (c) Linked to an occupation that is identified as emerging. CAPE Digital Tool certificates are described in s. 1003.4203: Targeted skills to be mastered for the certificate include digital skills that are necessary to the student s academic work and skills the student may need in future employment. The Department is considering items for the 2016-17 recommendations to the State Board of Education. II. PROGRAM BACKGROUND The Department is responsible for identifying CAPE Digital Tool Certificates for the 2016-17 CAPE Industry Certification Funding List in the areas of word processing; spreadsheets; sound, motion, and color presentations; digital arts; cyber security; and coding. These certificates will be made available to students in elementary and middle grades. For the 2015-16 CAPE Industry Certification Funding List, the State Board of Education approved the following fifteen certificates for the 2015-16 academic year: Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) Photoshop (CS 5/CS 6) Apple Certified Pro - Pages Apple Certified Pro - Numbers IC3 Spark IC3 - Computing Fundamentals IC3 - Key Applications IC3 - Living Online AGSPACE Certification for GIS Beginners RFI 2016-57 Page 2 of 8
Microsoft Office Specialist: Microsoft Office Excel Microsoft Office Specialist: Microsoft Office Word ICT Database Essentials ICT Gaming Essentials ICT Multimedia Essentials ICT Programming & Logic Essentials ICT Web Design Essentials The above listed certificates should not be submitted for this request and are already under consideration by the Department for the 2016-17 list. III. PROGRAM GOALS The primary goal of the program is to encourage the development of digital skills for elementary through middle schools students. IV. OBJECTIVE The objective of this project is to identify digital tool certificates for the 2016-17 CAPE Digital Tool Certificates, which is adopted by the State Board of Education annually and used for a performance incentive funding in the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). V. PURPOSE OF THE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for the purpose of obtaining information regarding industry certificates or certifications that assess digital tools as specified in s. 1003.4203, F.S. The certificate or certification must be available during the 2016-17 academic year. Responses should provide information that supports the below Response Format section based on the above paragraphs. VI. PROCESS Department management will review and analyze information received in response to this RFI to determine the feasibility of issuing a competitive solicitation for these products/services. Any request for cost information received will be used solely to gain a perspective of the potential budgetary magnitude. Responses to this request will be reviewed for informational purposes only and will not result in the award of a contract. Vendors submitting a response to this RFI are not prohibited from responding to any related subsequent solicitation. VII. RESPONSE FORMAT Respondents are requested to address all of the following requirements in their response and provide an information sheet on each industry certification or industry certificate in a Word document format, using the following table layout. A separate table should be provided for each certification/certificate. RFI 2016-57 Page 3 of 8
1) Point of contact information, including representative name and alternative, if available, telephone number(s), and e-mail address(s); 2) Web site where information on the industry certifications/certificates is currently, or will be, available. 3) Information Sheet for each industry certification/certificate. Information Sheet Template SUMMARY INFORMATION ON THE CERTIFICATION/CERTIFICATE Name/Title of Issued Credential Certifying Agency Brief Description of the Certification/Certificate Summary of the Written Exam(s) that must be passed in order to earn the certificate/certification Summary of the skills assessed on the exam from the certifying agency test blueprint If applicable, provide information on different versions of the exam(s) that are available (example: Office 2010 or Office 2013) Florida Digital Tool certificate content area (See list on page 4 of this RFI for the eligible areas. List all that apply) Number of test questions and information on performance levels required to earn the certification/certificate Testing time for a test administration (indicate whether it is a timed test or the expected amount of time for an average candidate to complete the test) RFI 2016-57 Page 4 of 8
TEST FORMAT FOR PAPER-BASED DELIVERY Number of test forms that are available Specify how often the tests are updated/revised by the certifying agency TEST FORMAT FOR COMPUTER-BASED DELIVERY Specify whether the test questions are from an item bank (resulting in randomized test versions) or are standard test forms If standard test forms are used, how many test forms are available? Specify how often are standard test forms updated/revised or for test questions in an item bank and how often are questions updated/revised by the certifying agency. WRITTEN TEST PROCTORING Is the test required to be proctored? (Yes/No) Specify who is eligible to proctor the test Is training available to the proctors? If yes, does the certifying agency require proctors complete a formal training provided by the agency prior to administering exams? Does an agreement or oath have to be signed by the proctor? If yes, provide a brief description. Does an agreement or oath have to be signed by the student? If yes, provide a brief description. Specify whether any test administration manuals are available and how they are accessed RFI 2016-57 Page 5 of 8
TEST SECURITY AND RELIABILITY/VALIDITY Describe how the written tests are graded/scored Provide information on who has access to the written tests prior to, during, and after the test administration. If paper-based, how far in advance are tests distributed to the proctor and how long may the proctor keep the tests before returning them to the grading entity? How many times does the certifying agency allow a candidate to retake the test? Is there a required waiting period between retakes? If so, please specify. Will the student receive a new version of the test each time he/she retakes the test? What are the certifying agency s procedures for invalidating scores should cheating or test irregularities be discovered? OTHER Describe the unit cost for each administration of the test to a candidate or the pricing structure for exam delivery. Provide information on supplemental instructional materials available for preparation (course descriptions, lesson plans, curriculum maps, formative assessments/readiness exams). Describe any hardware/software requirements for test administration. Describe the approximate number of instructional hours required in order for students to be prepared to sit for the exam. RFI 2016-57 Page 6 of 8
Does the certifying agency train (inperson or virtual) elementary and middle school teachers on how to infuse performance content/standards into existing curriculum? If so, please describe. Are testing modifications/ accommodations available for students with disabilities? If so, please describe. Provide any additional relevant information on the certification/ certificate. What student information is collected in the process of student enrollment? What security procedures are in place to ensure student information is protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guidelines? Florida Digital Tool Certificate Content Areas Word processing Spreadsheets Presentations including sound, motion, and color presentations Digital arts Cyber security Coding SCHEDULE OF EVENTS A. Time Schedule The following timetable shows the approximate dates for this RFI. All times indicated are Eastern Time (ET). Request for Information Issued Questions Due no later than Answers to Vendors on or about Receipt of e-mailed RFI responses March 30, 2016 2:00 p.m. ET on April 7, 2016 April 11, 2016 10:00 A.M. ET ON APRIL 21, 2016 PLEASE PROVIDE RESPONSES VIA EMAIL RFI 2016-57 Page 7 of 8
B. Questions and Restrictions The Department may be contacted via email or fax regarding submission of questions concerning this RFI. Any respondent s questions must be submitted in writing and received by the Department on or before the specified due date at the following email address or fax: Please deliver questions to: Florida Department of Education Attn: ReGina Fields 325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 332 Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400 Email (preferred): regina.fields@fldoe.org Fax Number: 850-245-0719 Telephone Number: 850-245-9173 The Department will provide written answers to all questions that respondents submit by the specified due date. Questions and Answers and notice of changes (addenda) will be posted on the Florida Vendor Bid System (VBS) at www.myflorida.com (click on Business & Industry, under Doing Business with the State of Florida click on State Purchasing, click on Everything for Vendors and Customers, then Vendor Bid System and Search Advertisement, select the Department of Education in the Agency window and initiate search), under this RFI number. It is the responsibility of all respondents to monitor this site for any changing information prior to submitting a response. RFI 2016-57 Page 8 of 8