Independent Review and Evaluation Services for Charter School and Related Applications

Education Service Center Region 13 (ESC Region 13), in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), seeks proposals from qualified individuals to evaluate and score open-enrollment charter school applications and other charter-related grant applications and competitive opportunities. These independent reviews will support a fair, consistent, and rigorous evaluation process designed to identify the strongest applications to support the growth of high-quality charter schools in Texas.

The purpose of this solicitation is to establish a Qualified Providers List (QPL) of individuals who demonstrate the qualifications, experience, and expertise necessary to conduct objective, thorough, and consistent reviews. Individuals selected for the QPL may be engaged on an as-needed basis to support TEA and ESC Region 13 review activities throughout the term of the solicitation.

The primary role of the awarded contractors will be to independently review and score applications to establish open-enrollment charter schools in Texas. Contractors may also be assigned to review charter-related grant applications and other competitive opportunities administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

Reviewers will participate in structured review processes specific to each assignment. Assignments may include reviewing application materials, scoring applications using established rubrics, providing written evaluations, participating in training and calibration activities, participating in panel or consensus discussions, and completing required review documentation. ESC Region 13 and/or TEA will provide the applicable review procedures, timelines, scoring criteria and rubrics, evaluation materials, and access to required systems for each assignment.

Deliverables

Depending on the assignment, the awarded contractor(s) shall provide:

• Completed scoring rubrics for assigned applications.
• Written evaluation comments and recommendations.
• Other review documentation required for the specific assignment.

Compensation

Compensation may be provided on a per-review and/or training basis as specified in the resulting contract. Current Compensation Rates for Charter School Applications (Subchapter D): **$500** for completion of required training activities. **$1,000** per application reviewed.

**Submission method:** Ion Wave system. Your responses to the questions in this RFP will collectively constitute your proposal. No separate narrative proposal is required and should not be submitted.

**Required attachments:** *Résumé* (not to exceed two (2) pages), *Form W-9 (Rev 3-2024)*, and *Conflict of Interest Questionnaire (CIQ)*.

Evaluation Criteria & Scoring - 100 Points

• Relevant Charter School Experience: 25 Points
• Professional Knowledge and Subject Matter Expertise: 15 Points
• Application Review and Evaluation Experience: 25 Points
• Reviewer Assessment Exercise: 35 Points

The initial contract period will extend through April 30, 2028. No contract resulting from this solicitation, including any renewals or extensions, may extend beyond April 30, 2031.

This solicitation is issued as a Continuous Solicitation. Vendors may submit proposals at any time during this period, and proposals will be evaluated periodically throughout the solicitation term.