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Board hears procurement recommendation for Read by Grade 3; members ask for more data before approving contract
Summary
NDE presented an RFP and the evaluation committee's choice of Curriculum Associates' i‑Ready for the Read by Grade 3 uniform assessment; board members raised transparency and timeline concerns and requested the top‑three vendor evaluations and scoring details before any approval.
Deputy Superintendent Anne Marie Dixon and NDE assessment staff presented the Read by Grade 3 procurement process to the State Board of Education on April 3 and reported the evaluation committee’s recommendation to select Curriculum Associates (the i‑Ready assessment) as the statewide uniform assessment for K–3.
NDE described outreach to a wide set of stakeholders, committee membership that included district leaders and a student representative, and the RFP scoring process. Mandy Latham said the recommended package would include a K–3 benchmark assessment (administered fall/winter/spring), an optional K–1 screener and reporting features for teachers and districts. State Purchasing Administrator Gideon Davis explained that procurement rules require the purchasing division to conduct evaluation and negotiate contract terms; he stated the department’s contract with Curriculum Associates is signed by Superintendent Joan Ebert and would be submitted to the Board of Examiners if the State Board approves moving forward.
Board members across rural and urban districts pressed for more information before taking a vote. Member Orr, Member Hughes and others asked to see the RFP scoring rubrics, the top three vendor scores (NDE disclosed in discussion that the top three were Curriculum Associates, Amira and NWEA MAP) and the evaluation committee report so members could compare tradeoffs. Several members, and public commenters from smaller districts, warned the April timeline leaves districts little time to train teachers and roll out a new assessment next school year.
Questions focused on: which exact i‑Ready modules are included; whether the assessment will be required vs. optional tools; costs and contract length (state purchasing said the contract runs through May 12, 2029, with possible extension); and whether state accountability measures (some currently tied to MAP) would still be met. State purchasing said the recommended contract is per‑student priced and that changing the number of students or adding a hold‑harmless year would require renegotiation with the vendor.
No final vote to adopt the vendor contract occurred. After extended discussion boards members opted to delay a decision and to review the evaluation documentation and contract details at a future meeting so districts have clearer information about implementation and cost.
If the board ultimately approves the contract, state purchasing will finalize terms and submit the award to the Board of Examiners.
