Bid Request: Equity Audit

Overview

<p>Burlington Public Schools (or the “District”) is seeking proposals from qualified firms or<br>organizations to conduct an internal district-wide equity audit to identify institutional<br>practices that produce discriminatory trends in data that affect students. Schools and districts<br>conduct audits to analyze data in three key areas: programmatic equity, teaching quality<br>equity, and achievement equity. Please note this request for proposal (RFP) is not an offer<br>on the part of Burlington Public Schools and that Burlington Public Schools reserves the<br>right to cancel the project described in this RFP, and to reject any and all proposals.<br>Burlington Public Schools reserves the right to contract with any firm for reasons other than<br>the lowest price, to waive informalities and technicalities in the proposals, to request<br>clarifications of proposals, and to accept the proposal deemed most favorable to the District<br>after all proposals have been examined and evaluated. The acceptance of a proposal does not<br>bind Burlington Public Schools to engage the firm. It shall also be understood that in no<br>event shall Burlington Public Schools be responsible for any costs of preparing your<br>proposal.</p> <p>The purpose in this audit is to look at “<em>what is</em>” vs “<em>what we believe</em>” when talking about<br>diversity, equity and inclusion. It is essential for us to know what we are actually doing well<br>and are proud of. It is equally important for us to know and be aware of areas where we<br>would like to grow and develop.</p> <p>The “Equity Audit” process will allow our district to objectively highlight areas of “glows and<br>grows” so we can strategically focus our collaboration, resources and expand on what we do<br>well while also finding ways to mitigate and improve where gaps and needs may appear.<br>The most essential purpose is to assure that Burlington Schools are strategically moving all<br>of its efforts (Professional Learning, Appropriate Resources and Intentional actions toward<br>“Equitable Outcomes” for all students) Equity audits guide schools in answering several<br>questions: What supports do students need at each intersection? How well is the district<br>providing these supports? Which students are disengaged? Where can the district improve?<br>An audit has the power to confirm equity concerns and bring new ones to light.</p> <p><strong>GENERAL SCOPE OF SERVICES</strong><br><strong>A.</strong> Conduct focus groups with students, families, teachers, principals, central office staff and<br>community partners. Provide a detailed report on common themes that emerge.<br><strong>B.</strong> Policy review of BPS policies and practices as outlined in the School Committee Policy,<br>BPS Employee Handbook and the Student Handbook. Submit recommendations based<br>on identified best practices.<br><strong>C.</strong> Review of literature on institutional and systemic, anti-racist, equitable practices in public<br>education. Identify current strategies and practices that promote equity or create<br>inequity. Identify best practices and submit recommendations.<br><strong>D.</strong> Assess leadership team’s readiness to address institutional inequity. Review professional<br>development offerings related to equity, diversity and creating schools free of bias,<br>prejudice and discrimination. Make recommendations for improving programs to<br>support staff readiness.<br><strong>E.</strong> Provide a detailed analysis of district data relative to student academic performance,<br>enrollment based on tracking, discipline, achievement, attendance, social emotional<br>needs, dropout and graduation rates, involvement in extracurricular activities, special<br>education and English Learner classification. Disaggregate the data by race/ethnicity,<br>gender, socioeconomic status, disability and English language proficiency.<br><strong>F.</strong> Preliminary Findings Report with presentation to the District Leadership Team and the<br>Equity Leaders Team at the halfway mark of the project.<br><strong>G.</strong> Review current efforts to recruit and retain staff of color. Provide recommendations on<br>how to improve staff recruitment and strategies on how to support a diverse workforce<br>by creating a welcoming, bias free work environment. Recommend strategies used by<br>other districts who have successfully increased the diversity of their teaching pool.<br>Strategies should cover recruitment, onboarding, cohort development, staff retainment,<br>strategies on engaging labor unions and incentives for recruiting a diverse workforce.<br><strong>H.</strong> Review family and community engagement practices and provide recommendations on<br>strategies for creating a safe and welcoming environment for families of color.<br><strong>I.</strong> Final report that assesses the causes of inequity and recommends strategies supported by<br>researched based best practices.<br><strong>J.</strong> Please provide a proposed timeline with your proposal. The District desires to receive a<br>written draft report no later than nine months from the date the contract is awarded. If<br>you anticipate that the report cannot be completed within this timeframe, please provide<br>an alternative timeline with your submitted proposal.</p> <p>Click here for <a href="https://www.burlington.org/DocumentCenter/View/5056/RFP-Equity-Audit-22… BID REQUEST</a></p> <p><strong>TERM OF CONTRACT</strong><br>The performance period for any contract that results from this RFP will be for one year<br>from the date of the signed contract.</p> <p><strong>QUESTIONS</strong><br>Questions concerning this RFP must be submitted in writing to: Nichole Coscia at<br><a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a&gt; at least five (5) days prior to the bid opening date.</p> <p><strong>PROPOSAL DELIVERY</strong></p> <p>Proposals shall be received by the Business Office <strong>on or before Tuesday, October 19, 2021</strong><br><strong>at 1:00 PM.</strong></p> <p>Proposers may submit bids in paper form only. Paper submittals must include one original<br>and three (3) copies of the proposal. The Town also requests that all Price and Non‐Price<br>Proposals be copied onto a thumb drive with two (2) thumb drives submitted with the hard<br>copy of each proposal. One thumb drive with the Non‐Price Proposal and one thumb drive<br>with the Price Proposal. Regardless of the means of submittal, the receipt must be on or<br>before the stated deadline.</p> <p>Sealed proposals shall be delivered to;<br>Burlington Public Schools Business Office<br>c/o Nichole Coscia, Business Manager<br>123 Cambridge Street Burlington, MA 01803<br>Facsimile and email submissions will not be accepted.</p>