EVALUATING CAREER PATHWAYS PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES

The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) requires one or more contractors to conduct evaluations of career pathways programs and strategies intended to improve career outcomes for youth and adults, including individuals with disabilities. This initiative, managed by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, focuses on career and technical education, adult education, and educational programs featuring career development or workforce activities. Evaluations will utilize new and existing data to describe the implementation and costs of federally funded programs, analyze participation trends, and characterize the activities of schools, districts, states, and postsecondary institutions.

The scope of work includes examining the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of policy-relevant strategies through systematic evidence reviews and demonstration or low-cost opportunistic impact evaluations. Contractors will identify the core components of career pathways programs and the conditions necessary to achieve impact for high-need populations. This requirement is classified under NAICS code 541720 for Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities and PSC AF11 for Education, Training, Employment, & Social Svcs R&D Svcs; Education Svcs R&D; Basic Research.

Proposals for solicitation 91990024R0019 are due by June 28, 2024, at 2:00 PM ET, with performance located in Washington, DC. The solicitation includes five attachments: an amendment providing responses to vendor questions, a report planning template, a small business calculation tool, contractor performance information, and the SF33 form. Katie Opper is the designated point of contact for this requirement.