Implementation of AB 52
(Assessments and Recovery Plans)
for the
Compton Unified School District

 

 

REQUEST
FOR
APPLICATIONS

 

 

February 1998

 

 

Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT)
Kern County Superintendent of Schools
1300 17th Street - City Centre
Bakersfield, CA 93301-4533

Table of Contents

I. Purpose

II. Background

III. Scope of the Project

IV. General Application Information

V. Terms of the Contract

VI. Selection Process

Proposal Response Sheet

Assessment Documentation Format

 

Instructional Standards (Professional and Legal )

Financial Management Standards (Professional and Legal )

Facilities Standards (Professional and Legal )

Personnel Standards (Professional and Legal )

Community Relations Standards (Professional and Legal )

 

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I. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to solicit applications from qualified individuals and organizations to provide assessments and recovery plans for the Compton Unified School District as authorized by AB 52 (Chapter 767, Statutes of 1997).

It is the intent of FCMAT to award funding to applicants demonstrating expertise, experience, and commitment in working with complex public schools issues. In addition, the purpose of the RFA is to determine the level of understanding of the project by potential applicants. The RFA will outline the statutory responsibility of all participants and provide a thorough explanation of the roles. A thorough knowledge by all applicants of past legislation appropriating two emergency loans to Compton Unified School District and a complete understanding of AB 52 is essential.

II. BACKGROUND

Legislation passed in 1993 appropriated funds for two emergency loans to the Compton Unified School District. The acceptance of these loans constituted an agreement by the district to comply with certain specified conditions including the assumption, by the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), of all the legal rights, duties, and powers of the district governing board and the appointment of an administrator who may act on the superintendent's behalf and exercise the superintendent's authority. The Compton Unified School District has been under a state-approved administrator since 1993. AB 52, (Washington) expressed the intent of the Legislature that the governing board of the Compton Unified School District be returned its designated legal rights, duties, and powers only after the board and the school district demonstrate significant improvement in five (5) areas, which are pupil achievement, financial management, facilities management, personnel procedures, and community relations. AB 52 requires FCMAT and the state-approved administrator, in consultation with specified entities and persons, to conduct comprehensive assessments, and specified recovery plans in the five designated areas. AB 52 also requires FCMAT to determine if the school district has made substantial and sustained progress in the five areas, and if there is substantial and sustained progress, FCMAT is required to recommend to the SPI the functional areas of school operation that should be returned to the governing board of the Compton Unified School District.

AB 52 appropriates funds to FCMAT for the purposes of conducting the assessments and completing the recovery plans. It is the intent of the Legislature that the governing board, staff, and community of the district contribute to and participate in a recovery process for the district in order to improve pupil services, safety, and achievement in all areas. The SPI, beginning on January 1, 1998, shall annually file a written report with the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature, including any special committees created for the purpose of reviewing the reports. The reports shall include the progress that the Compton Unified School District is making in meeting the conditions of the recovery plans developed pursuant to the legislation.

III. SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

The scope of this project includes each of the FCMAT requirements as listed and speci- fied in AB 52. Each applicant will be expected to:

A. Assess the Compton Unified School District in one or more of the five (5) areas as specified in AB 52:

Pupil Achievement

Financial Management

  • Internal Control Study
  • Multi-Year Projections (Five Years)
  • An analysis of any Internal and External Audits for Compliance
  • Management Information Systems
  • An analysis of Insurance Coverages

Facilities Management

  • Safety and Health
  • Five-Year Assessment of Capital Needs
  • Practicality of Funding Mechanisms, including Creative Funding Sources, as well as using General and Deferred Maintenance Funds
  • Long-Range Planning and Maintenance of Effort

Personnel Procedures

  • Safety and Health
  • Recruitment, Screening Assessment, and Hiring Procedures
  • Staff Development/Required and Desired (i.e., HIV, Mandated Child Abuse Reporting, etc., Office Procedures and Efficiency)
  • Monitoring Compliance Procedures (i.e., Evaluations, Assistance Plans, Credentials, TB Tests, etc.)

Community Relations

  • Board Policies, Responsibilities and Boardsmanship
  • Communication System (Students, Staff, Board and Community)
  • Community Collaboratives and Advisory Councils
    Campus Security

FCMAT submits that there are professional and legal standards expected to be met by all school districts. The successful applicant will be expected to assess these predetermined standards. FCMAT will provide the applicant with a list of standards; however, the applicant is not restricted to only those standards. It is anticipated and expected that the applicants provide as part of their proposal, additional professional and legal standards that will need to be tested. These additional standards shall be provided in a format similar to the attached sample assessment format. Professional and legal standards need to be separated.

B. Complete specified recovery plans for the Compton Unified School District in one or more of the five (5) areas as specified in AB 52:

Once the assessment on the standards has occurred, the applicant will be required to develop specified recovery plans in one or more of the areas assessed. The recovery plans must include a method by which FCMAT can measure whether substantial and sustained progress has been made in the five study areas. The recovery plan shall also adhere to the specifics of AB 52 as specified in Section 1 and 2 of the legislation.

C. The complete assessment and recovery plan shall be submitted to FCMAT by November 15, 1998.

D. Determine a baseline for purposes of measuring progress within each of the five assessment and recovery plan areas. Where is the Compton Unified School District in relationship to the predetermined professional and legal standards?

E. Provide special attention to the identification of safety and health standards and describe the steps that will be required by the applicant to assist Compton Unified School District in meeting those standards.

F. Describe how the applicant will engage the governing board, representatives of employee organizations of the district, and the community in the assessment and recovery plans as specified.

G. Include a description (including a timeline) of how the applicant will provide FCMAT with timely and comprehensive progress reports regarding the applicant's ability to meet the November 15, 1998, project deadline.

H. Provide a listing of staff, both primary and secondary, that will be assigned to the project, and a summary of their qualifications. Specify the point person or supervisor of the project.

I. Develop a line item budget depicting the cost of the project. Keep detailed documentation of all costs incurred in providing the services requested in this RFA. These documents will be requested.

J. Cooperate and communicate with FCMAT, the State Administrator, the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), the district, legislature, and any third party evaluator by providing information requested and prepare status reports to evaluate progress of the assessment and recovery plans. Meet with any above mentioned group upon request of FCMAT.

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IV. GENERAL APPLICATION INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include private and public consultants and agencies. The applicants shall demonstrate expertise, experience, and commitment in the area(s) selected for study. Applicants with an appreciation and understanding of inner- city urban school districts are encouraged to apply.

B. Contract Funding and Time Period

The legislature through AB 52 has appropriated funds from the General Fund to FCMAT for the purposes of conducting the assessments and completing the recovery plans specified in the bill.

This is a competitive application process. There is no guarantee that the submission of an application will result in funding or that funding will be allocated at the level requested.

It should be noted that the costs submitted in the application are critically important. Each applicant will be required to deliver a comprehensive assessment and recovery plan for the specified study area using the funds provided through the contract. No additional funds will be added to the contract once the contract is awarded.

It is anticipated that contracts will be awarded as early as April 1998 and throughout the calendar year.

C. Application Content

The application must include:

1. Executive Summary (5 pts.)

The Executive Summary must provide an overview of the applicant's capability of conducting the assessment and developing the recovery plan in the specified area.

2. How the Applicant will meet the goals of this RFA (50 pts.)

Each applicant is unique and will have individual approaches to meeting the goals of this RFA as identified in the Purpose section. The proposal must include an explanation of how the applicant will conduct the assessment and develop the recovery plan. This section must also include how the applicant will provide progress reports to FCMAT.

3. Listing of Standards (20 pts.)

The applicant will list the professional and legal standards for each of the specified study area(s) selected for assessment and recovery plans. The applicant is not limited to the professional and legal standards listed in the section labeled "Standards," but as a minimum must include those standards listed.

4. Applicant's Capability/Project Staffing (10 pts.)

The application must provide evidence that the applicant's staff has sufficient experience to conduct assessments and recovery plans in the specified areas. A listing of all staff members to be assigned to the project, their area of expertise, their area assignment, and a brief summary of their qualifications is requested for this RFA. Strong management capability is established through descriptions of previous experience in conducting similar projects. The project manager(s) and key project personnel must be identified. Applicants are responsible for the entire assessment and recovery plans in each study area. It is understood that the applicant may need to subcontract for certain sub-components as a result of this requirement.

5. Scope of Work and Projected Timeline (10 pts.)

Applications should describe in narrative format the scope of work and activities that would support the accomplishments of each goal referred to in the Purpose section of this RFA. Additionally, an estimated timeline for completing the assessment and developing the recovery plan is required. All significant milestones and tasks which must be carried out should be included in this section. The general work plan should include the person(s) responsible for each activity and the date for the completion of each activity.

Consistent with the requirements outlined in the authorizing legislation AB 52, the applicant should:

6. Budget and Budget Justification (5 pts.)

Applicants shall submit a budget and a budget justification which identifies costs associated with conducting assessment and developing recovery plans.

7. Tentative Time Schedule

RFA Published February 4, 1998
Bidders' Conference
(Los Angeles COE)
Second Floor, Room 287
9300 Imperial Hwy
Downey 90242-2890		 February 19, 1998
10 am - noon
Bidders' Conference
(Senator Hotel, Sacramento)
Building Conference Room
1121 L Street
Sacramento 95814		 February 23, 1998
10 am - noon
Letters of Intent Due (Advisory Only) February 27, 1998
*Applications Due April 1, 1998
*FCMAT reserves the right to accept applications after the deadline.
Applications Read Within one (1) week of receipt
RFA Successful Bidders Announced After April 1, 1998, until all awards have been made. Status reports will be available within two (2) weeks of receipt.
Projects Begin Upon approval (subject to coordination with other applications)
Assessment and Recovery Plan Due to FCMAT Nov. 16, 1998

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8. Letter of Intent

An individual or agency that intends to submit an application in response to this RFA should submit a letter of intent by February 13, 1998. This is necessary to assure each interested applicant's receipt of any RFA changes or pertinent correspondence. Failure to submit a letter of intent by the deadline date will not disqualify the application.

The letter of intent shall be submitted on letterhead and state:

A. The name of the individual or agency which will provide services.

B. The name, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of the individual or agency contact person.

The letter of intent must be mailed to:

Thomas E. Henry, CAO
Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team
1300 17th Street - City Centre
Bakersfield, CA 93301-4533

9. Submission of the Application

A. One (1) signed original application, marked "original," and five (5) copies must be received in the FCMAT office by 5 p.m. on April 1, 1998. Incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. Applicants are advised to use express, certified or registered mail, or to hand deliver applications. Transmission by electronic mail (modem) or facsimile (fax) is not acceptable. Send completed applications to:

Thomas E. Henry, CAO
Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team
1300 17th Street - City Centre
Bakersfield, CA 93301-4533

B. Separate applications should be submitted for each of the five specified study areas.

C. FCMAT reserves the right to reject any or all applications and may waive any immaterial deviation in any application. FCMAT's waiver of any immaterial defect shall not excuse the contractor from full compliance with the contract terms, if a contract is awarded.

10. Withdrawal of the Application

An application may be withdrawn at any time prior to the "RFA Submitted" deadline date/time specified above, provided that a request in writing is submitted by the applicant or his/her duly authorized representative for withdrawal of such application. The withdrawal letter shall be delivered to FCMAT prior to the scheduled closing time for receipt of applications.

11. Cost of Preparing an Application

The costs of preparing and delivering the application shall be the sole responsibility of the applicant. FCMAT shall not provide reimbursement for such costs.

12. Clarification of the RFA

Any prospective applicant needing clarification on this RFA should contact:

Thomas E. Henry, CAO
or Christine L. Frazier, FCMAT Regional Director
Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team
(805) 636-4308

13. Contract Award Process

The award of a contract will be based upon a review and selection process. A Notice of Intent to Award identifying the proposed contractors will be posted on the FCMAT web page. The successful applicants will also be notified by telephone and mail.

14. Application Evaluation Criteria

1. Executive Summary (5 pts.)
2. Assessment/Recovery Plan/Progress Report proposal (50 pts.)
3. Standards (20 pts.)
4. Applicant's Capability/Project Staffing (10 pts.)
5. Scope of Work/Projected Timeline (10 pts.)
6. Budget/Budget Justification (5 pts.)

V. TERMS OF THE CONTRACT

A. Contract Term

The contracts are anticipated to begin as early as April 15, 1998. Awards will be awarded after April 1, 1998, until all awards have been made. The actual starting date of the contract is contingent upon approval of the agreement by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team.

B. Compensation

Payments will be made in arrears on a monthly basis upon receipt of a budget line item invoice, and a progress report of activities performed during the invoice period.

C. Evaluation

All projects are subject to external evaluations, which may include various types of surveys, on-site visitations, and interviews.

D. Assessment and Recovery Plan

The assessment and recovery plan developed by the applicant will be considered a public document.

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VI. SELECTION PROCESS

Each application will be reviewed to determine whether the applicant is responsive to the requirements and goals of the RFA. FCMAT reserves the right to reject any or all applications. Applications that meet the requirements will be reviewed by a FCMAT panel which will rate the applications on the criteria listed, which is enumerated on Pages 3-4, C-I, and Pages 5-8, C 1-8. Applications will be reviewed upon their adequacy, and applicants will be reviewed on their ability to complete the project.

FCMAT reserves the right to perform any portion of the project using consultants.

PROPOSAL RESPONSE SHEET

Implementation of AB 52
(Assessments and Recovery Plans)
for the Compton Unified School District

Please review the attached request for application. Furnish the information requested below and return this page by the earliest practicable date. Your expression of intent is not binding, but will greatly assist FCMAT in planning for proposal evaluation.

 ______  Do Intend to Submit a Proposal
 ______  Do Not Intend to Submit a Proposal for the Following Reasons:
 ________________________________
 ________________________________
 ________________________________
 ________________________________

 

Company/Institution Name and Address:________________________________

Authorized Signature:_______________________________________________

Typed Name and Title:______________________________________________

Contact Person (if different): __________________________________________

Telephone Number:_________________________________________________

Fax Number and E-Mail Address:______________________________________

Date:_______________________

Please return to:

Thomas E. Henry, CAO
Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT)
1300 17th Street - City Centre
Bakersfield, CA 93301-4533

Telephone: (805) 636-4308
E-Mail: thenry@marin.k12.ca.us
Fax: (805) 636-4647

Sample Assessment Documentation Format

Date
Source(s) and
Documentation
Health
&
Safety Issues
Project
Leader
Standard
Implemented
Fully
Partially
Not
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

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