Request for Proposals: Alaska Family Engagement Center Implementation Support

Posted on

February 5, 2025

Summary:

The Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) is seeking an independent contractor to support the implementation of the Alaska State Family Engagement Center goals and strategies.

Background:

The Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB), the State of Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), and more than 30 partners comprise the Alaska Family Engagement Center (AFEC). We work with community, state, local education agencies, student, tribal, and family partners to build capacity for effective school/family partnerships that support equity, student opportunities and achievement, and students’ and families’ social and emotional needs. Program resources will be dedicated specifically to meet the needs of nearly 60,000 predominantly rural or Alaska Native students and families. 

In addition to the statewide capacity-building activities, thirteen school districts signed on to access professional learning and support from AASB and the AFEC. Participating schools will also provide evidence-based programming to families. Logic model and more project information can be provided upon request.

Key Deliverables:

  • Training & Facilitation: Work with the Alaska Family Engagement Center and Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to co-create and deliver a half-day professional development opportunity to assist schools in embedding family engagement tools and strategies in their school improvement plan and implementation process. Related resources, including guided notes, readings, and evaluations aligned with the Empowerment Process (outlined in the Empowerment Playbook) and the Alaska Family Engagement Center’s School Family Partnership Framework. This event is scheduled for May 1, 2025.  
  • Keynote Speaker & Conference Sessions: Motivate an audience of up to 1,400 people at the Alaska Reading Symposium to make evidence-based family engagement a key strategy in the effort to improve Alaska’s reading outcomes. Work with the Alaska Family Engagement Centers and DEED to design a keynote speech and break out sessions that build on the dual capacity framework, Alaska’s family school partnership framework, and promising practices from Alaska’s schools. This event is scheduled for May 2-4, 2025. 
  • Family & Staff Handbook: Create a handbook template for school-based pre-Kindergarten programs that is aligned with the early learning standards and best practices as outlined in the Alaska Reads Act. The handbook will outline policies and practices for school district pre-K programs and should weave in best practices for early learning, dual capacity family engagement principals, and should be culturally relevant to Alaska’s unique context. The handbook could also serve as an exemplar for schools to use at other grade levels and should emphasize steps for welcoming families and helping them and their students transition to kindergarten.

  • Coaching: Work with the AFEC team to design a coaching and professional development plan for AFEC staff to improve the delivery of services to partner school districts. Outcomes include the development of strategies to move school districts further along on the continuum of family engagement, identifying resource gaps and developing strategies to assist school districts in implementing evidence-based family engagement practices. This may entail 10 one hour-long bi-weekly coaching sessions or similar. 
  • Development of additional tools and training related to evidence-based family engagement strategies may be added to the scope of work for an additional fee as mutually agreed upon by AFEC and the contractor.

Submission Guidelines

Interested contractors should submit:

  • A detailed and concise proposal including scope of work, process for co-creating resources and trainings, timeline, and budget (anticipated to be around $40,000) 
  • Resumes of proposed project personnel
  • Example products and a summary of experience.

All proposals should be submitted no later than February, 18th  2025, at 5pm Alaska Time via the online submission form: Airtable Submission Form. Proposals should be titled: AFEC Implementation Support   

Timeline:

  • Responses to any questions will be posted at aasb.org by Wednesday, February 12, 2025
  • Proposals due by Wedensday, February 19 at 5pm Alaska time
  • Award notification or request for additional information by Friday, February 21  
  • Develop a contract, agreed upon scope of work and schedule by March 3 
  • All agreed-upon work completed by September 30, 2025 

Selection Criteria

A contractor will be selected based on the ability to meet RFP guidelines, ability to complete the tasks, cost and overall contractor experience with similar projects including alignment with the Stronger Together Alaska Family – School Partnership Framework.  

Contact Information

Contact Emily Ferry at eferry@aasb.org, (907) 723-6599 (cell) for more information.