Approval of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a Facilitator to Assist with the Planning and Preparation of a Long-Range Plan for Public Education

April 8, 2016

COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION

SUMMARY: The board will consider approving a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a facilitator who will help the board develop a process for creating a Long-Range Plan for Education. The facilitator may also help the board develop the long-range plan and related activities. The board may vote on a process for reviewing any submitted RFQ.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §7.102(c)(1).

PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The board in April 2015 approved a process for developing a new long-range plan for public education. That plan included approving a RFQ, which seeks an outside facilitator to oversee the development process. That planning effort did not move forward due to lack of funding. However, funding up to $50,000 for the initial planning phase is now available from the Meadows Foundation of Dallas and the Texas Education Agency.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: A special committee of the board called the Ad Hoc Committee on the Long-Range Plan for Public Education began examining the need for a new long-range plan and agreed that a new plan should be created. The last long-range plan expired in 2006. The Ad Hoc Committee produced, and the board approved, a list of findings and recommendations as detailed in Attachment I. The committee recommended hiring an outside facilitator to oversee the development process.

With the current funding now available, a board member has recommended that the project be divided into two phases. Phase I would include issuing a RFQ for a facilitator who would propose a process for creating the long-range plan. The board is likely to approve the RFQ at this meeting. The board, in a separate agenda item, will consider entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the commissioner of education, to review proposals submitted in response to the RFQ and to award the contract to a facilitator. If the board prefers to oversee the review of submitted proposals and the awarding of a contract itself, it will consider creating a review team under this agenda item. Under this scenario, the review team’s recommendation for award of the contract would come back before the board either during a specially called meeting or at the regularly scheduled July 19-22 board meeting.

Phase 2 of the project would involve the creation of the actual long-range plan. This work is expected to include stakeholder meetings held around the state.

FISCAL IMPACT: The Ad Hoc Committee initially estimated this project will cost about $150,000, which would cover the cost of the facilitator, regional meetings, preparation and publication of a final report. In a separate agenda item, the board will consider accepting a matching grant of up to $25,000 from the Meadows Foundation of Dallas. The Texas Education Agency has also budgeted $25,000 for the project. There may be additional costs in staff time or meeting costs for TEA and other entities, such as the regional Educational Service Centers or school districts that host stakeholder meetings.

PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: The public and students would benefit from a long-term strategy designed to provide high quality education to Texas children.

PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: This work will culminate in the creation of a new Long-Range Plan for Public Education.

PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.

OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: In separate agenda items at this meeting, the board will be asked to accept a donation or grant of up to $25,000 from the Meadows Foundation and consider entering into a MOU with the commissioner of education to review and award the RFQ.

Because the board on April 17, 2015 approved a RFQ for a facilitator, the board must clarify that the new RFQ supersedes that RFQ.

Staff Members Responsible:
Gene Acuna, Director
Division of Communications and SBOE Support

Debbie Ratcliffe, Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications and SBOE Support

Attachment:
I. Findings of the State Board of Education Ad Hoc Committee on the Long-Range Plan for Texas Public Education (PDF, 23KB)

Separate Exhibit:
RFQ for Facilitator Services for the State Board of Education Long-Range Plan for Texas Education