Developing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for Interim Assessments that Include All Students - NCEO Report 445

Oct 15, 2026

Resource for state and district assessment staff designing requests for proposals (RFPs) for interim assessments that include all students, including learners needing accessibility features and students who may require alternate assessment due to significant cognitive disabilities. Draws on a 2021 review finding existing interim assessments do not meet AA-AAAS needs. Provides example RFP language derived from actual state RFPs, addressing requirements under IDEA and Section 504. Includes guidance on accessibility features, alignment, assistive technology, field testing, training, and item sensitivity to help procure workable solutions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Introduction

Method

Findings

AA-AAAS

Accessibility Features

Accessibility Feature Guidance

Alignment

Assistive Technology

Field Testing

Implementation Training and Support

Item Sensitivity and Bias

Developing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for Interim Assessments that Include All Students NCEO Report 445 NCEO Report 445 Developing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for Interim Assessments that Include All Students Wesley Bruce January 2025 All rights reserved. Any or all portions ofthis document may be reproduced and distributed without prior permission, provided the source is cited as: Bruce, W. (2025). Developing requests for proposals (RFPs) for interim assessments that include all students (NCEO Report 445) . National Center on Educational Outcomes. The Center is supported through a Cooperative Agreement (\#H326G210002) with the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. The Center is affiliated with the Institute on Community Integration at the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. Consistent with EDGAR §75.62, the contents of this report were developed under the Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, but do not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the U.S. Department of Education or Offices within it. Readers should not assume endorsement by the federal government. Project Officer: David Egnor In collaboration with: NCEO Core Staff Andrew R. Hinkle, Co-Director Kristi K. Liu, Co-Director Jessica Bowman Gail Ghere Linda Goldstone Michael L. Moore Darrell Peterson Mari Quanbeck Virginia A. Ressa Kathy Strunk Yi-Chen Wu National Center on Educational Outcomes University of Minnesota 2025 East River Parkway, Room 1-330 • Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone 612/626-1530 [http://www.nceo.info](http://www.nceo.info) The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. This document is available in alternative formats upon request. ~~Executive Summary ~~ This report provides a resource for state and district assessment staff as they develop requests for proposals (RFPs) for interim assessments 1 for all of their students, including those who require accessibility features, to demonstrate their knowledge and skills as well as those who may need an alternate assessment because of their significant cognitive disability. In 2021 areview by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) and the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment (NCIEA) identified a range of concerns with existing interim assessments and found that none of the available interim assessments met the needs of students who require alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) (Boyer & Landl, 2021) . This report provides ideas for ensuring that bids for interim assessments address the needs of all students, including students with disabilities and English learners. This is not a trivial undertaking for states and districts because the assessment requirements of both the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) must be addressed. For example, IDEA requires the inclusion of all students with disabilities in all state-and district-wide assessment administrations. Section 504 prohibits the discrimination of public school students with disabilities and ensures equal opportunity regardless of disability. States’ procurement practices, assessment policies, and internal capacities vary widely, so we deliberately presented a range of example language that might be used in a request for proposal (RFP) . The example language was derived from actual state RFPs. States should factor in the costs (both time and financial) associated with the different approaches and select a path that best meets their assessment needs and the

FAQs

What purpose does this report serve for state and district assessment teams?

It supports assessment staff as they develop RFPs for interim assessments that include all students, including those needing accessibility features and those who may require alternate assessment for significant cognitive disability.

Why is designing RFPs for interim assessments considered challenging?

Because assessment requirements for students with disabilities and related protections must be addressed under both IDEA and Section 504, and procurement approaches and internal capacities vary widely across states and districts.

What kinds of issues does the report’s example RFP language help address?

It helps ensure bids reflect the needs of all students, including accessibility and AA-AAAS requirements, and it covers considerations such as alignment, assistive technology, field testing, implementation training, and item sensitivity and bias.

Oct 15, 2026

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