Department of Defense Education Activity, Hqs, Procurement Div, 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, 8th Floor, Arlington, Va 22203

B -- EVALUATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DOMESTIC DEPENDANT ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS (DDESS) PILOT CONSOLIDATION OF ADMINSTRATIVE AND SUPPORT FUNCTIONS CONDUCTED IN AL, SC AND VA. POC POC: David Taybron, (703)696-3843, ext. 1412 The mission of the Department of Defense Domestic Dependant Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS)is to provide a free public education for children residing on Federal property. The authorization to provide this education is Slimited to areas where State or local funds may not be expended for these children or where no local educational agency is able to provide suitable free public education for such children. Currently DDESS is orgainized into 13 districts and operates 67 schools on 18 military installations in seven (7) states and Puerto Rico. During the 1996-97 school year, a pilot program involving the consolidation of functions was conducted in three states; Virginia (Quatico, Dahlgreen), South Carolina (Fort Jackson, Laurel Bay) and Alabama (Maxwell and Fort Rucker). This procurement's primary focus consists of review and study of this consolidation. The contractor shall conduct studies of DDESS System collecting and compiling information regarding the consolidation of functions in the 3 pilot states. In conducting these studies, the contractor shall coordinate their efforts with the DDESS Headquaters and the three superintendents of the three state pilot programs. The contactor shall first design a management plan and a study plan that addresses the development of the needed data collection instruments and pre-test of these instruments. The contractor shall compile information for the data collection from meetings with primary sources such as DDESS headquaters staff; the various stakeholders in the 3 state pilots to include: school board members, superintendents, installation commanders, parents, certified and non-certified staff, unions, and parent organizations representing parents with students enrolled in the DDESS. The evaluation design is to address three majot aspects: (1)the School District Consolidation; (2)School Board Issues; (3) the replication of the consolidation of functions to other states as specified under the Contract Scope and Objectives. The objectives of the project are to: (1) collect and analyze data and information from a variety of sources regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of the state consolidation pilot, to include the opinions of stakeholders; and (2)identify the factors to be considered in determining the appropriateness of replicating the consolidation of functions in other sttates. The outcomes will be presented orally, and in writing, to the Special Assisant to DDESS. The complete scope and depth, the deliverables and the timetable of the study to be performed can be obtained by contacting at the DOD Education Activity, Procurement Division, ATTN: David Taybron at (703)696-3845, ext. 1412. See Notes 1, 25 and 26. (0202)

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