**Attachment A**

**Statement of Work for the National Institute for Literacy**

## Technical Assistance for the Gathering of Information 

## on Adult & Adolescent Literacy Research Studies

## Solicitation Number: ED-07-R-0104

# 

# [I. Background]{.smallcaps}

The National Institute for Literacy was established to ensure that
literacy would have a place on the federal policy agenda and to
invigorate a national effort to improve adult literacy. Its primary
activities to strengthen literacy across the lifespan are authorized by
the U.S. Congress under two laws, the Adult Education and Family
Literacy Act (AEFLA) in the Workforce Investment Act and the No Child
Left Behind Act (NCLB). The AEFLA directs the Institute to provide
national leadership regarding literacy, coordinate literacy services and
policy, and serve as a national resource for adult education and
literacy programs. The NCLB law directs the Institute to disseminate
information on scientifically based reading research pertaining to
children, youth, and adults as well as information about development and
implementation of classroom reading programs based on the research.

The Institute's authorizing laws organize its activities into four
general areas: program improvement; policy and technical assistance;
information dissemination, including dissemination of scientifically
based reading research and effective reading programs based on
scientific research; and coordination of research support. To carry out
these duties, the Institute has concentrated its efforts on projects
that could bring about significant improvement across the adult
education system and enhance the use of findings from scientific
research in reading instruction for all ages. Together, the Institute's
authorizing laws reinforce a focus on disseminating critical information
on reading across the lifespan while allowing the Institute to address
broader challenges associated with improving the effectiveness of the
adult literacy service delivery system.

The Institute is a preparing a comprehensive effort called the Literacy
Research Initiative (LRI) that will gather and highlight research and
research-based materials on reading, writing, math and other areas on
its website. The LRI will describe the findings of research studies and
note reports and journal articles connected to the studies. In addition,
there will be citations of published materials, links to abstracts of
studies, and ancillary materials generated through some of the studies.
The Institute envisions that the LRI will bring together information on
federally and non-federally funded research, including evaluation
research on literacy and basic skills to create a comprehensive picture
of the knowledge base on literacy.

# 

# 

# 

# [II. Purpose of the Acquisition]{.smallcaps}

The Institute seeks a contractor to gather and write up information on
federally and non-federally funded adult and adolescent research studies
on literacy, basic skills, and evaluation research to post on the LRI.
The first phase of this project will focus on the development of a
template that will organize the information to be gathered as well as
gathering information on reading, writing, math, and evaluation research
from such agencies as the Department of Labor, National Science
Foundation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and
other agencies across the government.

#  [Scope of Work]{.smallcaps}

The contractor shall perform the following tasks and submit associated
deliverables listed below.

Task 1: Participate in a post-award meeting with Institute staff.

1.  The contractor shall attend a post-award meeting at the Institute's
    offices in Washington, DC within 10 business days of the contract
    award to discuss contract tasks, timeline, and answer questions.

2.  The contractor shall provide a written summary of the post-award
    meeting to Institute staff no later than 5 days after the conclusion
    of the post award meeting (see performance schedule) to be submitted
    via electronic mail.

Task 2: Develop a template for the information to be collected and
described on the LRI.

2.1 The contractor shall draft a template for use in collecting and
displaying

> information for the LRI database and submit to the Institute for
> comments. The template shall include all possible forms of information
> including text describing:
>
> a\. Research and evaluation projects
>
> b\. Citations
>
> c\. Ancillary research materials
>
> d\. Links to sources
>
> e\. Background papers
>
> f\. Book chapters
>
> g\. Journal articles with links to online abstracts
>
> The template shall include public and private fields. The private
> field will contain background information such as contact information,
> press submission dates, etc for contractor and Institute use only.

2.2 The contractor shall submit revised draft template in response to
Institute

comments and resubmit to Institute.

2.3 The contractor shall submit revised draft template in response to
Institute

comments.

2.4 Submit final template.

2.5 The contractor shall work with the Institute's technical contractor
to test and validate the online form to ensure that the database
functions effectively.

Task 3: Develop a work plan

1.  The contractor shall prepare a work plan for that identifies the
    methodology for gathering the information required to fill out the
    approved template developed in Task 2 and submit it to the Institute
    for review and comment.

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a.  The work plan should prioritize in the following order:

    1.  Adult reading research.

    2.  Adolescent reading research.

    3.  Other federally funded adult and adolescent research on reading,
        writing, and math.

    4.  Federally funded evaluation research for adult literacy and
        adolescent literacy.

    5.  Non-governmentally funded adult and adolescent research on
        reading, writing, math and evaluation research.

    ```{=html}
    <!-- -->
    ```
    1.  The contractor shall revise the work plan in response to
        Institute comments.

    2.  Submit the work plan for final Institute approval.

Task 4. Collect information as described in the approved Work Plan
developed in Task 3.

1.  The contractor shall gather information to populate the online
    database.

2.  Enter information collected into the online database for Institute
    review.

3.  Revise text for approval based on Institute comments.

4.  Submit final text online.

**Task 5: In Press Submissions**

5.1 The contactor shall keep track of all in press submissions so that
these may be posted

as soon as the information is published and submit a periodic report
monthly listing

the in press submissions.

# 

# Task 6: Progress Reports 

6.1 The contractor shall submit monthly progress reports that will
include, at minimum, the following: status of work, problems
encountered, corrective action(s) taken, etc.

# IV. Optional Tasks

The contractor shall:

**Task 7: Gather literacy research information on reading, writing,
math, and evaluation research from non-federal agencies and
organizations.**

1.  The contractor shall gather information to populate the online
    database.

2.  Enter information collected into the online database for Institute
    review.

3.  Revise text for approval based on Institute comments.

7.4 Submit final text online.

**Task 8: Continue to update information collected in Task 4 on a
monthly-basis for one additional year.**

8.1 The contractor shall gather information to populate the online
database.

8.2 Enter information collected into the online database for Institute
review.

8.3 Revise text for approval based on Institute comments.

8.4 Submit final text online.

**Task 9: Continue monthly in press submission reports for Task 5 for
one additional year.**

9.1 The contactor shall keep track of all in press submissions so that
these may be posted

as soon as the information is published and submit a periodic report
monthly listing

the in press submissions.

**Task 10: Continue monthly progress reports for Task 6 for one
additional year.**

6.1 The contractor shall submit monthly progress reports that will
include, at minimum, the following: status of work, problems
encountered, corrective action(s) taken, etc.

### V. Government Furnished Materials {#v.-government-furnished-materials .unnumbered}

### For more information:  {#for-more-information .unnumbered}

### Adult Literacy Research Consortium (Network): [**http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/nat_research.html**](http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/nat_research.html)  {#adult-literacy-research-consortium-network-httpwww.nifl.govniflnat_research.html .unnumbered}

**Adolescent Literacy Research Consortium (Network):**
<http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/hs/adollit_pg3.html>

In addition, the Institute will provide contact information for the
researchers listed for the adult literacy and adolescent literacy
federally funded research grants referenced above in the online links at
the post-award meeting.

Research Agenda Themes Document

Scan of Foundation and Non-Governmental Organizations (supporting
document to the Research Agenda Themes Document)

### VI. Schedule of Deliverables {#vi.-schedule-of-deliverables .unnumbered}

  --------------- -------------------------------- -----------------------
  **TASK**        **DELIVERABLE**                  **DUE DATE**

  Task 1          Post Award Meeting Notes         Within 5 days of the
                                                   Post Award Meeting

  Task 2.1        Submit Draft Template            October 15, 2007

  Task 2.2        Submit Revised Template          October 29, 2007

  Task 2.3        Submit Revised Template          November 9, 2007

  Task 2.4        Final Template                   November 21, 2007

  Task 3.1        Draft Work Plan                  October 15, 2007

  Task 3.2        Revise Work Plan                 October 24, 2007

  Task 3.3        Final Work Plan                  November 13, 2007

  Task 4.2        Submit text for Institute Review Monthly

  Task 4.3        Revise text                      Monthly

  Task 4.4        Submit final text online         Monthly

  Task 5          In Press Submissions             Monthly

  Task 6          Progress Reports                 Monthly

  Optional Task 7 Submit text for Institute Review Monthly

  Optional Task 8 Continue with Task 4             Monthly

  Optional Task 9 Continue with Task 5             Monthly

  Optional Task   Continue with Task 6             Monthly
  10                                               
  --------------- -------------------------------- -----------------------

### VII. Performance Period {#vii.-performance-period .unnumbered}

The performance period for this contract shall be twelve months from the
time of contract award -- September 2007 to September 30, 2008. Optional
year --October 2008 to September 2009.