SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD             Form 1 of 2
               OMB SOLICITATION CLEARANCE NO.
 1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED ORDER UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 350) Rating:
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. CONTRACT NO.     3. SOLICITATION NO.       4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION
                        RFP 98-003
                                                  X
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. DATE ISSUED                      6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NO.
    June 19, 1997                       RN980020
_______________________________________________________________________________
7. ISSUED BY (Hand-carried Address)  8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)
    U.S. Department of Education
    Support Services Group
    GSA Building, Rm 3616, MS 4447                  (Same as Item 7)
    Seventh & D Streets, S.W.          ATTN: Michelle Ringo
    Washington, D.C.  20202
_______________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder".
_______________________________________________________________________________
                               SOLICITATION
 9. Sealed offers in original and   8 copies of the technical proposal,
    and original and   4 copies of the business proposal for furnishing
    the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the
    place specified in Item 8, or if handcarried, in the depository
    located in (See Item 7) until 2:00 p.m. local time on August 15, 1997.
    CAUTION - LATE submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals:  See
    Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-10.  All offers are
    subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.
_______________________________________________________________________________
10. FOR INFORMATION CALL:         A. NAME:  Michelle Ringo
    B. TELEPHONE NO. (Include area code) :  202/708-8283
       (NO COLLECT CALLS)
_______________________________________________________________________________
11. TABLE OF CONTENTS
    (X)   PART/SECTION   DESCRIPTION
          PART I   - THE SCHEDULE
    (X)              A   SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM
    (X)              B   SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS
    (X)              C   DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT
    (X)              D   PACKAGING AND MARKING
    (X)              E   INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE
    (X)              F   DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE
    (X)              G   CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA
    (X)              H   SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
          PART II  - CONTRACT CLAUSES
    (X)              I   CONTRACT CLAUSES
          PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS
    (X)              J   LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
          PART IV  - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS
    (X)              K   REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER
                         STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS
    (X)              L   INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS
                        M   EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD
_____________________________________________________________________________
                                                  EXCEPTION TO STANDARD FORM 33
                                                  APPROVED BY GSA/IRMS 5-87

                                         RFP 98-003
                      SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD
Form 2 of 2
                OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)
NOTE:  Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at
       52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.
_______________________________________________________________________________
12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is
    accepted within ______ calendar days (  90 calendar days unless
    a different period is inserted by the offeror) from the date for receipt
    of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices
    are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the
    designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.
_______________________________________________________________________________
13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT (See Section I, Clause No. 52.232-8)
    10 Calendar days 20 Calendar days 30 Calendar days __ Calendar days
    ______%            ______%            ______%         ______%
_______________________________________________________________________________
14. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS (The offeror acknowledges receipt of
    amendments to the SOLICITATION for offers and related documents
    numbered and dated:
    AMENDMENT NO.       DATE           AMENDMENT NO.       DATE
_______________________________________________________________________________
15A. NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR      16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON
AUTHORIZED
                                          TO SIGN OFFER (Type or Print)
15B. TELEPHONE NO. (Include Area Code) ______________________
15C. [ ] CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE. ENTER
SUCH
     ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.
_______________________________________________________________________________
17. SIGNATURE:                           18. OFFER DATE:
_______________________________________________________________________________
                   AWARD (To be completed by the Government)
19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED 20. AMOUNT 21. ACCOUNTING AND
APPROPRIATION
_______________________________________________________________________________
22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN  [      ] 10 U.S.C. 2304(C)(  )
    FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:      [      ] 41 U.S.C.  253(C)(  )
_______________________________________________________________________________
23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN ITEM ___________
    (4 copies unless otherwise specified)
_______________________________________________________________________________
24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7) 25.PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY
_______________________________________________________________________________
26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER  27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
28.AWARD DATE
    (Type or Print)                  (Signature of Contracting Officer)
_______________________________________________________________________________
IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26,
            or by other authorized official written notice.
_______________________________________________________________________________
                                   EXCEPTION TO STANDARD FORM 33
                                  "APPROVED BY GSA/IRMS 5-87

                              TABLE OF CONTENTS                         PAGE
SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS. . . . . . . . . . . .    1
   B.1   ESTIMATED COST AND FEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    1
         (INCREMENTALLY FUNDED CONTRACTS)
   B.2   INCENTIVE FEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    1
SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT. . . . . . . . . .    4
   C.1    SCOPE OF WORK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    4
          (ED 302-2) (FEBRUARY 1985)
SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   55
   D.1   SHIPMENT AND MARKING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   55
         (ED 303-1) (MAR 1986)
   D.2   PACKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   55
         (ED 303-4) (MAR 1986)
   D.3   F.O.B. DESTINATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   55
         (ED 303-2) (MAR 1986)
SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   56
   E.1   INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   56
         (ED 304-1) (FEB 1985)
SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   57
   F.1   PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   57
         (ED 305-5) (MARCH 1986)
   F.2   DELIVERABLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   57
         (ED 305-6) (MARCH 1986)
   F.3   REPORT OF CONSULTANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   57
         (ED 305-2) (MAR 1986)
   F.4    Monthly Progress Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   57
   F.5    Monthly Summary of Project Expenditures. . . . . . . . . . . .   57
   F.6    Contractor Interaction with Government . . . . . . . . . . . .   58
   F.7  NCES/ED REVIEW AND APPROVAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   58
   F.8  QUALITY CONTROL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   59
   F.9  SCHEDULE OF MILESTONES AND DELIVERABLES. . . . . . . . . . . . .   59
SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   63
   G.1   CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   63
         (ED 306-8) (FEB 1985)
   G.2   ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY.
. .   63
         (ED 306-2) (JAN 1989)
   G.3   INVOICE AND CONTRACT FINANCING REQUEST SUBMISSION . . . . . . .   63
         (ED 306-1) (MAR 1988)
   G.4   PROVISIONAL AND NEGOTIATED FINAL OVERHEAD RATES . . . . . . . .   64
         (ED 306-9) (OCT 1993)
SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   65
   H.1   PAYMENT OF PRINTING TO BE PERFORMED BY THE. . . . . . . . . . .   65
         GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
         (ED 307-8) (APR 1992)
   H.2   COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS APPLICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . .   65
         (ED 307-11) (JUNE 1992)
   H.3   ORDER OF PRECEDENCE (SOLICITATION). . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   65

                              TABLE OF CONTENTS                         PAGE
         (ED 307-1) (NOVEMBER 1986)
   H.4   DUAL COMPENSATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   65
         (ED 307-3) (MAR 1985)
   H.5   PAYMENT OF TRAVEL EXPENSES AND FEES FOR ED EMPLOYEES. . . . . .   66
         (ED 307-5) (MAR 1985)
   H.6   PROHIBITION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST INDIVIDUALS . . . . . . .   66
         WITH DISABILITIES (ED 301-20) (FEB 1995)
   H.7   REQUIRED SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION FOR. . . . . . . . . . . . .   66
         PAYMENT BY ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER
         (ED 307-30) (SEP 1996)
   H.8   MANDATORY INFORMATION FOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   67
         ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER PAYMENT
         (FAR 52.232-33) (AUG 1996)
   H.9   ACCESSIBILITY OF SOFTWARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   71
         ED 316-1 (APR 1997)
   H.10  PRIVACY ACT NOTIFICATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   72
         (FAR 52.224-1) (APRIL 1984)
   H.11  PRIVACY ACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   72
         (FAR 52.224-2) (APRIL 1984)
   H.12  ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. . . . . . . . . . . . . .   73
         (ED 307-17) (APR 1984)
   H.13  OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   74
         (FAR 52.217-8) (AUG 1989)
   H.14 KEY PERSONNEL DESIGNATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   74
          (ED 307-2)  (MARCH 1985)
   H.15 OPTION FOR INCREASED QUANTITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   74
PART II  - CONTRACT CLAUSES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   76
SECTION I  -  CONTRACT CLAUSES
   I.1   CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE-ALTERNATE I . . . . . . . . .   76
         (FAR 52.252-2) (JUN 1988)
   I.2   CLAUSES FOR A COST-PLUS-FIXED-FEE CONTRACT. . . . . . . . . . .   76
         (MATRIX-A) (FEB 1997)
   I.2.1   FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   76
           (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSES
   I.2.2    DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ACQUISTION REGULATION (EDAR) . . . .   81
            (48 CFR CHAPTER 34) CLAUSES
PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   82
      AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS
SECTION J -- LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
   J.1  LIST OF ATTACHMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   82
        (ED 309-1) (MARCH 1985)
   J.2  Documents Available for Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   82
PART IV, SECTION K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   83
REPRESENTATIONS,CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF THE
                    OFFEROR
   K.1   REPRESENTATION AUTHORITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   83
         (ED 310-1) (MARCH 1985)
   K.2   WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   83
         (FAR 52.204-5) (DEC 1996)
   K.3   PLACE OF PERFORMANCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   84
         (FAR 52.215-20) (APRIL 1984)

                              TABLE OF CONTENTS                         PAGE
   K.4   CERTIFICATION OF NONSEGREGATED FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . . .   84
         (FAR 52.222-21) (APRIL 1984)
   K.5   DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   85
         (FAR 52.223-6) (JAN 1997)
   K.6   CERTIFICATE OF CURRENT COST OR PRICING DATA . . . . . . . . . .   87
         (ED 310-5) (MARCH 1985)
   K.7   DUPLICATION OF COST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   88
         (ED 310-6) (MARCH 1985)
   K.8   EMPLOYER'S IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   88
         (ED 310-7) (MARCH 1985)
   K.9   CONTRACTOR IDENTIFICATION NUMBER - DATA . . . . . . . . . . . .   88
         UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBER
         (FAR 52.204-6) (DEC 1996)
   K.10  TYPE OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   89
         (FAR 52.215-6) (JULY 1987)
   K.11  AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATORS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   89
         (FAR 52.215-11) (APRIL 1984)
   K.12  APPROVAL OF ACCOUNTING SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   89
         (ED 310-9) (MARCH 1985)
   K.13  CERTIFICATION FOR INTENDED COMPLIANCE WITH. . . . . . . . . . .   90
         "LIMITATION OF COST" CLAUSE
         (ED 310-15) (APRIL 1984)
   K.14  GENERAL FINANCIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION. . . . . . . .   90
         (ED 310-10) (APRIL 1984)
   K.15  SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM REPRESENTATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . .   93
         (FAR 52.219-1) (JAN 1997)
   K.16  EQUAL LOW BIDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   95
         (FAR 52.219-2) (OCT 1995)
   K.17  PREVIOUS CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE REPORTS . . . . . . . . . . .   95
         (FAR 52.222-22) (APRIL 1984)
   K.18  AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMPLIANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   96
         (FAR 52.222-25) (APRIL 1984)
   K.19  CERTIFICATION OF TOXIC CHEMICAL RELEASE REPORTING . . . . . . .   96
         (FAR 52.223-13) (OCT 1996)
   K.20  POST EMPLOYMENT CONFLICT OF INTEREST. . . . . . . . . . . . . .   97
         (ED 310-16) (MARCH 1985)
   K.21  CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION,. . . . . . . . .   97
         PROPOSED DEBARMENT, AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITY
         MATTERS.  (FAR 52.209-5) (MAY 1989)
   K.22  TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   98
         (FAR 52.204-3) (SEPTEMBER 1989)
   K.23  CERTIFICATION AND DISCLOSURE REGARDING PAYMENTS . . . . . . . .   99
         TO INFLUENCE CERTAIN FEDERAL TRANSACTIONS
         (FAR 52.203-11) (APRIL 1991)
   K.24  ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. . . . . . . . . . . . . .  100
         CERTIFICATE -- MARKETING CONSULTANTS
         (FAR 52.209-7) (OCTOBER 1995)
   K.25  CANCELLATION, RESCISSION, AND RECOVERY OF FUNDS FOR . . . . . .  102
         ILLEGAL OR IMPROPER ACTIVITY
         (FAR 52.203-8) (JAN 1997)
   K.26  ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  103
         (EDAR 3452.209-70) (AUG 1987)
   K.27  REPRESENTATION OF LIMITED RIGHTS DATA AND RESTRICTED. . . . . .  103
         COMPUTER SOFTWARE
         (FAR 52.227-15) (JUNE 1987)

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   K.28  CLEAN AIR AND WATER CERTIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  104
         (FAR 52.223-1) (APRIL 1984)
   K.29   COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOTICES AND CERTIFICATION. . . . . .  104
          (52.230-1) (APR 1996)
SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES. . . . . . . . . . . .  109
                   TO OFFERORS
   L.1   TYPE OF CONTRACT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  109
         (ED 311-1) (MARCH 1986)
   L.2  INCREMENTAL FUNDING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  109
        (EDAR 3452.232-71) (AUG 1987)
   L.3   GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  109
         (ED 311-2) (FEB 1996)
   L.4   TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  111
         (ED 311-3) (MARCH 1986)
   L.5   PAST PERFORMANCE REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  120
         (ED 314-1) (MAR 1996)
   L.6   BUSINESS PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  122
         (ED 311-4A) (JUL 1996)
   L.7   REQUIREMENTS FOR COST OR PRICING DATA OR INFORMATION. . . . . .  124
         OTHER THAN COST OR PRICING DATA
         (FAR 52.215-41, ALTERNATE IV) (OCT 1995)
   L.8   SMALL, SMALL DISADVANTAGED AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS .
. .  125
         SUBCONTRACTING PLAN
         (FAR 52.219-9) (OCT 1995)
   L.9   PREAWARD ON-SITE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMPLIANCE REVIEW. . . . . .
130
         (FAR 52.222-24) (APRIL 1984)
   L.10  EXPLANATION TO PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  130
         (FAR 52.215-14) (APRIL 1984)
   L.11  LATE SUBMISSIONS, MODIFICATIONS, AND. . . . . . . . . . . . . .  130
         WITHDRAWALS OF PROPOSALS
         (FAR 52.215-10) (MAY 1997)
   L.12  FAILURE TO SUBMIT OFFER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  132
         (FAR 52.215-15) (MAY 1997)
   L.13  CONTRACT AWARD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  132
         (FAR 52.215-16) (OCT 1995)
   L.14  PROVISION FOR EVALUATION FACTOR AMENDMENTS. . . . . . . . . . .  133
         (ED 311-7) (MARCH 1986)
   L.15  APPLICATION OF PATENT RIGHTS CLAUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  133
         (ED 311-13) (MARCH 1987)
   L.16  FORMS CLEARANCE PROCESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  134
         (ED 311-5) (MARCH 1986)
   L.17  SERVICE OF PROTESTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  134
         (FAR 52.233-2) (AUG 1996)
   L.18  FACILITIES CAPITAL COST OF MONEY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  134
         (FAR 52.215-30) (SEPT 1987)
   L.19 REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  134
SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  136
   M.1   EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD (ALTERNATE I). . . . . . . . . . .  136
         (ED 312-2) (FEB 1996)
   1.  Quality and credibility of the General Approach and . . . . . . .  137
   Statement of Work (60 points) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  138
   2.  Qualifications, technical and managerial, and experience of . . .  138
   the proposed project director     (15 points) . . . . . . . . . . . .  138

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   3.  Soundness of the management plan and task/time commitments. . . .  138
   of staff (15 points). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  138
   4.  Qualifications of the project staff (15 points) . . . . . . . . .  138
   5.  Corporate expertise, capability, and oversight (5 points) . . . .  139
   M.2   EVALUATION OF OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  139
         (FAR 52.217-5) (JULY 1990)

                                         RFP 98-003
             SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS
     B.1   ESTIMATED COST AND FEE
           (INCREMENTALLY FUNDED CONTRACTS)
  (a) It is estimated that the total cost to the Government for full
 performance of this contract will be $______,
 of which the sum of $______ represents the target cost, the
 sum of $___________ represents the target fee, and the sum of
 $____________ represents the minimum incentive fee and $_______
 represents the maximum incentive fee (if any).
  (b) Total funds currently available for payment and allotted to
 this contract are $______, of which
  $______ represents the limitation for reimbursable
 costs and $______ represents the amount set aside for
 fee (if any).  Fee shall be determined based on the target fee plus
 the incentive fee calculation described in B.2 INCENTIVE FEE and
 the Incentive Fee Plan described at Attachment 1.  For further
 provisions on funding, see the Limitation of Funds
 clause.
  (c) If and when the contract is fully funded, as specified in
  paragraph (a) of this clause, the Limitation of Cost clause shall
  become applicable.
  (d) The Contracting Officer may allot additional funds to the
  contract without the concurrence of the Contractor.
   B.2   INCENTIVE FEE
              (FAR 52.216-10) (MAR 1997)
    (a) General. The Government shall pay the Contractor for
    performing this contract a fee determined as provided in this
    contract.
    (b) Target cost and target fee. The target cost and target fee
    specified in the Schedule are subject to adjustment if the
    contract is modified in accordance with paragraph (d) of this
    clause.
    (1) "Target cost," as used in this contract, means the estimated
    cost of this contract as initially negotiated, adjusted in
    accordance with paragraph (d) below.
    (2) "Target fee," as used in this contract, means the fee
    initially negotiated on the assumption that this contract would
    be performed for a cost equal to the estimated cost initially
    negotiated, adjusted in accordance with paragraph (d) of this
    clause.
                                Page 1 of 139

                                         RFP 98-003
    (c) Withholding of payment. Normally, the Government shall pay
    the fee to the Contractor as specified in the Schedule. However,
    when the Contracting Officer considers that performance or
    cost indicates that the Contractor will not achieve target, the
    Government shall pay on the basis of  an appropriate lesser fee.
    When the Contractor demonstrates that performance or cost clearly
    indicates that the Contractor will earn a fee significantly above
    the target fee, the Government may, at the sole discretion of the
    Contracting Officer, pay on the basis of an appropriate higher
    fee. After payment of 85 percent of the applicable fee, the
    Contracting Officer may withhold further payment of fee until a
    reserve is set aside in an amount that the Contracting Officer
    considers necessary to protect the Government's interest. This
    reserve shall not exceed 15 percent of the applicable fee or
    $100,000, whichever is less. The Contracting Officer shall
    release 75 percent of all fee withholds under this contract after
    receipt of the certified final indirect cost rate proposal
    covering the year of physical completion of this contract,
    provided the Contractor has satisfied all other contract terms
    and conditions,including the submission of the final patent and
    royalty reports, and is not delinquent in submitting final
    vouchers on prior years' settlements. The Contracting Officer may
    release up to 90 percent of the fee withholds under this contract
    based on the Contractor's past performance related to the
    submission and settlement of final indirect cost rate proposals.
    (d) Equitable adjustments. When the work under this contract is
    increased or decreased by a modification to this contract or when
    any equitable adjustment in the target cost is authorized under
    any other clause, equitable adjustments in the target cost,
    target fee, minimum fee, and maximum fee, as appropriate, shall
    be stated in a supplemental agreement to this contract.
    (e) Fee payable. (1) The fee payable under this contract shall be
    the target fee increased by two cents for every dollar that the
    total allowable cost is less than the target cost or decreased by
    two cents for every dollar that the total allowable cost exceeds
    the target cost. In no event shall the fee be greater than ten
    percent or less than zero percent of the target cost.
    (2) The fee shall be subject to adjustment, to the extent
    provided in paragraph (d) of this clause, and within the minimum
    and maximum fee limitations in paragraph (e)(1) of this clause,
    when the total allowable cost is increased or decreased as a
    consequence of (i) payments made under assignments or (ii) claims
    excepted from the release as required by paragraph (h)(2) of the
    Allowable Cost and Payment clause.
    (3) If this contract is terminated in its entirety, the portion
    of the target fee payable shall not be subject to an increase or
    decrease as provided in this paragraph. The termination shall be
    accomplished in accordance with other applicable clauses of this
    contract.
    (4) For the purpose of fee adjustment, "total allowable cost"
    shall not include allowable costs arising out of--
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    (i) Any of the causes covered by the Excusable Delays clause to
    the extent that they are beyond the control and without the fault
    or negligence of the Contractor or any subcontractor;
    (ii) The taking effect, after negotiating the target cost, of a
    statute, court decision, written ruling, or regulation that
    results in the Contractor's being required to pay or bear the
    burden of any tax or duty or rate increase in a tax or duty;
    (iii) Any direct cost attributed to the Contractor's involvement
    in litigation as required by the Contracting Officer pursuant to
    a clause of this contract, including furnishing evidence and
    information requested pursuant to the Notice and Assistance
    Regarding Patent and Copyright Infringement clause;
    (iv) The purchase and maintenance of additional insurance not in
    the target cost and required by the Contracting Officer, or
    claims for reimbursement for liabilities to third persons
    pursuant to the Insurance
    Liability to Third Persons clause;
    (v) Any claim, loss, or damage resulting from a risk for which
    the Contractor has been relieved of liability by the Government
    Property clause; or
    (vi) Any claim, loss, or damage resulting from a risk defined in
    the contract as unusually hazardous or as a nuclear risk and
    against which the Government has expressly agreed to indemnify
    the Contractor.
    (5) All other allowable costs are included in "total allowable
    cost" for fee adjustment in accordance with this paragraph (e),
    unless otherwise specifically provided in this contract.
    (f) Contract modification. The total allowable cost and the
    adjusted fee determined as provided in this clause shall be
    evidenced by a modification to this contract signed by the
    Contractor and Contracting Officer.
    (g) Inconsistencies. In the event of any language inconsistencies
    between this clause and provisioning documents or Government
    options under this contract, compensation for spare parts or
    other supplies and services ordered under such documents shall be
    determined in accordance with this clause.
                                    (End of clause)
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       SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT
     C.1    SCOPE OF WORK
            (ED 302-2) (FEBRUARY 1985)
 The contractor shall furnish all personnel, materials, services,
and facilities necessary to perform the requirements set forth in
the Statement of Work, below.  This shall also be done in
accordance with the specified General and Special Provisions, and
the contractor's final technical proposal, which shall be
incorporated by reference as a part of the contract.
    I.  INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
         A.  Purpose and Nature of the Procurement . . . . . . . . .
         B.  Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
              B.1   Enabling Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
              B.2   Early Childhood Longitudinal Studies Program . .
              B.3   The Need for National Data on Early Childhood  .
         C.  Key Study Areas and Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . .
         D.  NCES Study Design Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . .
              D.1   Past Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
              D.2   Current and Planned Activities . . . . . . . .
    II.  BIRTH COHORT STUDY DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
         A.  Target Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
         B.  Holistic Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
         C.  Study Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
         D.  Data Collection Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
         E.  Measuring Childrens Growth and Development . . . . .
         G.  Sampling Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
         H.  Methodological Inquiries and Data Quality . . . . . .
         I.   Optional Special Studies and Supplements . . . . . .
         J.   NCES/ED Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
         K.  Coordination with ECLS Kindergarten Cohort Study. . .
    III.  SCOPE OF WORK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
         A.  Overview of Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
         B.  Core Tasks to Be Performed. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
              Task 1.  Project Planning and General Management . .
              Task 2.  Technical Review Panel. . . . . . . . . . .
              Task 3.  Develop Survey Instruments and Procedures .
              Task 4.  Design and Select Sample. . . . . . . . . .
              Task 5.  Study Design Report . . . . . . . . . . . .
              Task 6.  IMT/OMB Clearance . . . . . . . . . . . . .
              Task 7.  Develop CATI/CAPI System. . . . . . . . . .
              Task 8.  Field Test of Survey Instruments and Procedures.
    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
              Task 9.  Hiring and Training CATI/CAPI Interviewers.
              Task 10.  Data Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
              Task  11.  Data File Preparation and Documentation .
              Task 12.  Data Analysis and Reporting. . . . . . . .
              Task 13. Methodology Report. . . . . . . . . . . . .
         C.  Optional Special Studies and Supplements. . . . . . .
              C.1  Oversample of American Indian Children. . . . .
              C.2  Children with Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . .
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              C.3  Food and Consumer Service . . . . . . . . . . .
              C.4  Home Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
              C.5  Father Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
    
                            I.  INTRODUCTION
    A.  Purpose and Nature of the Procurement
         The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the
    United States Department of Education (ED) requires a contract to
    1) design a national longitudinal study of children born
    JanuaryDecember, 1999 and 2) to conduct the base year, first and
    second followup waves of this study.  The birth cohort study is
    part of a two cohort Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS)
    program being developed by NCES.  The design and conduct of the
    second cohort studya kindergarten cohortis being developed and
    fielded separately and is not part of this RFP.
         The contractor for the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study,
    Birth Cohort Study (ECLS-B) will select a nationally representative
    sample of children at or shortly after birth and follow these
    children for about a six year period, or through the end of first
    grade.  The ECLS-B contractor will collect data that will be used
    by researchers to study a variety of questions relating to children
    and their families as they move from infancy to school and to
    inform policy regarding the care and education of the Nations
    children.
         This procurement involves 1) developing the overall design
    for the sample, data collection methodologies, and procedures for
    the ECLS-B; 2) developing and field testing the instruments and
    procedures that will be used during the base year, first and
    second followup waves; 3) conducting the base-year study, and the
    first and second followup waves of the study; and 4) processing
    the data and preparing it for public release.  The period of
    performance for the contract shall be 60 months.
         This procurement also contains several optional special
    studies and supplements.  These optional studies and supplements
    will be exercised at the discretion of the government. All
    optional special studies and supplements shall be completed
    within the 60 month period of performance.
    B.  Background
    B.1   Enabling Legislation
         The ECLS is being undertaken in compliance with the mandate
    stated in section 404 of the National Education Statistics Act of
    1994 (20 U.S.C. 9003):
         "The duties of the Center are to collect, and analyze and
         disseminate statistics and other information related to
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         education in the United States and in other nations,
         including ...conducting longitudinal studies, as well as
         regular and special surveys and data collections, necessary
         to report on the condition and progress of education...
    B.2  Early Childhood Longitudinal Studies Program
         The ECLS program is intended to provide information that
    will serve to inform policy regarding children, their families,
    schools, and early care and education.  The data collected by
    program and the information that is disseminated through reports
    prepared by NCES/ED and others will inform decision makers,
    educational practitioners, researchers, and parents about the
    ways in which children are prepared for school and how schools
    and early childhood programs affect the lives of the children who
    attend them.  The central goal of the ECLS program is to provide
    a comprehensive and reliable set of data that may be used to
    describe and to better understand childrens preparation for
    school; key transitions during the early and middle childhood
    years; childrens experience in early care and education
    programs, kindergarten, and the primary and elementary grades;
    and how their early experiences, both school/program and family,
    relate to their likelihood of succeeding in school.
         The ECLS program has adopted a framework which recognizes
    the importance of factors that capture the child's health status,
    social/emotional and intellectual development, and incorporates
    factors from the child's family, community, and school/program
    environments.  The design of the program is based on the
    assumption that children's preparation for school begins at
    birth and continues up to the point where they enter school for
    the first time.    Children's life experiences contribute not
    only to this important transition but to other critical
    transitions before and after children enter school.
         The ECLS program is comprised of two cohortsa birth cohort
    and a kindergarten cohort.  Together, these cohorts will provide
    the range and breadth of data required to more fully describe
    children's early learning and education experience.  The birth
    cohort study is being designed to study childrens early learning
    and development from birth through first grade.  It will focus on
    those characteristics of children, their families, and out-of-
    home experiences that influence childrens first experiences with
    the demands of formal school, i.e., kindergarten and first grade.
    The kindergarten cohort measures aspects of childrens
    development and their environments (home and school) as they
    enter school for the first time and examines how these influence
    their academic achievement and experiences through fifth grade.
    B.3   The Need for National Data on Early Childhood
         Education is receiving much public attention today.
    Parents, educators, and policymakers are being asked to
    reconsider the ways in which children are being educated in our
    nation's schools and to develop more effective approaches to
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    education.  Much of this attention on education is being focused
    on children's preparation for school and the early school years.
         A number of factors have contributed to the amount of
    attention being given to children's experience prior to school
    entry, their first encounters with formal schooling, and their
    experience during the early grades.  These include:  increased
    public awareness of the importance of children's early
    experiences, reinforced by the National Education Goal on school
    readiness; the changing nature of both children's preschool and
    early school experience; and more calls for schools to be more
    responsive to the backgrounds and experiences of the children
    they serve.
         Increased public awareness of early childhood issues has
    been accompanied by strong calls for greater, better, and more
    detailed data both at the national and state levels.  Many
    researchers and policy makers have pointed out that adequate
    information is not available on which to base many of the complex
    decisions the Nation faces concerning the care and education of
    our children.  What information is available is often fragmented,
    difficult to access, and of unknown reliability.  More and better
    data are needed to study children's life and education
    experiences.
         There is currently no study that follows a national sample
    of children from birth through the early formative years, and to
    school.  Few existing data bases permit the study of children's
    early learning experiences, their transition into school and
    their early school experience by race-ethnicity, gender, region,
    etc. Most research on children's early development and education
    has been conducted on small, often nonrepresentative samples of
    specific groups of children (e.g., disadvantaged inner city black
    children).  There are some notable exceptions, but most of these
    do not use national samples.
         The National Institute for Child Health and Human Develop is
    sponsoring a longitudinal study of 1,200 infants sampled from
    hospitals in 10 heterogeneous sites across the country.  Children
    were visited and observed in their homes at 1, 6, 15, and 36
    months and in child care settings at 6, 15, 24, and 36 months.
    The study also includes observations of the children and their
    mothers in a laboratory setting at 15, 24, and 36 months.
         The National Center for Health Statistics conducted a
    follow-back survey for a national sample of 11,000 mothers with
    live births in 1988.  The children were between 2  and 3 years
    old at the time of the follow-back data collection.  The study
    collected a wide range of data on children's health and
    development, child care, child safety, maternal health, maternal
    depression, medical care, accidents, hospitalizations, etc.
         The Bureau of Labor Statistics sponsored the National
    Longitudinal Survey of Youth - Child Supplement.  Interviews were
    conducted  regarding the children born to female participants in
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    the NLSY who were 14-21 years of age in 1979.  Individual child
    assessments were administered in the childs home and assessments
    of the childs home environment were obtained through
    questionnaire and observational methods.
         The Early Head Start Child Care Study sponsored by the
    Administration on Children, Youth, and Families is studying more
    than 3,000 children and families in 17 communities in 15 states.
    Child and family assessments are being administered at 14, 24,
    and 36 months .  Observations of child care settings and
    interviews with child care providers occur at the same three
    points in time.
         Another study approached childrens transition from school
    from a different perspective.  The National Transition Study
    sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education used a national
    sample of public schools to examine activities initiated by
    schools and preschool programs to ease childrens transition
    between programs from the school/program point of view.  No data
    were collected on or from the children who experience these
    transitions, and the study was not able to examine the impact of
    these transition activities on child outcomes.  However, it does
    provide useful and important information about how schools view
    this critical transition and the programs they offer children and
    their families.
    C.  Key Study Areas and Questions
         There is a vast array of issues and research questions
    pertaining to childrens early care and education that could be
    studied with a national birth cohort sample;  however, certain
    areas and questions have been identified as central to the study.
    The three key areas to be addressed by the ECLS are 1) school
    readiness;  2) children's transitions to nonparental care and
    education programs, kindergarten, and first grade; 3) the
    relationships between children's early care and education
    experiences and their growth and development in critical domains.
    Each of these areas and questions are described in more detail in
    the following sections.
    School Readiness
         Some children seem to adjust to their first encounter with
    formal school and are able to have a positive school experience
    while other children experience problems.  For most children, the
    first formal school experience is kindergarten.  However, the
    nature of this kindergarten experience is quite variable and the
    demands it places on the child differ across programs.
         The ECLS-B will examine children's preparation for formal
    schooling by studying different characteristics of children,
    their families, out-of-home care and educational experiences
    during the years prior to school that influence children's
    developmental status (social and emotional, cognitive and
    language, and physical) at school entry and whether or not they
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    have a positive experience in kindergarten and first grade.  The
    study is particularly interested in the role that parents/family
    play in helping prepare children for formal school and in the
    effects of childrens participation in early care and education
    arrangements.  Because the way in which children adjust to school
    and their early school success is influenced by the schools they
    attend, the proposed study will pay particular attention to how
    schools and kindergarten programs respond to the diverse
    backgrounds and experiences that children bring with them as they
    enter school for the first time.  At a minimum, the contractor
    shall address the following questions with its ECLS-B design:
             What background and cumulative experience do children
              bring to school?  What is the background and experience
              of children who exhibit varying levels of competence in
              the different developmental domains that define school
              readiness (e.g., social skills, literacy and numeracy,
              fine and gross motor development)?
             What actions do parents take to prepare their children
              for school?  What is the socioeconomic and cultural
              variation in these actions?  What is the relationship
              between parent behaviors and children's readiness for
              school?  Which behaviors seem to make a difference and
              which seem less important?
             What is the relationship between parents' attitudes and
              beliefs about their childrens abilities and their
              childrens development?  What is the relationship
              between parent beliefs about children in general and
              the way they learn and their own children's cognitive
              and social competence?
             To what extent do different early individual and family
              health/medical histories relate to children's readiness
              for school?
             Are those characteristics of children's early childhood
              care/education programs that are traditionally used to
              define "high quality" programs related to the different
              dimensions of school readiness?  Are these
              relationships the same for groups of children defined
              by such characteristics as race-ethnicity,
              socioeconomic status (SES), and family composition.
             Do children with different backgrounds and experiences
              enter schools that are responsive to their experiences?
              What role do schools and preschools play in easing the
              transition into kindergarten?  What is the relationship
              between the actions that schools and preschools take
              and a child's early experience with school?
    Transitions to out-of-home programs and school
         Children and adults are continually making transitions from
    one status to another.  Of particular interest to the proposed
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    program is the transition that occurs as young children go from
    being cared for exclusively by their parents to the care of other
    persons.  For some children, this transition may occur shortly
    after birth, while for others, their first significant experience
    with adults other than their parents in a regular care and
    educational setting may be when they enter school for the first
    time.  Other transitions of particular interest are the
    transition to a group-based early childhood program and from
    preschool to school.  Specific questions to be addressed include:
             When do children first make the transition from the
              exclusive care of their parents to the care of another
              person?  What are the characteristics of this care?
              What factors do parents consider when deciding to have
              part of their child's care be provided by someone other
              than them?
             What affect, if any, does the timing of this transition
              have on children and their families?  Do children who
              receive regular care from a nonparent have more
              difficulties than children who are cared for only by
              their parents?  Do the problems children experience
              vary by the type of care children receive or important
              characteristics of this care?
             How continuous is the supplemental care and education
              children receive from persons other than their parents?
              How often do children change care settings?  How
              consistent are the characteristics of the different
              settings?
             What problems do children and their families experience
              as a result of their child care arrangements?  Are
              these problems sporadic or continuous?  What
              characteristics of childrens child care arrangements
              are related to these problems?
             At what point do parents decide to place their
              preschool-age child in an early childhood program?
              What factors do parents consider in making this
              decision and in evaluating alternative programs?
             What is the nature and level of children's
              participation in early childhood programs?  What are
              the characteristics of the programs that children
              attend?
             What are the transition patterns of children as they
              move from preschool (or no school) to kindergarten?
              For example, what percentage of children go from full-
              time private nursery school programs to part-day public
              kindergarten programs?  What percentage of children go
              from a high quality and developmentally appropriate
              preschool program to a kindergarten program that
              emphasizes academic achievement?
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             How much movement occurs across (e.g., private to
              public) and within sectors during and between
              preschool, kindergarten and first grade?
             How do those children and families who change sectors
              compare with those who remain in the same sector?
             Do children who make these changes experience any
              particular types of problems?  How long do these
              problems persist?
    Children's Growth and Development
         The ECLS-B is especially interested in childrens
    development during the critical years before school.  A major
    goal of the study is to monitor children's growth and development
    during these years.  The proposed study seeks to understand
    better children's social and emotional, cognitive and language,
    and physical development as it relates to important influences in
    their lives.
         It is also generally acknowledged that the early experiences
    of children born in the 1990s are different from those of
    children born in previous decades.  Increasing numbers of young
    children have mothers in the labor force, live in poverty, live
    in single-parent households, have limited proficiency in English,
    have poor nutrition and receive inadequate health care.  These
    and other changes have contributed to the erosion of the economic
    and social capital available to children through their families
    and communities.
         In addition, large numbers of young children experience out-
    of-home care/education before they reach the age of compulsory
    school attendance, kindergarten attendance is nearly universal
    and the majority of primary school children have had at least one
    organized group experience (i.e., daycare center and/or nursery
    school) prior to starting first grade (West et al., 1992). For
    most children, then, first grade no longer represents their first
    encounter with school or with an organized group led by an
    unrelated adult.  However, the quality of these experiences is
    not the same for all children and the impact quality has on
    children's development and adjustment to school needs further
    study.
         In a recent review of the research literature on effects of
    child care on childrens well-being, Love, Schochet, and
    Meckstroth conclude that: 1) there is a positive relationship
    between the quality of childrens child care arrangements and
    their well-being, 2) classroom dynamics are more important than
    structure, 3) more research is needed to understand the combined
    and unique effects of quality and an array of family variables,
    and 4) the relationship between quality and child outcomes needs
    to be studied with designs that measure child outcomes before and
    after their participation in a care/education setting.  Many of
    the studies that have looked at child care and child well-being
    have measured the two at a single point in time.
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         Some of the specific questions the contractor shall address
    in the ECLS-B are:
             What are the levels and rates of cognitive growth
              (cognitive, social, and physical) over time for
              different groups of children?  What characteristics of
              children, their families, and their nonparental care
              providers are associated with different levels and
              rates of growth?
             Which groups of children seem to have more
              developmental difficulties and which groups seem to
              have fewer of these difficulties and more
              accomplishments?  What is the outlook for those
              children who have early difficulties as they enter
              school for the first time?  Are there strategies that
              help children with a history of developmental
              difficulties to succeed in kindergarten and first
              grade?
             Do children who change child care settings and early
              education programs many times experience any adverse
              effects not found among children who attend the same
              setting/arrangement for a continuous period?
             What are the characteristics of the early childhood
              programs attended by children who exhibit different
              levels and rates of cognitive growth?  How do they
              interact with characteristics of children and their
              families to affect childrens social and cognitive
              development?
             What effects does participation in different types of
              early care and education programs/arrangements have on
              children? Are the outcomes of participation the same
              for different groups of children defined by race-
              ethnicity, SES, and other characteristics of children
              and their families?
    D.  NCES Study Design Activities
    D.1  Past Activities
         Before deciding to launch this major new initiative, NCES
    initiated a series of activities directed toward first
    determining the need for a new longitudinal study of the
    education of young children and second identifying possible
    design parameters for such a study.  Between the fall of 1989 and
    the spring of 1991 NCES commissioned a number of papers from
    experts in the fields of child development, early childhood
    education, elementary education, child assessment, sampling, and
    research design.  These papers addressed a number of substantive
    and methodological issues associated with the design and conduct
    of a national longitudinal study of young children.  The
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    authors of these papers also attended meetings to discuss these
    issues further.
    D.2   Current and Planned Activities
         NCES/ED has several ECLS-B design activities that are either
    already underway or planned.   These activities are directed
    towards the design and implementation of the proposed study and
    are intended to help facilitate decisions about the ECLS-B design
    and to keep the project on schedule.
         NCES/ED is developing a content outline for the ECLS-B
    parent component.   It is also identifying a set of
    questionnaire items for inclusion in the first three waves of
    data collection when the focus is on infants and toddlers.  A
    copy of the draft content outline is available through the
    National Education Data Resource Center (NEDRC) .
         NCES/ED has identified and evaluated certain aspects of the
    different sampling approaches that are available for the ECLS-B.
    These include 1) a household sample, 2) a birth certificate
    sample, and 3) a hospital sample.  Draft materials from this
    activity are available through the National Education Data
    Resource Center.
         NCES intends to collaborate with other parts of the U.S.
    Department of Education (e.g., Office of Special Education
    Programs) and with other agencies to the greatest extent
    possible.  NCES staff will continue to work with representatives
    of relevant ED program offices and other Federal agencies both to
    keep them up-to-date on the progress of the ECLS-B and to solicit
    their participation in the study.
                     II.  BIRTH COHORT STUDY DESIGN
         While many decisions about the design of the Early Childhood
    Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) are yet to be made,
    NCES/ED has decided on a number of key features of the study.
    The contractor shall develop and implement a study design that
    incorporates these key features.
    A.  Target Population
         The target population of the ECLS-B shall be children born
    in the United States during calendar year 1999.  The contractor
    shall design a sample that can be used to support estimates of
    key characteristics of this population.
         One of the benefits arising from a national longitudinal
    study of children is that it can provide nationally
    representative data on a wide range of early learning experiences
    and environments.  Data on the experiences and environments of
    children from different groups in the population defined by race-
    ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and other characteristics
    (e.g., working status of the mother, family structure) can also
    be collected, leading to comparative analyses within and across
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    these different population groups.
    B.  Holistic Approach
         It is imperative that the different contexts in which
    learning occurs be examined in detail in order to improve our
    understanding of why some children adjust easily to school and
    appear to make critical transitions without much difficulty while
    others experience varying degrees of difficulty.   It is also
    important to examine childrens development across a number of
    critical cognitive and noncognitive domains.
         The contractor shall design the ECLS-B to capture data about
    the child's home, community, and child care and early childhood
    program environments. The ECLS-B contractor shall design the
    study to capture data about children's physical, social,
    emotional, language and cognitive development.
    C.  Study Components
         The emphasis that NCES/ED is placing on the whole child and
    the different environments in which learning occurs is critically
    important for the design of the ECLS-B.  The contractor shall use
    childrens parents as primary reporters throughout the life of
    the study.  At varying points in the life of the study, the
    contractor shall gather data directly from children, their child
    care and early education providers, and during later waves from
    their schools and teachers.
         Parents/Guardians
         The parents/guardians of children selected for participation
    in the ECLS-B will be the primary respondents over the life of
    the study.  Due to the young age of the children who will be
    participating in the ECLS-B, parents/guardians will act as proxy
    respondents for their children.  Furthermore, they are an
    important source of information on themselves and on their
    childrens early development, home environment, and neighborhood.
         Because the ECLS-B will rely on parents for so much data,
    the contractor shall conduct parent/guardian interviews at each
    wave of data collection.  The parent/guardian to be interviewed
    shall be the individual who is the most knowledgeable about the
    sampled childs care and education.  In most cases, this
    individual will be the childs mother.
         The participation of children in the ECLS-B and the level
    and quality of data that are collected about these children will
    depend on the cooperation and participation of the childrens
    parents/guardians.  Therefore, the initial interview with
    parents/guardians will be conducted in person.  Later interviews
    may be conducted in person or by telephone.  The contractor shall
    develop and implement a plan for collecting data from
    parents/guardians.  The contractors plan shall identify and
    justify the interviewing mode in terms of  the data collection
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    and analytic goals of the study and the need to control data
    collection costs.
         The contractor shall cover several important topical areas
    during the parent/guardian interviews.  The frequency at which
    information on characteristics in each area shall be collected
    depends on the stability of the characteristics.  In other words,
    some items may only need to be asked during the initial
    parent/guardian interview while others need to be asked during
    each interview or on some periodic basis.  The content to be
    covered in the parent/guardian interviews in the first three
    waves of the study includes the following:
        Family Structure
        Immigration Status
        Primary Language(s) Spoken and English Proficiency
        Child Care
        Child's Health and Well-Being
        Family Health Care and Nutritional Practices
        Child's Temperament, Language, and Cognitive Development
        Parental Values, Beliefs, and Expectations
        Home Environment, Activities, and Cognitive Stimulation
        Socioemotional Behaviors
        Neighborhood
        Parent Education
        Parent Employment
        Parent Income and Assets
        Welfare and Other Public Transfers
        Discipline, Warmth, and Emotional Support
        Parent's Psychological Well-Being and Health
        Social Support Networks
        Critical Family Processes
         Child.  A challenge facing the ECLS-B is when and how to
    involve children directly in the study.  Decisions about the
    amount, level, and type of data to be collected from children
    must take into account the ages of the children at the time of
    scheduled data collection.  All instruments and procedures used
    to gather information directly from children must be appropriate
    to their age-level.  Special care must be taken to limit any
    negative impacts associated with their participation.
         Beginning at age 2  - 3, children will be asked to
    participate directly  in activities designed to measure important
    domains of cognitive and noncognitive development.  Repeated
    measures for many of these characteristics will occur over the
    course of the study period so that change in these
    characteristics may be measured and related to important
    characteristics of children's home and out-of-home environments
    and child characteristics.
         The contractor shall develop and implement a plan for
    involving children directly in the ECLS-B.  The contractor shall
    administer a direct measure of childrens development only once
    during the first three waves of the ECLS-B.  Indirect measures of
    childrens development shall be a part of each data collection
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    wave.
         Child Care Providers and Teachers.
         An estimated 45 percent of children under age 1 receive some
    type of care and education on a regular basis from someone other
    than their parents/guardians. By age 4, an estimated 78 percent
    of children who are not yet attending kindergarten will receive
    supplemental care and education on a regular basis.  Before age
    2, a majority of this care and education is provided in a home
    setting and at age 2 supplemental care and education is evenly
    distributed between home and center-based programs.  Starting
    with 3-year-olds, most supplemental care and education is usually
    provided through center-based programs.
         Because having data on childrens care and education
    programs is central to answering many of the questions of major
    importance to the ECLS-B, the contractor shall capture a variety
    of data on childrens child care arrangements and education
    programs.  Some of these data can be collected from
    parents/guardians; however, much of the data that are needed to
    describe the structure and quality of childrens arrangements and
    programs and the background and experience of the providers
    cannot be reported validly by parents/guardians.  Therefore, the
    contractor shall collect certain of these data from the
    individuals and organizations who are providing care and
    educational services to children.   Contacting childrens care
    and education providers also opens up other data collection
    opportunities (e.g., using the childs provider as a source of
    information about the childs development).
         The contractor shall develop and implement a plan for
    collecting data on childrens child care and education
    arrangements. When developing its plan, the contractor shall
    carefully evaluate the need for such data, the quality of the
    data that can be provided by different sources (e.g., family day
    care providers, child care center directors), any baises
    associated with differential rates of nonresponse for these
    different sources, and the cost of collecting data from these
    different sources.  The contractor shall collect data on
    childrens child care and education arrangements from providers
    no more than twice during the first three waves of the ECLS-B.
    For children participating in multiple arrangements, the
    contractor shall develop a plan for choosing one of each childs
    arrangements and for collecting data from this arrangement.
         School and Teachers.  During later waves of data collection,
    information about the schools attended by children participating
    in the ECLS-B will be needed in order to address critical
    research questions.  School administrators will be asked to
    provide information on the physical and organizational
    characteristics of their schools, and on the schools' learning
    environment, educational philosophy and programs.
         As the ECLS-B children enter kindergarten and first grade,
    their kindergarten and first grade teachers become valuable
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    sources for information on children's most immediate school
    learning environment, i.e., the classroom.  Teachers also
    represent a source of information on the children's development,
    both cognitive and social.
         Although the contractor is not responsible for these later
    waves of data collection, the contractor shall take into account
    the need to collect these data later in the life of the study
    when developing the design of the study and the sampling plan.
    D.  Data Collection Schedule
         Because the first data collection point will be used to get
    baseline data on children at the point they enter the study and
    because much of the data collected will pertain to prenatal care,
    the child's birth, and the care of the mother and child during
    the first few months of life, it shall be collected within six
    months of the child's birth. Later waves of data collection shall
    be conducted annually.
         The exact timing of base-year data collection and that of
    later waves of the ECLS-B may be affected by other design
    decisions (e.g., choice of a sampling frame) and the analytic
    goals of the study (e.g., tying the data collection schedule to
    critical developmental milestones). Various operational
    considerations may also come into play, such as the merits of
    spreading data collection out over the year versus collecting
    data over shorter periods of time (e.g., quarterly, semi-
    annually).
         The contractor shall develop a schedule for collecting data
    and implement this schedule. When designing the annual waves of
    data collection for the ECLS-B, the contractor shall evaluate the
    intensity of data collection against 1) the needs of the study
    and 2) the need to manage respondent burden.  The contractors
    schedule shall clearly indicate when data will be collected for
    each of the study components (parents/guardians, child, and child
    care and education providers).
    E.  Measuring Childrens Growth and Development
         An essential component of the ECLS-B is the collection of
    data which describes the development of young children.  At a
    minimum, the data related to childrens developmental status at a
    given time and across time must take into account childrens
    health, physical abilities, social and emotional development, and
    cognitive and language abilities.  As with the ECLS-K assessment
    battery, the ECLS-B assessment battery will need to be a
    multiple-variable battery that will enable researchers to
    describe children's developmental status at given points in time
    and over time.
         Although children's behavior and personality characteristics
    have been shown to become globally stable over time, at the
    younger ages (i.e., infancy to 3 years), children's day-to-day or
    hour-to-hour behaviors can be highly variable.  In the early
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    years, rapid changes occur in all areas of development, and these
    changes do not occur at the same time in all areas.  Environmental
    factors such as the physical and social surroundings also influence
    behaviors by either facilitating or discouraging performance.
         Measurement Domains.   The primary purpose of the ECLS-B
    battery is to obtain accurate measures of the status of children
    in the following dimensions of development: social and emotional
    development, physical development, and cognitive and language
    development. Current developmental theory supports a model that
    suggests that childrens development in the physical, social and
    emotional, and cognitive domains is interrelated and mediated by
    social and environmental contexts.
         Social and emotional development Social and emotional
    development are intricately related and mutually reinforcing.
    Social functioning refers to the interpersonal relationships and
    behaviors that a child initiates with others.  Emotional
    functioning refers to the childs feelings about himself or
    herself and others.  Research suggests that from infancy,
    individuals are constitutionally predisposed to vary widely along
    such dimensions as affect, attention, and motor activity;
    collectively called temperament.  Children's levels of
    independence, activity, attention, and distractibility have been
    found to be associated with children's adjustment to
    kindergarten.  Social skills and behaviors have also been found
    to lead to positive adjustment to school. The social and
    emotional development domain covers the social, emotional, and
    feelings aspects of behaviorchildrens social skills, self
    concepts, attitudes, likes, and such.
         Child health and physical development Children's health,
    physical growth, and motor development are integral parts of
    well-being.  A healthy child is not simply one who is growing
    well and is free of disease, but is an individual who
    demonstrates appropriate physical competencies for his or her age
    and the capacity to engage successfully in age-appropriate
    activities. Childrens height and weight are two examples of
    measures that are used as indicators of adequate nutrition,
    sufficient nurturing, and the absence of significant chronic
    illnesses.  In addition, attributes that mediate the level and
    quality of individual performance include stamina, energy,
    strength, and physical flexibility.
         Visual and auditory functioning are also important aspects
    of childrens physical health.  Visual and auditory impairments
    in infancy and early childhood can adversely affect the
    development of social and emotional, cognitive/language, and
    physical competencies.  Examples of measures of children's visual
    and auditory functioning include visual and auditory acuity
    measurements.
          Motor development has long been considered an important
    part of child development and is a recognized means for measuring
    the overall rate and level of development of the children during
    the early months and years of life. Motor development may be
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    defined as the gradual acquisition of control and/or use of the
    large and small muscles of the body.  The development of
    neuromuscular coordination will be used by the individual
    throughout life to deal with a variety of social, emotional,
    mental, and recreational dimensions of living.  Motor skills can
    be divided into gross and fine motor skills.  Examples of gross
    motor development skills during the early stages of life include
    rolling over, crawling, sitting up, and walking up stairs.
    Skills such as grasping a cup or toy, stringing beads, building
    blocks, and using writing implements to make scribbles are
    examples of fine motor skills.
         Cognitive developmentThe cognitive domain of development
    represents children's knowledge base and language.  The knowledge
    subdomain can be further subdivided into how much children know
    that is related to a topic or experience and their abilities and
    skills in performing mental operations such as comprehension,
    application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.  Knowledge
    concepts related to school outcomes include awareness of time,
    spatial relationships, vocabulary, roles people play in society,
    and logical thinking skills.
         Language developmentThe age range of birth to 6 years
    represents one of the most critical age ranges for the
    development of language skills.  Language provides a critical
    function for interacting between the physical and social
    environments.  As children progress through the early years,
    language plays an increasingly important role for accessing the
    many social encounters in the home, neighborhood, playground, and
    school.  Children's use of language to communicate is essential
    to understanding children's cognitive development and social
    adaptation.
         Measurement Issues.  While the design and selection of a
    nationally representative birth cohort sample presents many
    challenges, perhaps the greatest challenge facing the ECLS-B is
    the ability to measure the central constructs that are so
    important to understanding children's early learning and
    development.  A variety of instruments will be needed to reliably
    and validly measure specific constructs.
         Obtaining quality measures of children's developmental
    growth, family, and nonparent care and education environments is
    critical for the proposed study.  Instruments that accurately tap
    the different dimensions of children's development are critical.
    Any direct assessment of young children must be carefully
    planned, tested, and well executed.  Existing measures shall be
    scrutinized to determine their psychometric properties and any
    new measures shall be tested and refined.  It is vital that all
    measures of children's developmental domains and children's home
    and family be sensitive to the cultural diversity that exists
    among childrens families.
         Valid and reliable measures of children's development.  The
    general purpose of the assessment of children in the ECLS-B is to
    document children's growth and development (i.e., the extent of
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    children's accomplishments in those critical developmental and
    behavioral domains that are believed to be most essential for
    school performance) before school entry, at school entry, during
    kindergarten, and at the end of first grade.  The accuracy and
    usefulness of the information derived from measures of these
    characteristics depend on instrument reliability and validity.
    The battery of instruments selected to measure all major
    developmental areas such as cognition, language, motor
    development, and socio-emotional development must meet strict
    psychometric rules for standardization, reliability, and
    validity.  Individual instruments shall be sufficiently reliable
    to support change measurement and must be capable of measuring
    across a broad range of abilities/skills.  Minimizing the
    possibility of "floor and ceiling effects is critical in
    selecting or designing measurement instruments.  Furthermore, all
    tests, procedures, and processes must be culturally,
    linguistically, and developmentally sensitive.
         Measurement approaches.  Measures of children's
    developmental status can be collected in several ways: directly
    from the child or indirectly from others familiar with the child.
    Measurements may include objective performance tests,
    questionnaires/rating scales, and behavioral observations.  While
    each of these measurement formats provide information about the
    child, each also poses numerous issues related to instrument
    variances that need to be considered in designing the methods for
    collecting data related to children's development or growth in
    each of the domains.
    G.  Sampling Issues
         The contractor shall design and select a nationally
    representative sample of children to participate in the ECLS-B.
    The contractor shall 1) identify and/or develop a sampling frame;
    2) design the sample to meet certain precision requirements set
    by NCES/ED; 3) oversample specific groups of minority children;
    4) develop an approach that minimizes attrition and the effects
    of residential mobility; and 5) develop a sample and data
    collection approach that minimizes the effects of age on
    important child characteristics and attributes.  Each of these
    contractor responsibilities and sample design considerations is
    discussed in more detail in the following sections.
         Sampling frame
         There are several frames that could be used to select a
    nationally representative sample of children born at specific
    times. These include 1) a household frame, 2) a vital
    records/birth records frame, and 3) a hospital frame. Each has
    advantages and disadvantages. For example, vital records/birth
    records provide a very complete sampling frame for cohort members
    born in the United States.  In addition, minimal effort is needed
    to screen eligible sample units, especially when compared with a
    household frame. Disadvantages associated with the use of a vital
    records/birth records frame are: 1) more effort is required to
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    locate sample units because of the time lag between the birth of
    the child and when the records are available for use as a
    sampling frame; and 2) the complexity of frame preparation as a
    result of differences in the birth record systems used in
    different states.
         The contractor shall weigh the advantages and disadvantages
    of the different frames and select and/or develop a sampling
    frame that is cost effective and will satisfy the needs of the
    study.
         Precision requirements
         The contractor shall use the following precision
    requirements to guide the development of the ECLS-B sample.
             The sample size for ECLS-B should be able to produce
              level estimates for which the standard error is no
              larger than 20 percent of a proportion and 2.5 percent
              of a mean in each wave of data collection. Also,  for a
              two-tailed test of significance at the .05 level with
              power equal to .80, the sample should be able to detect
              a 20 percent change in proportions and a 5 percent
              change in means for all waves.
             These requirements should be applied not only to the
              entire sample but to important subgroups. These include
              children defined by race-ethnicity (Hispanic, non-
              Hispanic black, Asian and Pacific Islander and non-
              Hispanic white), socioeconomic status (low, middle and
              high), family type (two-parent and single-parent),
              mothers employment status (full-time, part-time, not
              in the labor force), birth weight (less than or equal
              5.5 lbs and over 5.5 lbs), Census region, and
              urbanicity. NCES is also interested in estimating
              characteristics of children with different child care
              and education program experiences (e.g., in-home versus
              center-based care).
              For the purposes of deriving preliminary sample sizes,
              the contractor shall assume a mean of 50 with a
              standard deviation of 15, a proportion of .30, and a
              correlation of .60 between two consecutive waves. The
              contractor shall assume a design effect of 2.5 when
              deriving ECLS-B sample sizes.
         Oversampling of minority children
         In order to detect differences or changes for certain
    racial-ethnic minorities (e.g., blacks, Hispanics, Asians and
    Pacific Islanders) at the level of precision set for this study,
    it may be necessary for the contractor to oversample some of
    these groups. Even if sufficient numbers of these children are
    expected to be selected into the sample using equal probability
    methods, differential rates of attrition may result in the
    contractor having to oversample one or more of these groups.
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         Sample attrition and mobility
         The contractor shall carefully examine attrition when
    designing the ECLS-B sample. A moderate level of attrition for
    each single wave may become a severe problem when summed over the
    life of the study.
         In addition, when designing the ECLS-B sample, the
    contractor shall evaluate the impact of residential mobility on
    the sample and the cost of study over time.  The Bureau of the
    Census reports (see Census Report P20-481) that between March
    1992 and March 1993,  22 percent of children from 1 to 4 years
    old had moved.  According to data from the 1993 National
    Household Education Survey, an estimated 25.7 percent of 5-year-
    olds enrolled in kindergarten or a higher grade had moved 3 or
    more times between their birth and fifth birthday. Another 14.4
    percent of these children had moved twice and 26.3 percent had
    moved once. Only 33.7 percent of these children had never moved.
    Thus, young children not only move in large proportions, they
    also move frequently.
         Mobility rates may change over time. In addition, they
    differ by socioeconomic, geographic, and demographic
    characteristics such as family income, locality, and race-
    ethnicity. To ensure that a sufficient number of children in
    important policy-relevant subgroups (e.g., racial-ethnic
    minorities, disadvantaged children) will be maintained in all
    waves of the study,  the  contractor shall take these factors
    into account when devising its sampling plans for the base year
    and followup waves.
         Elapsed time between sample selection and data collection
         As mentioned earlier, the target population of the ECLS-B is
    all children born in the United Stated from JanuaryDecember,
    1999. If all children are selected at the same time as most
    surveys do, there is an age difference of 12 months between the
    oldest and the youngest children in the sample. The impact of
    this age difference on many of  the attributes likely to be
    measured in the ECLS-B may be substantial. For example, the
    physical development of a child at 3 months will be significantly
    different from that of a child at 12 months.  One way of
    minimizing the potential impact of this age difference is to
    select children for the base-year sample at several points in
    time instead of selecting all children at once. For example,
    children might be selected at 4 different points in time. One-
    fourth of the base-year sample would be selected in the first
    quarter of 1999.  All children born between January 1st and March
    31st would be eligible for this selection. In the second quarter
    of 1999, one-fourth of the sample would be selected from those
    children born between April 1st and June 30th.  The sample
    selection would continue in the same fashion until the last
    fourth of the base-year sample is selected.  If the elapsed time
    between sample selection and data collection is approximately
    equal for all children, then the age difference can be reduced to
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    3 months instead of 12 months. There are other ways of reducing
    the age difference, and the contractor shall explore these when
    devising its sampling plan for the ECLS-B.
    H.  Methodological Inquiries and Data Quality
         The contractor shall give considerable attention to
    identifying potential sources of error, quantifying this error,
    and designing techniques to either reduce the error or minimize
    its impact on study estimates.  The contractor shall carry out a
    variety of activities that are directed toward improving the
    quality of the survey data.  The methods and procedures used by
    the contractor during the conduct of the study shall undergo
    continued evaluation. NCES/ED hopes to be able to set aside funds
    for the contractor to conduct experiments and studies designed to
    enhance knowledge of the effects of different design features on
    the quality of the data.  NCES/ED is interested in studies that
    measure the validity and reliability of the data collected from
    parents concerning their children's educational experiences and
    learning environments.  It is also especially interested in
    studies that assess the validity and reliability of data that are
    used to describe children's status on different developmental
    dimensions.  During the design and conduct of the ECLS-B, the
    contractor shall work to reduce nonsampling errors as well as to
    reduce errors introduced through the sample selection process.
    I.  Optional Special Studies and Supplements
         NCES/ED will support the development and implementation of a
    core study design that will achieve the goals of the program and
    provide the data required to answer the major research and policy
    questions guiding the study.  NCES/ED plans to explore other ways
    of enriching the study.  The study may be expanded in scope or
    enriched through a variety of special studies and supplements.
    Some of these may be supported by NCES/ED depending on the
    availability of funds, while others may be sponsored by other
    Federal agencies and private foundations.
         NCES/ED is considering expanding the ECLS design in several
    ways, including:  1) oversampling specific populations of
    children, 2) adding questions to one or more questionnaires in
    order to explore more fully an area of interest, 3) using
    supplemental instruments that will be administered to one or more
    groups of respondents, and 4) expanding the range of persons who
    will report on the early care and experiences of children in the
    study.  The special studies and supplements that NCES/ED is
    considering at this time are described in the Scope of Work.  The
    final decision as to whether or not to incorporate one or all of
    these studies and supplements will depend on the availability of
    funds.
    J.  NCES/ED Standards
         NCES/ED has developed and implemented a set of standards
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    that set guidelines to insure the quality of NCES/ED's work.  The
    contractor shall adhere to these standards during the design and
    conduct of the ECLS-B.  A copy of the NCES/ED publication NCES
    Statistical Standards and Policies (U. S. Department of
    Education, June 1992) can be obtained by calling the Statistical
    Standards and Methodology Division of the National Center for
    Education Statistics at (202) 219-1643.
    K.  Coordination with ECLS Kindergarten Cohort Study
         Some of the issues of interest to the ECLS program span the
    two cohorts, birth cohort and kindergarten cohort.  For example,
    a question of interest to many is how childrens experiences in
    nonparental care and education programs during the years prior to
    school affect their later school achievement.  Also, how does the
    literacy environment of the home during the early formative years
    influence childrens reading in the primary and elementary
    grades.
         It is not clear exactly how, and if, the design of the ECLS-
    B sample should be changed in order to facilitate the analysis of
    research questions spanning the two cohorts.  For example, should
    the ECLS-B and ECLS-K samples use the same Primary Sampling Units
    (PSUs)?  The contractor shall consider these and other questions
    when designing the ECLS-B sample.  If necessary, the contractor
    shall design the ECLS-B sample in such a way as to increase
    NCES/EDs ability to address questions that span the preschool
    and early school years.  However, the contractor shall not make
    changes that might limit the ability of the ECLS-B to address
    issues surrounding the birth through first grade period.
         NCES/ED is finalizing the design of the kindergarten cohort
    of the ECLS.  A large field test is being conducted in 1996-97
    and the base-year data collection is scheduled for fall of the
    1998-99 school year.  The contractor shall examine carefully the
    design of the ECLS-K and the possible impact of that activity on
    the design of the ECLS-B.
                           III.  SCOPE OF WORK
    A.  Overview of Tasks
         This Scope of Work is written in two sections (Core Tasks
    and Optional Special Studies and Supplements).  The first section
    describes the core tasks that are required to prepare for and
    conduct the first three waves of the ECLS-B (base-year and the
    first and second followup waves). The contractor shall perform a
    series of tasks that will lead to 1) the final design and
    selection of a national sample of children born between January
    and December, 1999; 2) the collection of data from the parents of
    these children at three times; and 3) the processing of data
    collected at each of these three times and the preparation of
    public release data files. The second section describes a set of
    optional special studies and supplements.
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    B.  Core Tasks to Be Performed
         The core tasks represent activities that are required to
    prepare for and implement the first three waves of the ECLS-B.  A
    few of these tasks will be performed only once (e.g., task 1 and
    3), while most will be repeated for each of the data collections.
    While the outcome of some tasks will be the same each time they
    are performed, the level of effort required to accomplish these
    outcomes will not necessarily be the same.  For example, task 10
    requires that the contractor design and produce a set of training
    materials, design training sessions, and train staff for each
    wave of data collection.  However, much of the material that the
    contractor develops for base-year training, and many of the
    activities planned for the training sessions, can be used and
    modified for later rounds of data collection.
    Task 1.  Project Planning and General Management
         1.1 Project Initiation and Planning.  The contractor shall
    work closely with the COTR and other NCES/ED staff to develop and
    conduct the first three waves of the ECLS-Bl.
         Upon award of the contract, NCES/ED will provide the
    contractor with copies of all final design reports and
    instruments developed for the ECLS-K.  It will also provide the
    contractor with final copies of all papers and documents
    pertaining to the design and conduct of a birth cohort prepared
    in advance of contract award.
         Within two weeks of contract award, the contractor shall
    meet with NCES/ED to review the contracts tasks and to discuss
    issues related to the conduct of the study.  The meeting shall be
    held in Washington, D.C. at the offices of NCES/ED.  The
    contractor shall provide NCES/ED with an agenda and any
    background material at least five working days in advance of the
    meeting. The contractor shall come prepared to identify any areas
    of concern and to suggest ways of responding to these concerns.
    The contractor shall also be prepared at this meeting to
    recommend members for the ECLS-B Technical Review Panel  (see
    task 2).
        1.2  General Project Management and Monthly Progress
    Reports.  Under this task, the contractor shall perform its
    general project management functions.  A routine aspect of this
    management shall be the development and submission of regular
    monthly project reports.
         1.3  Other Meetings with NCES/ED.  Key contractor staff
    shall travel to Washington, DC for meetings with the COTR
    throughout the contract period.  The contractor shall participate
    in the development of the goals and agenda for each meeting.  The
    contractor shall provide a final agenda at least five working
    days in advance of the meeting. The contractor shall be
    responsible for distributing the agenda and other meeting
    materials, if any, to about 12 meeting attendees.  Materials to
    be distributed shall be approved, in advance, by the COTR.   All
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    materials shall be distributed at least five working days prior
    to each meeting.
         1.4  Briefings and Descriptive Materials.  From time to time
    throughout the course of the project, NCES/ED shall provide
    interested individuals and agencies with information about the
    nature, findings, and progress of the ECLS-B.  The contractor
    shall support these activities by developing up to three sets of
    materials that describe different components of the ECLS-B (e.g.,
    ECLS-B assessment battery and ECLS-B field test).  These
    materials will be used by NCES/ED. Each set of materials shall be
    no more than 10 typewritten pages of text (double-spaced) with
    accompanying graphs and/or tables suitable for display (such as
    transparencies or slides).  Within two weeks of a request, a set
    of materials shall be submitted to NCES/ED for review and
    comment.  The contractor shall make necessary revisions to the
    materials based on this review and resubmit the materials within
    one week of receipt of comments.
         The contractor shall also be prepared to give up to ten
    briefings and/or demonstrations about the ECLS-B over the life of
    the contract.  The COTR will notify the contractor at least two
    weeks in advance of each briefing or demonstration.  Examples of
    the kinds of meetings at which the contractor might be asked to
    discuss the ECLS-B and to present preliminary findings from the
    field test and main study are the annual meetings of the American
    Educational Research Association and NCES' Summer Data
    Conference.  They might also include briefings with other federal
    agencies and with the Office of Management and Budget.
         1.5  Project Brochure.  The contractor shall assist NCES/ED
    in developing two brochures describing the ECLS-B.  Each brochure
    shall describe the general goals of the ECLS-B and the larger
    ECLS program.  It shall identify the types of data that are being
    collected and the project development and data collection
    schedule. These brochures are used to describe the ECLS-B to
    individuals and organizations requesting information about the
    study and are included as part of the information packets used to
    secure the cooperation of study participants.  A draft of the
    first brochure shall be submitted within 12 weeks of contract
    award.  A draft of the second brochure shall be submitted 12
    weeks prior to the start of base-year data collection. The
    content of the second brochure shall reflect any changes made as
    a result of the ECLS-B field test.  NCES/ED shall review the
    drafts and provide comments and suggestions within two weeks.
    NCES/ED shall provide the contractor with an electronic version
    of the ECLS-B logo, which the contractor shall use on the cover
    of the brochure. The contractor shall revise the materials based
    on NCES/ED suggestions and submit camera-ready, color-separated
    copy of the materials no later than two weeks following receipt
    of NCES/EDs comments.  An electronic version of each brochures
    text and graphics should be delivered with the camera-ready copy;
    the electronic version should be in a Web-compatible format in
    accordance with existing NCES guidelines.
         1.6  Project Bibliography.  Throughout the course of the
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    contract, the contractor shall maintain a bibliography of reports
    and articles which cite any of the ECLS (both birth and
    kindergarten components) surveys.  A draft of the first
    bibliography shall be submitted to NCES/ED for review no later
    than 52 weeks following contract award.  NCES/ED will review the
    draft and provide comments within two weeks of receipt.  The
    contractor shall revise the bibliography and submit one camera-
    ready and ten stapled copies within two weeks of receipt of
    NCES/ED comments.  This bibliography shall be updated on an
    annual basis thereafter to include citations of  reports or
    articles which cite the ECLS.
               1.7 Electronic formats of transmittals and study
    products.  The contractor shall transmit all correspondence
    directly to the COTR via cc:Mail or another mutually agreed-upon
    communications package.  NCES/ED currently uses Word,
    WordPerfect, PowerPoint, and Excel as its primary software
    packages for communicating documents, charts, and tables.
    NCES/ED uses the Department of Educations cc:Mail software as
    its communications package.  All deliverables are to be in a
    format that is compatable with these packages.
             1.8 Confidentiality procedures.  In order to ensure the
    anonymity of individual respondents, the contractor must comply
    with Section 408 of the National Education Statistics Act of
    1994, P.L. 103-382 (20 U.S.C. 9007).  A copy of the Act is
    attached.  The Act authorizes fines or imprisonment for
    disclosure of individually identifiable information for any
    purpose other than statistical purposes.
         Under no circumstances may the contractor release personally
    identifiable information.  Information which identifies persons
    must be maintained in files which are physically separate from
    other research data and which are accessible only to sworn agency
    and contractor personnel.
         Individual identifiers used during the course of the project
    shall be associated with data only for purposes of data
    gathering, matching new data with old, establishing sample
    composition, authenticating data collections, editing data based
    on callbacks, or obtaining missing information.
         The contractor shall enforce strict procedures for ensuring
    confidentiality.  These procedures shall apply to all phases of
    the project.
         Any employee needing access to confidential information
    shall first swear to an Affidavit of Nondisclosure.  The
    contractor shall execute these Affidavits of Nondisclosure and
    the originals shall be transmitted to the COTR.  As part of the
    transmission, the contractor shall indicate the position in the
    organization of the person signing the Affidavit of Nondisclosure
    and the persons functional relationship to this project.  As new
    persons are assigned to the project, an Affidavit of
    Nondisclosure shall be executed for them on the first working day
    of assignment to the project.  Throughout the life of the
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    contract, the Affidavits of Nondisclosure for interviewers and
    other short-term personnel shall be submitted on a schedule
    designated by the COTR or at a minimum of three times a year.   A
    copy of the Affidavit is attached.
         All respondents shall be informed of the following: NCES
    enabling legislation; the purposes for which the information is
    needed; uses that may be made of the data; and the methods of
    reporting the data so that an individuals responses are not
    revealed.
         The contractor shall maintain security on the complete set
    (and deliverable backups) of all master data files and
    documentation.  The contractor shall present a detailed security
    plan that expands upon what was presented in its proposal to the
    COTR for approval 8 weeks after the award of the contract.
    Task 2.  Technical Review Panel and Outside Review
         2.1  Role of the technical review panel.  Studies of this
    scope, complexity, and importance require input from a number of
    individuals and organizations in order to address the data needs
    of  policy makers and of those performing policy studies and
    educational research.  The contractor shall form and work with a
    Technical Review Panel (TRP).  The contractor shall ensure that
    the TRP provides the contractor with review and comment on such
    matters as technical design and implementation, administrative
    practices, policy and research topics that are appropriate for
    the ECLS and other technical and policy matters that arise from
    time to time.  The contractor shall ensure that the TRP plays  an
    active role in the study by reviewing and commenting on overall
    research priorities, identifying policy and research questions,
    providing input about questionnaire and assessment instrument
    content, proposing analytical models and methods, reviewing work
    plans and their implementation, and reviewing and suggesting
    modifications to draft reports.
         The contractor shall not ask the TRP to function as a
    consensus group.  Instead, the contractor shall ask that the
    individuals on the panel review and respond to matters concerning
    the design of the ECLS-B and to offer their individual opinions
    and evaluations on such matters.  It is the responsibility of the
    contractor to compile and weigh these different opinions and
    recommendations, and to provide a recommended course of action to
    NCES/ED.
         2.2  Contractor's responsibilities.  The contractor's
    responsibilities related to the TRP shall include, but not neces-
    sarily be limited to, the following:
              1.   Identify and recruit up to 10 non-government
                   members for the TRP. Members shall be national
                   authorities in those substantive and
                   methodological areas critical to the design and
                   implementation of the ECLS-B.  Within two weeks of
                   contract award, the contractor shall identify, in
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                   writing, individuals with the needed expertise for
                   possible membership on the TRP.  The contractor
                   shall identify the institutional affiliation of
                   each nominee and provide a short biographical
                   sketch highlighting expertise and prior work
                   related to the ECLS.  Following NCES/ED review of
                   the list of individuals nominated for membership,
                   which shall take no more than four weeks, the
                   contractor shall contact each individual to
                   solicit and finalize his/her participation.
              2.   Inform the TRP of the progress of the study.  In
                   addition to the regular meetings, the contractor
                   shall summarize the progress of the study for the
                   panelists at least on a semi-annual basis.
              3.   Prepare all materials and correspondence required
                   for TRP consideration and review.  After NCES/ED
                   review and approval, the contractor shall share
                   materials with the TRP for review and comment.
              4.   Schedule the meetings with panel members.  The
                   first panel meeting shall occur within 16 weeks of
                   contract award.  All meetings with the exception
                   of the first shall be scheduled at least 36 weeks
                   in advance.   The contractor shall hold all
                   meetings in Washington, D.C. unless otherwise
                   approved by the COTR.  The contractor shall
                   convene the TRP an average of two times per year
                   for the life of the contract.
              5.   Arrange for TRP meetings (e.g., meeting space and
                   accommodations) and pay all associated expenses.
                   Non-government panelists shall be paid an
                   honorarium plus per diem and travel expenses.
                   Government participants and guests at the TRP
                   meetings will usually include 4-6 staff from
                   NCES/ED and 1-2 staff from each of the government
                   agencies sponsoring components of the ECLS-B.
              6.   The contractor shall prepare and submit an agenda
                   for each meeting to NCES/ED at least 4 weeks in
                   advance.  The contractor shall deliver the  agenda
                   and any other materials that will be used by panel
                   members for discussion at the meetings to panel
                   members at least 1 week prior to the meeting.
              7.   Prepare minutes of the meetings.  The contractor
                   shall tape record the meetings and submit a
                   written summary to NCES/ED within two weeks of
                   each meeting.  The minutes shall include a summary
                   of the discussions (There is no requirement for a
                   verbatim transcript) and activities that took
                   place during the meeting, highlighting major
                   issues that were raised and decisions made.  The
                   minutes shall identify actions (long-term and
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                   immediate) the contractor will take to respond to
                   issues that were raised and not resolved during
                   these meetings.  The minutes of the meeting shall
                   be distributed to panel members and invited guests
                   within three weeks of each meeting after NCES/ED
                   review.
                8. Arrange and pay for specific work products not
                   tied to a meeting.  For example, TRP members might
                   be asked to review and comment on a particular
                   draft paper.  Again, non-government panelists
                   shall be paid an honorarium.
                9. Supply NCES/ED with copies of all correspondence
                   and other materials exchanged with panelists.
         2.3 Other outside review.  In addition to the contractor's
    TRP, other review panels may be required from time to time.  For
    example, the ECLS-K has used groups of subject area specialists
    to review the specifications of the ECLS-K assessment framework
    and drafts of the assessment battery.  It has also convened
    groups to consider different approaches for collecting data on
    and about special populations (e.g., children with disabilities
    and language minority children).  If such panels of consultants
    are used, the contractor shall have the same responsibilities for
    these panels as are outlined for the contractors TRP (see 2.2
    above).  The contractor shall assume that three such groups will
    be convened over the life of the contract for a one-day meeting
    in Washington, D.C.  Each group will be comprised of up to 8 non-
    federal members.
    Task 3.  Develop Survey Instruments and Procedures
         A draft content outline for the first three waves of data
    collection has been developed and is available through NEDRC.
    Immediately upon award of the contract, NCES/ED will give the
    contractor a copy of the final content outline and a set of
    recommended items for the parent interview developed from this
    content outline. Even though a set of recommended items will be
    available at the time of contract award, the contractor will need
    to do  additional work to develop and produce the parent
    interview instrument and other data collection instruments and
    procedures for use in the ECLS-B.  The contractor shall implement
    an approach to developing these instruments and procedures that
    follows the steps outlined in the following subtasks.
         3.1  Identify key questions and variables.  As needed, and
    with the knowledge of the  COTR, the contractor shall consult
    with the staff of NCES, the various offices in the U.S.
    Department of Education, other Federal agencies (including OMB),
    education policy groups, and members of the ECLS TRPs for input
    on the key research and policy questions that should be addressed
    by the ECLS-B and on what variables to include.  The contractor
    shall provide short 1-2 page written summaries of all such
    consultations within one week of each consultation.
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         3.2  Prepare Content Outline Matrix.  Within 16 weeks of
    contract award, the contractor shall prepare and submit a draft
    final content outline for the ECLS-B.  This outline should update
    and revise the outline provided to the contractor at the
    beginning of the contract.  The content outline shall list the
    recommended constructs and variables for inclusion along with a
    brief rationale for each.  The constructs and variables shall be
    organized by the research and policy issues they address.  This
    information shall be submitted using a matrix format.  The matrix
    shall identify the source(s) of data for each variable.  The
    draft final content outline shall reflect the outcomes of project
    activities and revise as necessary the content outline contained
    in the contractors proposal.
         Following NCES/ED review of the draft final content outline,
    the contractor shall submit a revised outline which incorporates
    suggestions made by NCES/ED.  With the approval of the COTR, the
    contractor shall provide members of the Technical Review Panel
    with a copy of the content outline for review and comment. All
    comments from the TRP members shall be summarized by the
    contractor and presented to the COTR prior to the submission of
    the final content outline or no later than 18 weeks after
    contract award.
         3.3  Develop Study Instruments and Procedures.  The
    contractor shall develop and revise the study instruments and
    procedures needed to address the research and policy issues being
    addressed by the ECLS-B.  In designing the study instruments, the
    contractor shall take into account the comments and suggestions
    made by TRP members and NCES/ED regarding the content outline.
    Where the ECLS-B consists of topical components and variables
    being used in the ECLS-K or where questions are being asked that
    build upon the data collection efforts of other agencies, special
    consideration shall be given to maintaining the comparability of
    items across time and/or across studies.
         Draft copies of all study instruments shall be submitted to
    NCES/ED for review and comment no later than 30 weeks following
    award of the contract.  NCES/ED will provide comments on the
    draft instruments within two weeks.  Within one week of receipt
    of NCES/ED's review comments, the contractor shall revise the
    instruments incorporating the comments and suggestions of NCES/ED
    and submit a second draft of the instruments.
         The contractor shall produce the ECLS-B parent/guardian
    instruments in both English and Spanish.  In addition, the
    contractor shall develop approaches for increasing the
    participation of respondents from other language minority
    backgrounds.
         The contractor shall reproduce or acquire all the materials
    and program all the systems necessary to support the collection
    of data for the ECLS-B.  The contractor shall reproduce or
    arrange for the reproduction of all questionnaires.  A sufficient
    number of copies of each form shall be reproduced to meet the
    needs of the study, plus a 10 percent overage.  The contractor
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    must be familiar with the requirements of the Government Printing
    Office for such reproductions;  all reproductions shall be done
    in accordance with government printing regulations.
         3.4  Conduct Cognitive Laboratory Research.   Most of the
    data items that will be used in the ECLS-B will have been used in
    previous studies and many will have been subjected to cognitive
    laboratory research.  However, some of the items will be new or
    modified from their original version.  As such, the contractor
    shall design and conduct limited cognitive laboratory research on
    certain items or sets of items.  This research shall be directed
    toward an understanding of the extent to which the questionnaire
    items are understood by respondents and how the questionnaire
    flow might be improved.  This research shall seek to identify any
    areas of ambiguity and confusion.
         Prior to conducting any cognitive laboratory research, the
    contractor shall develop and submit a memorandum that outlines
    its plan for the conduct of such research.  This plan shall be
    submitted to NCES/ED no later than 16 weeks after contract award.
    This plan shall describe the contractor's general approach to
    this work and identify the specific methods and procedures that
    shall be used.  Justification shall be provided for the selection
    of certain methods over others relative to the objectives of the
    research.  The plan shall also describe how the outcomes of the
    cognitive laboratory research will be used to improve the overall
    quality of the ECLS-B instruments and procedures.  The contractor
    shall allow two weeks for NCES/ED review of the plan.
    Implementation of the plan shall be contingent upon NCES/ED
    approval.
         The contractor shall submit a draft Cognitive Research
    Report to NCES/ED within two weeks of completing the research
    outlined in the approved cognitive research plan.  This short
    report shall summarize the cognitive research conducted for the
    ECLS-B and changes that are recommended to study instruments and
    procedures as a result of this work.  The contractor shall allow
    two weeks for NCES/ED review of the draft report.  The report
    shall be revised in response to NCES/EDs comments and the final
    report submitted one week later.
         3.5  Develop birth cohort assessment battery.  Developing an
    assessment battery for the ECLS-B is extremely important to the
    success of the study.  The assessment battery for the ECLS-B
    shall include all instruments designed to collect indicators of
    children's status within a number of critical dimensions
    associated with school performance. The dimensions include 1)
    physical development, 2) social and emotional development and 3)
    cognitive and language development.  The contractor shall develop
    this battery following the steps outlined below.
         The contractor shall conduct a review of the relevant
    research in the field, review and evaluate existing assessment
    instruments, and review relevant materials from the NCES/ED
    development activities for the ECLS-K. The contractor shall
    engage in discussions with child development specialists,
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    education content area researchers, related professionals, and
    the ECLS-B TRP.  All instruments used in the ECLS-B shall meet
    psychometric standards (e.g., validity and reliability) at the
    highest level.
         Identify key elements of each assessment domain.  The
    contractor shall 1) develop an inventory of the variables for
    each of the key assessment domains, 2) select those elements that
    are closely related to the study issues and have been shown to be
    related to children's later school performance, and 3) describe
    their relationship to the types of school outcomes identified in
    the ECLS-K.
         Operationalize elements in each domain.  The contractor
    shall define each of the identified key elements and its
    relationship to each of the essential dimensions of learning and
    development.  Both conceptual and operational definitions shall
    be provided.
         Identify data source for each element.  Information for each
    element may be obtained from a variety of sources.  The sources
    may include children, their parents, and when they enter school,
    their teachers.  The contractor shall identify the appropriate
    source(s) for information pertaining to each element and the best
    method(s) or procedure(s) for obtaining the information.
         All methods and procedures advanced for collecting
    information directly from children shall be appropriate for their
    age.  Special care shall be taken to limit any negative impact of
    children's participation.
         Review instruments from other studies.  The contractor shall
    review the designs and instruments of relevant studies and data
    collection programs that collect data on the types of issues and
    populations of particular interest to the ECLS-B.  After the
    review, the contractor shall recommend those instruments and/or
    elements of instruments that are most appropriate for use in the
    ECLS-B.  The contractor shall include empirical evidence
    establishing the importance and relevance of the
    instruments/items for the ECLS-B.
         Conduct small-scale pretest.  To determine the feasibility
    and appropriateness of methods and procedures proposed by the
    contractor, the contractor shall conduct small-scale tests.  All
    such tests shall be separate from and precede the full-scale
    field test.  Such early testing may include cognitive laboratory
    work.
         Assessment Plan.  The contractor shall prepare and submit to
    NCES/ED a report that summarizes its plans for the design and
    conduct of the assessment.  At a minimum, the plan shall: 1)
    identify the key assessment domains and the critical elements
    within each domain to be collected; 2) describe the methods and
    procedures that will be used to conduct the assessment and
    identify the sources of data for each domain/element; 3) include
    copies of any questionnaires and assessment instruments; 4)
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    describe in detail any procedure that involves the direct
    assessment of young children and steps that will be taken to
    minimize the impact of children's direct participation; and 5)
    describe procedures for analyzing the data.  A draft copy of this
    plan shall be submitted to NCES/ED within 32 weeks of contract
    award.  NCES/ED will provide comments on the draft plan within
    two weeks.  The contractor shall revise the plan based on the
    comments and suggestions of NCES/ED and submit a revised draft of
    the plan.  The plan shall be reviewed by members of the ECLS TRP
    and other experts in child development and assessment.  The
    contractor shall notify the COTR prior to sending the plan out
    for review.  A final version of this plan shall be appended to
    the Study Design Report (see Task 5).
         Assessment reproduction and materials.
           The contractor shall be responsible for reproducing all
    printed materials associated with the ECLS-B assessment battery
    (both the direct and indirect instruments).  A sufficient number
    of copies shall be reproduced to meet the needs of each round of
    data collection, plus a 10 percent overage.
         The contractor shall be responsible for acquiring all
    materials and supplying all equipment needed to administer the
    ECLS-B assessment battery.  The contractor shall protect the
    security of the cognitive assessment battery by restricting the
    number of copies published to the number needed to conduct the
    study and maintaining a record of the location of each copy of
    the assessment battery instruments.  A copy of this record shall
    be made available to the COTR upon request.  Under no
    circumstances shall copies of the assessment battery instruments
    be distributed or loaned out without the permission of the COTR.
    The contractor shall employ strict procedures for ensuring that
    all project staff adhere to this requirement.
         The contractor shall protect the proprietary rights of all
    copyrighted assessment instruments used in the ECLS-B assessment
    battery.  The contractor shall provide proper notice of
    copyright. Individual ECLS assessment battery data and individual
    item data shall not be released without the permission of
    NCES/ED.
         The contractor shall negotiate and pay all royalties
    associated with the use of copyrighted material.  The contractor
    shall secure the written permission of the copyright holder to
    change or modify individual items that are part of a copyrighted
    instrument if such changes are a part of the contractors
    approach to assessing children in the ECLS-B.
         The contractor shall provide NCES/ED with a copy of each
    agreement between the contractor and a copyright holder prior to
    it being finalized.
    Task 4.  Design and Select Sample
         The contractor shall design and select a sample of children
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    that meets NCES/EDs precision requirements and other study
    requirements (see section G, Birth Cohort Study Design).  The
    contractors plan for selecting this sample shall be submitted to
    NCES/ED for review and approval prior to its implementation.  A
    revised version of the plan included in the contractors
    technical proposal shall be submitted to NCES/ED within 36 weeks
    of contract award.  Following NCES/ED review, the contractor
    shall make any necessary revisions to the plan and submit the
    revised plan to NCES/ED for review.  The revised plan shall be
    submitted within one week of receipt of NCES/ED's comments on the
    draft plan. The revised plan is expected to be the final sample
    design.
         The contractor shall select the sample following the
    specifications and procedures contained in its approved sample
    design.  Three weeks prior to the sample being drawn, the
    contractor shall provide NCES/ED with the computer specifications
    that will be used to select the sample along with copies of other
    written materials (e.g., instructions, specifications) that
    document the derivation, justification, and implementation of the
    operations that lead to the selection of the sample, including 1)
    selection of PSUs; 2) sample allocation; and 3) stratification.
    Task 5.  Study Design Report
         The contractor shall prepare a Study Design Report.  This
    report shall be in large part a compilation of the materials
    prepared under Tasks 3 and 4.  At a minimum, it shall contain an
    introduction to the study with a comprehensive statement of its
    intended purpose and overall design.  The report shall include a
    description of the methods and procedures that will be used to
    collect data from parents/guardians and other study respondents.
    The report shall outline how the data collected through the ECLS-
    B may be used to address key research and policy questions.  A
    copy of the 1) content outline, 2) sample design plan, and 3)
    assessment plan shall be included as appendices.  The contractor
    shall also append copies of all instruments with the exception of
    those found in the ECLS-B assessment battery.  The contractor
    shall prepare the Study Design Report as a loose-leaf binder.
         The contractor shall submit an outline of the Study Design
    Report to NCES/ED for approval no later than 15 weeks after
    contract award.  Once the outline of the report is approved by
    NCES/ED and no later than 40 weeks after contract award, the
    contractor shall submit a draft of the Study Design Report to
    NCES/ED.  Within two weeks of receipt of the draft report,
    NCES/ED will provide the contractor with comments on the draft
    document.  The contractor shall revise the Study Design Report
    incorporating NCES/ED's comments and suggestions.  The revised
    draft Study Design Report shall be submitted to NCES/ED within
    one week of receipt of NCES/ED's review comments on the draft
    report. The contractor shall provide the COTR and members of the
    ECLS-B TRP with copies of the draft report for their review and
    comment.  The contractor shall request that the members of the
    TRP provide written comments and be prepared to discuss the ECLS
    design at a TRP meeting.
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                                         RFP 98-003
         With NCES/ED approval, the contractor shall modify the draft
    Survey Design Report (and the ECLS-B design) based on the
    suggestions of the TRP members. The contractor shall continually
    update the Survey Design Report based on the outcomes of the
    field test.
    Task 6.  IMT/OMB Clearance
         The contractor shall prepare a forms clearance package for
    obtaining both IMT (Information Management Team of the Department
    of Education) and OMB approval of the ECLS-B field test and the
    first three waves of data collection.  A draft package shall be
    submitted to NCES/ED not less than 180 working days prior to the
    start of the base-year field test data collection.  In preparing
    the clearance package, the contractor shall follow instructions
    for completing Standard Form 83-I and writing the supporting
    statement required for Paperwork Reduction Act submissions.  The
    contractor shall expect that several iterations of the forms
    clearance documents will be required before a final draft will be
    ready for submission to IMT/OMB..  When preparing the package,
    the contractor shall draw heavily on the material found in the
    draft Study Design Report.
         Following NCES/ED review of the draft package, the
    contractor shall revise the package incorporating NCES/ED's
    comments and suggestions and resubmit the package.  Following
    this review, the contractor shall revise the package and submit
    it for final NCES/ED approval.  Following approval, the
    contractor shall provide NCES/ED with 10 copies of the Clearance
    Package.  The contractor shall submit these copies no later than
    150 days prior to the start of the base-year field test data
    collection.  NCES/ED will submit the package to IMT/OMB.
    Task 7.  Develop CATI/CAPI System
         The contractor shall use CATI/CAPI technologies to collect
    data from study participants when the contractors approach
    involves interviewing respondents.  To the greatest extent
    possible, the contractor shall design the CATI/CAPI system in
    such a way as to minimize disruptions to the system when requests
    for changes are made.
         7.1  Specification of Range and Logic Checks.  The
    contractor shall prepare specifications for every questionnaire
    item response that detail the allowable range of response and of
    internal consistency checks between sets of related items.  For
    example, if the age of the respondent is collected in the
    demographic items, then other items relating to the persons age
    should be consistent with the reported age.  All year fields
    shall be formatted as a four digit year, so as to be compatible
    with dates in the year 2000 and after.  The contractor shall
    develop range codes that distinguish between Not applicable
    (i.e., valid skips) and item nonresponse.
         The contractor shall develop procedures for insuring the
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    overall quality of the data collected in the ECLS-B.  Most of the
    data editing associated with the conduct of the ECLS-B shall take
    place during the interview session via edits contained in the
    CATI/CAPI system.  However, even with elaborate edit
    specifications for the study instruments, it is assumed that
    errors in the data still may occur.  As a consequence, the
    contractor shall implement manual editing procedures.  Procedures
    shall be developed and in place for resolving unanticipated
    problems.
         At a minimum, editing during the conduct of the interview
    shall include range checks (both hard and soft) and consistency
    checks.  Inappropriate characters (such as words in a numeric
    field) should be prevented from being entered by the interviewer.
    Procedures shall be established that permit interviewers to
    respond appropriately to participants who provide out-of-range or
    inconsistent information.  In developing these procedures, the
    contractor shall weigh the needs for accurate information and
    limited interviewer interference against the need for completing
    the interview as efficiently as possible.
         For each instrument, the contractor shall prepare CATI/CAPI
    edit specifications.  (Post-CATI/CAPI edit specifications are
    covered in Task 11.1, below.)  These specifications shall be
    submitted to NCES/ED for review and comment no later than six
    weeks prior to the start of data collection.  NCES/ED will
    provide comments within two weeks, and CATI/CAPI edit
    specifications revised in response to NCES/ED review shall be
    submitted two weeks later. Revised CATI/CAPI specifications are
    expected to be the final version; the draft submitted should be
    considered as a final version with only minor modifications to be
    incorporated.
         Open-ended items (such as an occupation or care provider
    name) shall be coded and edited either online (with screens that
    provide precoded response categories) or handled in post-
    interview manual edits.  The online capability is most desirable
    but would need to work seamlessly with the rest of the CATI/CAPI
    software.  The contractor shall develop an approach for handling
    such open-ended items.
         7.2  Programming of Study Instruments.  Programming the
    study instruments into the CATI/CAPI system is one of the key
    activities of the project.  For the instrument to capture the
    data reported by respondents accurately, the CATI/CAPI system
    shall be able to appropriately handle all contingencies
    associated with the conduct of the interview.  Each response
    shall lead to the next appropriate point in the instrument and
    each response provided by the participants shall be accounted
    for.
         The contractor shall develop the procedures and materials
    necessary to insure that all program specifications are correct
    and complete.  At a minimum, this shall include the creation of
    flowcharts and hard-copy screens and the development and use of
    project staff and programmer review procedures for these
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    materials.
         7.3  Testing the CATI/CAPI System.  Prior to the conduct of
    the field test (see Task 8), the contractor shall test all
    features of the CATI/CAPI system, including those features of the
    system associated with sampling, scheduling, interview management
    (e.g., skip patterns), data entry and editing, and case control.
    Testing of the system shall involve the review of project staff
    at all levels of the project (e.g., project management, staff
    with substantive expertise pertaining to the collection,
    telephone operations staff, and programmers).  It shall also
    involve the use of interview scenarios so that the system can be
    tested under simulated interview conditions. Every branch of the
    interview skip patterns shall be tested, and corrected if
    necessary, prior to field use, to be sure that all contingencies
    have been foreseen.
         7.4  CATI/CAPI Screens.  The contractor shall also prepare
    hard-copy versions of the CATI/CAPI monitor screens for each of
    the instruments. At a minimum, these screens shall include:
             1.    the item number and text;
             2.    all displays that are to appear in the body of an
              item (e.g., names, wording alternatives, responses to
              previously asked items);
             3.    all information that is being provided to the
              interviewers to assist them in conducting the interview
              accurately and smoothly (e.g., respondent's or
              subject's name, age, and sex, and the type of early
              childhood program being discussed);
             4.    information that identifies the next item to be
              asked for each response; and
             5.    the response range specifications.
    The contractor shall provide copies of the CATI/CAPI English and
    Spanish screens six weeks prior to the field test.  NCES/ED shall
    provide comments on these materials within two weeks of receipt.
    Revised screens shall be delivered one week after receipt of
    NCES/ED comments.
         7.5  Delivery of Testable CATI/CAPI Instruments.  The COTR
    shall have a minimum of 5 days to test the CATI/CAPI system. The
    contractor shall make the CATI/CAPI system available to the COTR
    for testing at NCES.  A testable CATI/CAPI is one in which all
    screens are ready to be tested. It shall be possible for the COTR
    or other assigned project staff to go through a variety of
    simulated interviews, testing out the responses to various
    scenarios and types of respondents. It is not necessary for the
    CATI/CAPI system to be complete in all details, but the screen
    routing program shall be considered final. The COTR shall notify
    the contractor promptly of all questions or problems with the
    CATI/CAPI programming. The contractor shall remedy all problems
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    reported during the testing phase.  CATI/CAPI instruments shall
    be made available to the COTR no later than two weeks prior to
    the Field Test to allow time for reprogramming as necessary.
    Task 8.  Field Test of Survey Instruments and Procedures
         8.1 Submit Field Test Plan.  The contractor shall design a
    field test for the ECLS-B.  The contractor shall use the field
    test to shake out the CATI/CAPI system, to evaluate items in
    the ECLS-B instruments and to evaluate other methods and
    procedures planned for the main study. Many of the items that
    will be in the ECLS-B instruments have been fielded before.
    Therefore, the contractor shall design and implement a field test
    that concentrates on new items or items that have been adapted
    from studies designed for different purposes from the ECLS-B.
    The contractor shall submit a short description of its plans for
    conducting a field test of the ECLS-B instruments and procedures
    no later than 24 weeks after contract award.  This plan shall
    update, if necessary, the plans outlined in its technical
    proposal.
         Once the contractor has completed its cognitive laboratory
    work and the data collection instruments are complete and
    approved (by NCES/ED and OMB), the contractor shall conduct a
    field test of the instruments and the CATI/CAPI system.  The
    contractor shall allow enough time between the completion of this
    field test and the commencement of interviewer training (Task 10)
    to permit an analysis of the field test and to allow for any
    proposed changes to the data collection instruments and
    procedures to be evaluated and made.  Recommended changes to the
    data collection instruments shall be submitted to NCES/ED for
    approval and to OMB through the COTR.
         8.2  Conduct Field Test.  The contractor shall conduct a
    field test of each ECLS instrument prior to its full-scale
    implementation.  All sampling and data collection procedures
    scheduled for the full-scale study (see Draft Survey Design
    Report under Task 5) shall be used to the extent feasible during
    the conduct of the field test; however, purposive sampling may be
    substituted in order to guarantee a sufficient number of
    respondents for specific populations.
         The field test shall be used to test the entire CATI/CAPI
    system, including scheduling and interview progress reporting
    functions.  It shall also be used to test the wording and flow of
    the questionnaire items including appropriate skip patterns.
         The contractor shall review, analyze and document the
    responses of field test sample members.  The contractor shall pay
    special attention to skip pattern errors, consistency and other
    edit checks, the variability of responses to questions, and the
    sensitivity of items.
         8.3  Report on Field Test.  The contractor shall prepare a
    short summary of the field test for review by NCES/ED and, at
    NCES/ED's request, by members of the ECLS-B TRP.  Any problems
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    encountered during the conduct of the field test and the
    contractor's recommendations for overcoming these problems shall
    be documented and reported.  This short summary report shall be
    submitted no later than three weeks after completing field test
    data collection.
         8.4  Submit Design/Instrument Changes in IMT/OMB Memo.
    Based upon field test results, modifications may be called for in
    the data collection procedures and instruments.  Following
    NCES/ED approval of any revisions to the survey instruments and
    procedures, the contractor shall submit these changes to IMT/OMB
    through NCES/ED.  Notification of these changes shall be made in
    the form of a memorandum from NCES/ED to IMT/OMB.  A draft of the
    memorandum shall be prepared by the contractor and submitted to
    the COTR at the same time it submits the field test report.  The
    contractor shall modify the memorandum based on the comments of
    NCES/ED staff and submit a final memorandum to NCES/ED within one
    week of receipt of NCES/ED comments.
    Task 9.  Hiring and Training CATI/CAPI Interviewers
          The success of the ECLS-B will be due in large part to the
    skills and dedication of the contractor's CATI/CAPI interviewers.
    It is critical that all persons assigned to these positions have
    the necessary verbal,  interpersonal and typing skills required
    for successful CATI/CAPI interviewing.  These skills are
    developed through a combination of prior experiences working on
    other projects and training.
         9.1  Develop Interviewer Training Materials.  In order to
    ensure that the interviewers assigned to the ECLS-B have the
    skill levels necessary to perform successfully the demanding
    tasks associated with the conduct of the study, the contractor
    shall design and implement an interviewer training program. Prior
    to developing any training materials and not later than 12 weeks
    prior to the start of data collection, the contractor shall
    submit an outline of its interviewer training program to NCES/ED
    for review.  This outline shall include:
         1) a training program agenda that identifies the format of
         the session (lecture, interactive, role-playing, etc.), the
         topics to be covered (e.g., study background, overview of
         instruments, survey topical component), and the length of
         time the session is scheduled to run;
         2) an outline of the study materials that interviewers will
         be provided;
         3) a preliminary training program schedule that identifies
         when and where each group of interviewers will be trained;
         and,
         4) the contractor's plan for evaluating the training program
         and the performance of individual trainees during and after
         training.
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         Following NCES/ED review and approval of the interviewer
    training program outline, the contractor shall develop and submit
    draft copies of all training materials to NCES/ED for review at
    least five (5) weeks prior to the start of the first interviewer
    training session and six (6) weeks prior to the start of data
    collection.  The contractor shall make revisions as necessary
    based on NCES/ED's  review of the materials and submit 10 copies
    of the final training materials to the COTR at least five (5)
    working days prior to their being distributed to CATI interviewer
    trainees.
         The contractor shall monitor all data collection activities
    to assure consistent high quality data throughout the collection
    period.  Therefore, as a part of the training plan, the
    contractor shall include awareness of interviewer
    responsibilities under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a),
    the Privacy Act Regulations (34 CFR Part 5b), and the National
    Center for Education Statistics Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-382,
    Section 9007). The contractor shall also follow NCES Standards
    and Policies and design methods of review and checking which will
    take place during and after training to assure that only high
    quality personnel are retained and utilized.  In addition to
    supervisory monitoring, the contractor shall include plans that
    address issues of quality control such as tracking interviewer
    performance, maintenance of standards, identification of poor
    performance, and procedures for correcting such performance.
         9.2  Recruitment of Interviewers.  The contractor shall
    recruit and hire all interviewers needed to complete the data
    collection within the time constraints imposed by the project
    schedule. Whenever possible, the contractor shall recruit
    interviewers with prior CATI/CAPI interviewing experience.
         Because the ECLS-B most likely will oversample Hispanic
    children  and other language minority children, the contractor
    shall have staff who are qualified to conduct the interviews in
    languages other than English.  At a minimum, the contractor shall
    have staff who can conduct the interviews in Spanish, and a
    sufficient number of such staff to conduct the interviews within
    the contractors data collection schedule.
         Confidentiality requirements in NCES contracts mandate that
    interviewers complete a sworn Affidavit of Nondisclosure.  These
    affidavits shall be signed in the presence of a public notary and
    must be dated the first day the interviewer is on the payroll.
    (This requirement applies to all project staff having access to
    the data.)
         9.3  Interviewer Training Sessions.  The contractor shall
    have responsibility for the conduct of the training sessions.
    All sessions shall take place at the contractors' facilities or
    facilities arranged for by the contractor.  The contractor shall
    be responsible for assuring that all interviewers assigned to the
    project successfully complete the training program as specified
    in the training plan. The contractor shall have responsibility
    for the production of all interviewer training materials and
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    shall have sufficient materials available for all staff trained
    during the conduct of the project.
         The contractor shall provide standardized training to all
    staff who will be working with a particular instrument.  Due to
    the large numbers of individuals that will need to be trained,
    training may take place at different times and at different
    sites.  The contractor shall develop materials and use
    technologies, as needed, to insure that all staff receive the
    same training in their respective assignments.
         Interviewer training shall occur at least one week prior to
    the start of data collection.
    Task 10.  Data Collection
         The contractor shall collect all base year, first, and
    second followup data according to the plans contained in its
    technical proposal and the Study Design Report.  All interviewing
    associated with the ECLS-B, unless otherwise approved by NCES/ED,
    shall be done using a CATI/CAPI methodology.  All CATI
    interviewing shall be conducted at the contractor's facilities.
    CATI/CAPI interviewing shall be under the supervision of the
    contractor's staff.
         10.1  Data Collection Schedule.  The contractor shall
    develop and adhere to a data collection schedule that achieves
    the goals of the study and minimizes the effect of childrens age
    on data that are captured at each wave of the study.
         Interviews with childrens parents shall be scheduled so as
    to maximize the number of completed interviews and minimize the
    number of non-productive interviewer hours charged to the
    project.  At least 14 attempts over a two-week period shall be
    made to contact and conduct an interview with the parent of each
    sampled child.  These attempts shall be scheduled so that they
    cover different days of the week and hours of the day.
         10.2  Quality Control Procedures.  The contractor shall
    develop and implement a set of quality control procedures that
    will assure the collection of high quality data throughout the
    data collection period.  Project supervisory staff shall closely
    monitor interviewer activities in order to ensure that all data
    collection procedures are followed and that all standards are
    adhered to.  Problems that are identified shall be addressed
    immediately and consistently.  Statistics on interviewer response
    rates should be maintained and checked regularly to pinpoint
    response rate problems.
         Because of the number of staff who will be assigned to the
    ECLS-B data collection activities (both supervisory and
    interviewer staff), it is important that any decisions that are
    made about the conduct of the survey be disseminated immediately
    and clearly to all staff involved in the project.  The contractor
    shall have procedures in place from the beginning of staff
    training until the end of data collection to assure that all
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    parties involved with the collection of data use the same
    solutions to and interpretations of problems that arise during
    the course of the study.
         10.3  Progress Reports.  Throughout the data collection
    period, the contractor shall provide the COTR with weekly
    progress reports. The contractor shall have a receipt control
    system at its facilities. The contractor's CATI/CAPI system
    (receipt control system) shall be designed in such a way as to be
    able to produce computer-generated reports that show the progress
    that is being made during the interview phase of the project.
    These reports shall contain detailed information on the initial
    and final status of all interviews.  At a minimum, they shall
    include information on the total number of interviews to be
    completed, the number of cases for which contact has been
    attempted and established, the number of cases for which
    interviews have been completed or refusals have occured, the
    number of cases by reason for all types of noninterviews, the
    number of missed scheduled interviews,  the number of interviewer
    hours (aggregated), the number of cases referred to refusal
    conversion, and the number of initial refusals that were
    completed during refusal conversion.  Where appropriate this
    information shall be reported separately by key characteristics
    of sampled cases (e.g., race-ethnicity, region, urban-rural).
    The contractor shall report estimated response rates as well as
    completion rates for all cases to the COTR on a weekly basis.
         In addition to the computer-generated reports described
    above, these weekly reports shall identify any problems
    encountered and either describe how these problems were resolved
    or recommend alternative ways of resolving these problems.  The
    report shall include a short summary certifying that progress is
    at or above target levels for data collection, or explaining why
    sufficient progress is not being made and the steps that are
    being taken to rectify this. These weekly progress reports are in
    addition to the monthly reporting requirements described in
    Section III (Study Requirements, A. Reporting).
         Any problems encountered that either have consequences for
    the project's budget or time schedule shall be brought to the
    attention of the COTR in these weekly progress summaries.
         10.4  Nonresponse Follow-up and Refusal Conversion.  The
    ECLS-B will encounter initial refusals and other types of
    nonresponse.  The potential for nonresponse and its effects on
    study estimates shall be given special consideration in the
    contractors' design of the ECLS-B.  In addition, the contractor
    shall develop and implement a set of procedures for converting
    initial nonrespondents to completed interviews in order to meet
    NCES response rate standards.
         10.5   Tracking sample
         One of the challenges facing the ECLS-B is limiting the
    adverse effects of sample mobility.  To help maintain a high
    response rate, the contractor shall develop methods and
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    procedures for collecting locating information on each
    child/parent sample member.  The contractor shall create and
    maintain a tracking system data base.  At a minimum, the data
    base system shall include the following: 1) child/case
    identification number, 2) parent(s) names, 3) home address and
    telephone number, and 4) names, addresses, and phone numbers of
    two other individuals who would always know the whereabouts of
    the child.
         The contractor shall also have a set of proven procedures
    for locating sample members who change addresses between data
    collections. The contractor shall locate all child/parent sample
    members who change addresses between data collections using these
    procedures and the tracking system data base.
         The contractor shall submit its final specifications for the
    tracking system to the NCES COTR within 24 weeks of the
    contracts start date.   These specifications shall update and
    revise those found in the contractors technical proposal.
    Task  11.  Data File Preparation and Documentation
         Much of the data collected during the conduct of the ECLS-B
    will be entered directly into a computer file through the
    CATI/CAPI system.  Nevertheless, additional steps will be
    necessary to prepare these data and others collected through
    other means for public release and analysis.  The contractor
    shall take the necessary steps to convert the raw data to a more
    useable form.
    The contractor shall develop and implement a set of quality
    control procedures that assures high quality data conversion and
    accuracy.
         11.1  Data Coding and Editing.  Although most data edits
    shall occur online as responses are entered during CATI/CAPI
    interviews (see task 7), the contractor shall perform additional
    data editing and coding at the conclusion of the data collection
    period.  These editing and coding activities shall involve both
    computer-assisted (e.g., CADE) and manual activities.
         Respondent data records shall be reviewed by contractor
    staff for completeness and for any other problems (e.g.,
    inappropriate skips, out-of-range values, input errors) that may
    have occurred during the conduct of the interview.  Problem
    records shall be identified and appropriate corrective actions
    taken.
         The contractor shall submit a plan for post-CATI/CAPI
    editing to NCES/ED by the start of data collection.  NCES/ED will
    review the plan and provide comments and suggestions within two
    weeks of receipt.  The contractor shall revise its post-CATI/CAPI
    editing plan based on NCES/EDs comments and submit a revised
    plan.
         The contractor shall maintain for NCES/ED inspection the
    records and results of the data editing and corrective actions.
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    These records shall be delivered to NCES/ED on request.  A status
    report of the data editing and corrective actions shall be
    delivered to NCES/ED four weeks after the end of data collection.
    This status report shall include cumulative summary statistics by
    instrument on the number of problems detected for the various
    types of items and the status and method of corrective actions
    taken.
         The contractor shall submit specifications for the coding of
    open-ended items by the start of data collection. Coding
    specifications shall be reviewed by NCES/ED and comments from
    NCES/ED provided within two weeks of receipt.  The contractor
    shall revise the specifications based on NCES/ED's comments and
    submit the final coding specifications to NCES/ED one week later.
         The contractor shall code responses to all open-ended
    questions according to the approved coding specifications.
         Data collected through methods other than CATI/CAPI (e.g.,
    self-administered questionnaires) shall be edited and coded by
    the contractor.  The methods and procedures the contractor uses
    to edit and code data collected through these other means shall
    be consistent, and of similar quality, to those used for
    CATI/CAPI interviews.
         11.2  Data Conversion.  The contractor shall design,
    establish, and carry out the procedures necessary to convert the
    data in the CATI/CAPI (and CADE) system to CD-ROM with electronic
    codebooks.  The data set on the CD-ROM shall be made available in
    three formats: 1)ASCII format; 2)SAS/PC; 3)SPSS/PC. ASCII-
    readable input files shall be used by the contractor to create
    Electronic Codebooks (ECBs) for the separate files.
         The contractor shall submit a plan to the COTR that
    describes the proposed structure and specifications for these
    data files.  This plan shall be submitted by the start of base
    year data collection.  NCES/ED will review the plan and provide
    comments within two weeks.  A revised plan shall be submitted two
    weeks after the receipt of NCES/EDs review comments.  The plan
    shall not be implemented without the approval of NCES/ED.
         11.3  Creation of Composite and Classification Variables.
    The contractor shall propose and create a limited number of
    composite (e.g., SES using income measures, parent's education
    and occupation) and classification variables (e.g.,
    race/ethnicity, highest level of parent education,
    family/household composition, count of adults in household, etc.)
    for use by analysts.  A plan for the creation of composite and
    classification variables shall be submitted by the start of base
    year data collection.  NCES/ED shall review the plan and provide
    comments and suggestions within two weeks.  A revised plan
    incorporating the changes requested by NCES/ED shall be submitted
    within one week of receipt of NCES/EDs comments.  Once approved,
    these variables shall be amended to the public use data files and
    their definitions included in the ECLS-B data file user's manual.
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         11.4  Item Nonresponse.  The contractor shall consider the
    impact of item nonresponse on study estimates and analyze the
    level of item nonresponse for individual items and assess the
    merits of imputing for missing item data.  When considering
    whether or not to impute for missing data, the contractor shall
    weigh the advantages and disadvantages of including the imputed
    values on the public release files (with appropriate
    documentation and flags).  These analyses shall be performed and
    the findings reported to NCES/ED prior to the production of the
    final data files.
         The findings of the contractor's analysis of item
    nonresponse shall be reported to the COTR and included in the
    methodology report (see Task 13).  Recommendations regarding the
    imputation for missing data on the public release files shall be
    submitted to NCES/ED. These recommendations shall not be
    implemented without prior approval of the COTR.
         11.5  Sample Weights.  The contractor shall develop sample
    weights to apply to the data.  The weights shall incorporate an
    adjustment for differential questionnaire response rates for
    individuals in different "weighting classes."  Weighting classes
    and adjustment procedures shall be consistent with NCES
    Standards.
         The contractor shall document the procedures planned for use
    in developing the weights and submit these plans to NCES/ED by
    the start of base year data collection.  Two weeks shall be
    allowed for NCES/ED review.  The contractor shall have one week
    to make any revisions resulting from NCES/EDs  review and submit
    a revised plan.
         11.6 Public Release Files and User's Manuals.  The
    contractor shall prepare data files and documentation following
    NCES standards.  The contractor shall submit preliminary or draft
    copies of the following computer-related products 12 weeks after
    the end of data collection:
         1.   ECLS-B restricted-use files on CD-ROM in ASCII, SAS/PC,
              and SPSS/PC formats, with Electronic Codebook.
         2.   ECLS-B public-use files on CD-ROM, in ASCII, SAS/PC,
              and SPSS/PC formats, with Electronic Codebook.
         3.   User's manual (patterned after those developed for
              NELS:88 and NHES:95) for each of the files.  The User's
              Manuals will also include a codebook print file
              containing well-documented, weighted and unweighted
              frequency tables for all variables contained in the
              master files.
         4.    READ.ME files that will be included on the CD-ROM that
              will provide guidelines for accessing the data files
              and describing the data files contained on the CD-ROM.
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          The construction of these files and the associated
    documentation shall be modeled after those in NELS:88 second
    follow up and the 1995 National Household Education Survey.
           For NCES/ED review, the contractor shall provide separate
    ASCII data files with SPSS for Window code on CD-ROMs.  All
    preliminary files and all documentation (including linking IDs)
    needed to access and read the data stored in each file shall be
    delivered within 16 weeks of the end of data collection
    activities.  NCES/ED review of data files and User's Manuals will
    be completed four (4) weeks after receipt of the
    draft/preliminary deliverables.  The contractor shall have two
    (2) weeks to submit revised copies of the tapes and manuals
    following NCES/ED review.  NCES/ED's comments and suggestions
    shall be taken into consideration when developing these final
    products.
         Following NCES/ED approval, 20 copies of the User's Manuals
    shall be sent to NCES/ED along with the final public use data
    files.  At the same time, the contractor shall deliver two
    masters of a CD containing the ASCII data files, SAS/PC and
    SPSS/PC data files, and the ECB.
         11.7  Restricted-use Data Files and User's Manuals.
    Following the same steps presented in Task 11.6 above, the
    contractor shall produce data files that contain restricted-use
    data.  These data files will contain all the variables that
    reside on the public-use files plus variables with potential
    identifiers of respondents (e.g., State codes, Census zipcode
    data, etc.).  These files will be distributed by the government
    through NCES site-license agreements.
         11.8  Disclosure Review Board.  NCES Standards for release
    of public-use data require that the data ready for release be
    submitted to the Disclosure Review Board (DRB). This process
    usually entails having the dataset tested out and ready to
    certify as clean, meaning that all of the procedures in NCES
    Statistical Standard for Machine-Readable Products (IV-06-92) are
    followed, and that data suppression or conversion has been
    performed on individually-identifiable data (NCES Statistical
    Standard for Maintaining Confidentiality, IV-01-92). There should
    be a data release product, usually a Statistics in Brief (see
    task 12), and a Users Manual to submit to the DRB at the same
    time.
         The contractor shall conduct a thorough confidentiality
    analysis of the ECLS-B data when preparing the public use files.
    This analysis shall ensure that the confidentiality provisions
    contained in PL 100-297 are fully complied with. To protect the
    privacy of respondents as required by PL 100-297, respondents
    with high disclosure-risk will be identified.  Data that can
    potentially be used to identify these respondents will be masked.
         Disclosure-risk can be increased as more information is
    collected during future rounds of ECLS-B and as this information
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    is added to the data records of the sample members. The
    contractor shall consider this type of disclosure risk when
    planning and conducting confidentiality analysis for the ECLS-B.
         11.9  Maintenance of Necessary Data Files.  The contractor
    shall maintain complete data files for all waves and components
    of the ECLS and all supplemental files created and obtained in
    support of this study.  Maintenance of data files means keeping
    data file documentation available for reproduction on request
    from data users on a cost-reimbursable basis and keeping a
    machine-readable copy of each data file so that copies can be
    supplied to NCES/ED on request.
         Certain data files that shall be maintained may not be made
    available to the public because of privacy considerations.  In
    these cases, file maintenance means that the data files shall be
    kept intact, in a form that can be updated or copied.  Data files
    shall not be allowed to expire, to be released, to be
    overwritten, or otherwise destroyed.  These files shall be
    maintained with a software system capable of easily interlinking
    them for analytic (or other) purposes while, at the same time,
    preserving the necessary confidentiality requirements of the
    study.
    Task 12.  Data Analysis and Reporting
         12.1 Descriptive Reports.  The contractor shall analyze the
    ECLS-B data and prepare two Statistics in Brief publications.
    The first Statistics in Brief serves two purposes:
         1)  To adjudicate the public release data files (see task
    11), and
         2)  To stimulate interest in the ECLS-B data.
    The second Statistics in Brief will serve to futher stimulate
    interest in the ECLS-B.
         A Statistics in Brief report is anywhere from 12-20 pages in
    length and shall contain the following information:
         1)   A short introduction with a brief review of relevant
              literature;
         2)   A brief description of the ECLS-B;
         3)   Findings;
         4)   Summary and conclusions;
         5)   A number of major tables, with standard errors;
         6)   Figures from table data (optional);
         7)   A short methodology section that describes the study
              design and methods, including: the characteristics of
              the sample used in the analysis, operational
              definitions of the variables found in the report, and
              tests of significance used; and
         8)   An acknowledgments section.
         The contractor shall use as a model appropriate extant
    NCES/ED publications. The exact format will be determined by the
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    COTR and all reports prepared by the contractor shall follow NCES
    publication standards.
         The contractor shall submit an outline for the Statistics in
    Brief reports to NCES/ED 8 weeks before the end of data
    collection.  NCES/ED will take two weeks for review, and the
    contractor shall submit the revised outline, incorporating
    NCES/ED review comments, one week later.  Once the outline is
    approved by NCES/ED, the contractor shall begin preparation of
    the reports.  NCES/ED expects that several iterations will be
    required for each report.  The first draft of the first-release
    report shall be due 20 weeks after the end of data collection.
    NCES/ED shall require a minimum of two weeks for the review of at
    least one of the iterations.  In addition to hardcopy, the briefs
    shall be submitted on floppy diskette using Microsoft Word 7.0 or
    above.  The contractor and NCES/ED will jointly author the
    report.  No information in a report shall be released prior to
    NCES/ED approval of the report.
         All differences cited in the text of the report shall be
    supported by an appropriate statistical test (e.g., Bonferroni-
    adjusted t-test, chi square, etc.).  Standard errors of the
    estimates presented in the brief shall be reported in the
    technical appendix.
         Statistics in Briefs and most other published products
    (Working Papers are an exception) go through a peer review
    process termed adjudication. This process involves internal
    review within NCES, and requires that the publication be sent out
    to other parts of the Department of Education and to several
    academic or government reviewers who are chosen for their
    expertise in the subject area. Two weeks should be allowed for
    circulation of the report to be adjudicated. An adjudication
    meeting is scheduled at the end of the review period, and all
    members convene or send in their comments and all comments are
    discussed. Comments are accepted, modified, or rejected, by
    consensus, and the contractor must incorporate the comments and
    write up a memorandum to the Adjudicator detailing the changes
    within two weeks following the meeting. At that point, once all
    parties have given their approval, the contractor shall prepare a
    camera-ready copy and electronic file copy within two weeks.
         12.2  Standard Error Calculations.  The contractor shall
    develop and implement procedures (see NCES Statistical Standards)
    to enable users of the ECLS-B to estimate the sampling errors of
    study estimates.  The contractor shall calculate estimates of
    design effects for a minimum of thirty variables for the total
    sample and for various subgroups of selected respondent
    characteristics  (e.g., sex, race/ethnicity, SES, and at least
    two other variables recommended by the contractor).  Means and
    standard deviations of the design effect distributions shall be
    calculated.  The same set of procedures shall be followed for
    each public release tape developed under this contract.
         The data files created by the contractor for each ECLS-B
    component shall contain the elements necessary to support the
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    calculation of standard errors for complex designs using one of
    three possible methods--balanced repeated replication (BRR),
    jackknife repeated replication (JRR), or Taylor series procedures
    (TSP).  If the contractor uses a software package to calculate
    these standard errors other than those available to NCES/ED, it
    shall make this package available to NCES/ED.
         If BRR or JRR is used, the contractor shall provide
    replicate codes that indicate the computing strata and the half-
    sample to which each sample unit belongs and the contractor shall
    provide, for each sample unit, the replicate weights for all
    replicates that were formed in order to calculate variances.  If
    TSP is used, the contractor shall provide the stratum code and
    PSU code that identifies each sample unit.
         Regardless of the method used, the contractor shall describe
    in detail the method used to calculate the standard errors in the
    User's Manual.  This description shall instruct users how to use
    the data elements and the associated software to calculate sample
    variances for the ECLS-B.  A short example of the method and the
    use of the available software shall be provided in the manual.
         The contractor shall submit to NCES/ED its plan for 1)
    computing standard errors, 2) analyzing patterns of nonresponse
    and 3) estimating nonresponse bias for key items in each study
    instrument by the start of base year data collection.  The plan
    will be reviewed within two weeks by NCES/ED, and the contractor
    shall submit a revised plan within one week of receipt of
    comments.  The contractor shall include results of these analyses
    in the User's Manual (see task 11) and in the Methodology Report
    (see task 13).
    Task 13. Methodology Report
         The contractor shall submit a methodology report that
    documents the entire ECLS-B project including:  a description of
    the sample design, weighting, and imputation scheme (sample
    design report); item nonresponse rates, unit nonresponse rates,
    and bias analysis (nonresponse and bias report); instrument
    development and CATI specifications (CATI methodology report);
    and data collection procedures (field report).  This report shall
    be submitted 24 weeks after the end of base year data collection.
         This report shall describe the study design and all
    procedures used to conduct the ECLS-B.  The contractor shall
    describe special features of the study in detail and any problems
    encountered either during the design or implementation of the
    study identified.  Changes that were made to the design and/or
    procedures in response to unanticipated problems shall be
    documented.  The Methodology Report shall include major findings
    pertaining to the methods used and/or experimented with during
    the conduct of the study and discuss their implications for
    future surveys.
         After a two week NCES/ED review, the contractor shall revise
    the report based on the comments and suggestions of NCES/ED
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    staff.  The revised methodology report shall be submitted to
    NCES/ED within two weeks of receipt of NCES/ED review comments.
    Once NCES/ED has approved the final report, the contractor shall
    submit 20 copies of the report to NCES/ED.  In addition to
    hardcopies, each final methodology report shall be delivered on
    floppy diskette.  The electronic version of the report shall be
    delivered to NCES/ED in Word version 7.0 or later. The contractor
    and NCES/ED will jointly author the report.  No information
    contained in a report shall be released prior to NCES/ED approval
    of the report. The COTR may request that the methodological
    reports also be prepared in Web-readable format.
         The contractor shall update this report after each
    subsequent round of data collection.  The contractor shall submit
    modifications and changes to the report based on the first and
    second followup experience.  These modifications and changes
    shall be submitted within 24 weeks of completing each round of
    data collection.  The schedule for NCES/ED's review will be the
    same as for the base-year methodology report.
    C.  Optional Special Studies and Supplements
         In addition to the core tasks (tasks 1 through 13), this
    procurement includes five optional special studies and
    supplements.  The requirements for each are described below.
    C.1  Oversample of American Indian Children
         During the study design phase of the ECLS-K,  NCES/ED
    supported work to look into the feasibility of oversampling
    American Indian children in order to support separate national
    estimates for this group of children.  Several different methods
    for increasing the number of American Indian children in the
    ECLS-K sample were investigated.  These methods are described in
    the ECLS Study Design Report.
         The ECLS-B contractor shall develop and implement a plan for
    increasing the number of American Indian children sampled for the
    ECLS-B.  The contractor shall oversample American Indian children
    in order to support national estimates for this group of
    children. The contractor shall oversample American Indian
    children in order to increase the total number of these children
    in the ECLS-B sample to 1,000.
         Once selected for participation in the ECLS, the contractor
    shall ensure that these children, their parents/guardians, and
    child care providers participate fully in the study.  The
    contractor shall complete tasks 3 through 13.
    C.2  Children with Disabilities
         One of the benefits arising from a national study of
    children is the collection of data on a wide range of early
    learning experiences and environments for different groups of
    children.  The core ECLS-B sample will include 1) children with
    disabilities who have been identified and are receiving special
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    education related services, 2) children with disabilities who are
    not receiving special education related services, 3) children who
    are at risk but have not yet been identified, and 4) children who
    have received special education related services but are no
    longer receiving these services.  As children age, the
    distribution of children in these different groups will change.
    While it appears that the core ECLS-B sample will include
    sufficient numbers of children receiving special education
    services to support independent analyses of this group as a
    whole, a sufficient number of children to support independent
    analyses of children with specific disabilities (i.e., blindness,
    deafness, orthopedic impairment) is not expected unless such
    children are oversampled.  In addition, without augmentations to
    the design, other key issues related to the population of
    children with disabling conditions and their special education
    needs will not be adequately addressed in the core ECLS-B.  The
    longitudinal study of children with disabling conditions, if
    incorporated into the ECLS-B study design, will be funded by the
    U. S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education.
         The design of the optional study of children with
    disabilities requires that the members of this sample be followed
    for the same period of time as the main ECLS-B sample.
    C.3  Food and Consumer Service
         One of the purposes of the ECLS-B is to study the influence
    of childrens physical characteristics and household
    circumstances on their behavior and development. A  proposed area
    of investigation for the ECLS-B is the relationship between
    childrens nutrition and participation in nutrition programs and
    their physical, social and emotional, and cognitive development.
         NCES/ED plans to collect information in the ECLS-B about the
    participation of children's families in federal assistance
    programs (e.g., food stamps, WIC, AFDC).  An additional
    supplement to the ECLS-B would be to collect measures of infant
    feeding practices, childrens physical activity, childrens
    height and weight, their mothers participation in prenatal care
    programs, and their families food sufficiency situations.
    Information on how often children engage in activities requiring
    physical exertion would be obtained from parent and nonparental
    care provider reports; information on childrens height and
    weight would be collected at each scheduled wave of the study;
    and, data on infant feeding practices and families abilities to
    get enough to eat would be acquired from the parent interview.
         If this additional supplement is included in the ECLS-B, it
    will be funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and
    Consumer Service (FCS).  The contractor shall work with FCS and
    NCES/ED to identify measures of infant feeding practices,
    childrens physical activity, childrens height and weight, their
    mothers participation in prenatal care programs, and their
    families food sufficiency situations.  The contractor shall
    design and implement an approach for collecting these data.  The
    contractor shall complete tasks 3 through 13 for this supplement.
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    C.4 Home Assessment
         An important goal of the ECLS-B is to obtain a clearer
    understanding of the relationship between the environments in
    which early learning takes place and childrens preparation for
    school.  The study is interested in the different settings in
    which early learning takes place, especially the home
    environment.  The design of the ECLS-B shall lead to the
    collection of data on a range of characteristics that define the
    structure of the home environment and the activities and
    interactions that occur within the home.
         NCES/ED believes that valuable information can be obtained
    from the parents on the activities and interactions that take
    place in the home with the use of traditional interview methods.
    However, it also recognizes the value of collecting data through
    other means (e.g., observational studies).
         The contractor shall design and implement a study that
    enhances the data that are available to describe and analyze
    childrens homes and the impact of the home on child outcomes.
    The contractor shall carefully weigh the need for such data, the
    quality of the data that will result from the use of these
    methods, and the cost of collecting these data.
    C.5 Father Data
         In recent years, attention on the role of fathers has
    increased at the federal level.  As a result, more information on
    fathers, whether they live in or out of their childs household,
    has been collected.  Nonetheless, the recent studies collecting
    this information have generally relied upon a sampled childs
    mother to answer questions regarding the childs father.  While
    mothers may be able to adequately provide factual information
    about their child's father (e.g., age and level of education),
    they are less likely to be adequate proxy respondents when it
    comes to providing information on the fathers attitudes,
    beliefs, and behaviors.  As a result, a proposed area of study
    for the ECLS-B is to conduct supplemental interviews with
    fathers.
         NCES/ED plans to collect demographic, education, and
    employment information in the ECLS-B about fathers residing with
    sampled children whether or not they are the actual respondents.
    An additional supplement to the ECLS-B would collect information
    directly from fathers regarding their parental role
    identification (e.g., specific duties versus co-parents), their
    perception of their financial situation, their involvement and
    expectations with regards to their children, their family of
    origin (i.e., what kind of fathers they had), and their
    relationship with their wives.
         The contractor shall develop and implement a methodology for
    collecting data from all or a sample of the fathers of ECLS-B
    sampled children.  The contractor shall complete tasks 3 through
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    13 for this supplement.
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                      SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING
     D.1   SHIPMENT AND MARKING
           (ED 303-1) (MAR 1986)
     (a)  The contract number shall be placed on or adjacent to all
     exterior mailing or shipping labels of deliverable items called for
     by the contract.
     (b)  Ship deliverable items to:
              U.S. Department of Education
              Contracts & Purchasing Operations
              7th and D Streets, SW
              ROB 3, Room 3616, Mail Stop 4447
              Washington, DC 20202-4447
     (c)  Mark deliverables for:   ______
    D.2   PACKING
          (ED 303-4) (MAR 1986)
     Preservation, packing and packaging of items for shipment shall be in
     accordance with commercial practice and adequate for acceptance by
     common carrier for safe transportation at the most economical rates.
    D.3   F.O.B. DESTINATION
          (ED 303-2) (MAR 1986)
     All deliverables shall be shipped on an F.O.B. Destination basis.
     The point for that shall be the delivery point otherwise specified
     under this section.
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                SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE
     E.1   INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE
           (ED 304-1) (FEB 1985)
  Pursuant to the inspection clause in Part II, Section I, final
  inspection and acceptance of all contracted items shall be made by
  the Contracting Officer.
 Inspection and acceptance will be performed at:
           U.S. Department of Education
           Contracts & Purchasing Operations
           7th and D Streets, SW
           ROB 3, Room 3616, Mail Stop 4447
           Washington, DC 20202-4447
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                SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE
    F.1   PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
          (ED 305-5) (MARCH 1986)
 Performance hereunder shall be completed within
 60 months of the date of contract award,
 inclusive of all specified deliveries and/or task work.
    F.2   DELIVERABLES
          (ED 305-6) (MARCH 1986)
 All deliverables shall be submitted to the designated Department
of  Education Contracting Officer.  This shall be done according to
the kinds, quantities and dates indicated in the Schedule of
Deliverables below.
    F.3   REPORT OF CONSULTANTS
          (ED 305-2) (MAR 1986)
 The contractor must maintain a written report for the files on the
 results of all consultations charged to this contract.  This report
 must include, as a minimum:  (1) the consultant's name, dates, hours
 and amount charged to the contract, (2) the names of the contractor
 or subcontractor staff to whom the services are provided, and (3) the
 results of the subject matter of the consultations.
   F.4    Monthly Progress Report
The contractor shall submit monthly letters of progress to the
Contracts Officer for the duration of the contract.  Letters of
progress shall describe major activities by task and
accomplishments, problems and suggested solutions, significant
findings and events, any decisions which may be needed from
NCES/ED, and plans for the period until the next report.  In
addition to reporting on the progress of the contract, the letter
of progress shall be used as one of the ways of keeping all parties
(e.g., subcontractors, cosponsors) up to date on project
activities.   Progress letters shall be submitted to the Contracts
Officer on the same business day of each month.
   F.5    Monthly Summary of Project Expenditures
A summary of project expenditures shall be included with each
letter of progress.  Project expenditures shall include:  1) a
table summarizing, by task, the budgeted cost for the month, the
actual cost for the month, the cumulative budgeted cost, the
cumulative actual cost, the percent of the contracted amount spent
to date, the estimated cost to complete, the total estimated cost,
the contracted cost, and the difference between the total estimated
cost and the contracted cost; and 2) a manpower report prepared
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and signed by the project director that summarizes actual
personnel assignments for staff for the month just completed and
the hours charged by task.  This information shall be reported
individually for key project staff and by labor category (e.g.,
programmer, clerical, statistician, field assessor).  The format
chosen shall be the same from month to month.  The same format
shall be used to report on any subcontractor activity and costs.
   F.6    Contractor Interaction with Government
The contractor shall communicate regularly (several times each
week) and work closely with the COTR on all aspects of the study.
To facilitate this communication, the contractor shall set up an
electronic system for transferring information via electronic mail
and microcomputer.  The contractor shall make frequent phone calls
and up to three visits per year to NCES/ED to discuss project
problems and progress.  The contractor's project director shall
have a regularly scheduled weekly telephone conference with the
COTR to discuss project progress, upcoming activities, and
problems.
   F.7  NCES/ED REVIEW AND APPROVAL
     The contractor shall consult with the COTR before making any
major decision concerning a deliverable product.  Reports
prepared by the contractor shall follow guidelines referenced by
the most current version of NCES/ED' Standards (1992). It is a
requirement that schedules for deliverables found in the
contractors proposal be kept and that NCES/ED standards be
followed during all phases of project work.
     An outline shall be submitted and approved by the COTR
before beginning preparation of specific reports and plans.
Outlines are required for the following reports and plans:
     -    Study design report (task 5)
     -    User's manuals (task 11)
     -    Methodology report (task 13)
     The contractor shall expect that major reports and
deliverables (e.g., questionnaires, users manuals, IMT/OMB
clearance package, methodology report) shall require three
revisions. The contractor shall expect that other deliverables
(e.g., monthly progress letters, meeting agenda) shall require
one revision.
     The contractor shall allow sufficient time for NCES/ED and
OERI review.  Unless noted elsewhere, the contractor shall allow
two weeks for NCES/ED review of each draft deliverable.  Two
weeks  shall be allowed for the contractor to respond to any
requests for revisions.  All revisions requested by NCES/ED shall
be incorporated unless justified in a cover memorandum.
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   F.8  QUALITY CONTROL
     The contractor is required to develop and submit a number of
reports, memorandum, and other materials and products during the
conduct of the ECLS-B.  The expectation is that all such
materials (even when they are labeled draft) will be of high
quality and of sufficient quality to be released as is.  Quality
control of these materials is a contractor responsibility.  All
reports, memorandum, and other deliverables (including any
produced by subcontractors) submitted to NCES/ED shall be
accompanied by a letter of transmittal signed by the ECLS-B
project director and the corporate official with corporate
oversight responsibility for the ECLS-B.
   F.9  SCHEDULE OF MILESTONES AND DELIVERABLES
     The products that the contractor is required to prepare and
submit to NCES/ED are in the descriptions of the 13 core tasks and
the optional studies and supplements. While there may be other
possible schedules for completing the tasks associated with the
ECLS-B, several activities must take place at the specific times
indicated during the conduct of the project.  The final IMT/OMB
clearance package for the field test and main study data
collections (see task 6) shall be submitted to NCES/ED at least 150
working days prior to the start of the field test.
Below is listed the Schedule of Deliverables:
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                SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA
    G.1   CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR
          (ED 306-8) (FEB 1985)
     The Contractor shall designate one individual to be contacted
     during the period of the contract for prompt contract
     administration.
        ______
        ______
        ______
        ______
        ______
        ______
        ______
     G.2   ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
           (ED 306-2) (JAN 1989)
     (A)  The contractor shall request written authorization from the
     contracting officer before acquiring any contractually necessary
     property to which the Government will have title.
     The request shall include complete descriptions of all individual
     items which will exceed $1,000 in cost, including:
         (a) a brief statement of function;
         (b) manufacturer and manufacturer's brand name, model or part
         number;
         (c) vendor and its proposed price;
     (B)  Management of government property in the possession of the
     contractor shall be in accordance with FAR Part 45.  The contractor
     shall provide an annual report of total property acquisition cost,
     as required by FAR 45.505-14.
     G.3   INVOICE AND CONTRACT FINANCING REQUEST SUBMISSION
           (ED 306-1) (MAR 1988)
     (A)  The Government agrees to pay the Contractor as complete
    compensation for all work and services performed and materials
    furnished under this contract those allowable costs defined in
    the contract clause entitled "ALLOWABLE COST AND PAYMENT" in
    an amount not to exceed the estimated costs specified in the
    contract.
     (B)  The contractor shall submit the original and two (2)
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    copies of the invoices or contract financing requests to the
    Designated Billing Office.
         ______
         ______
         ______
         ______
         ______
         ______
     Note:  Invoices or contract financing requests must be sent to the
            designated billing office indicated above.  Invoices or
            contract financing requests should NOT be sent to the
            "Payment will be made by" office indicated on the face page
            of the contract (block 12 of SF26 or block 25 of SF33).
     (C)  The Contractor shall prepare invoices and contract financing
    requests in accordance with the billing instructions attached hereto
    and made a part of this contract.
     G.4   PROVISIONAL AND NEGOTIATED FINAL OVERHEAD RATES
           (ED 306-9) (OCT 1993)
     (a)  Pending the establishment of final indirect cost rates, as
     required by the clause entitled "Allowable Cost and Payment"
     FAR 52.216-7, the Contractor shall be reimbursed for its indirect
     costs on the basis of the negotiated provisional, or billing,
     rates as set forth below.  Those rates shall remain in effect
     until the contract is modified to incorporated either negotiated
     final in-direct rates, as directed by either paragraph (d) or
     (f) of the same clause, as applicable, or revised provisional
     indirect cost rates, as explained in paragraph (e).
     (b)  The provisional overhead rate applicable to this contract is
     ______% for _______________________________________________________
     ______% for _______________________________________________________
     ______% for _______________________________________________________
     ______% for _______________________________________________________
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                SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
     H.1   PAYMENT OF PRINTING TO BE PERFORMED BY THE
           GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
           (ED 307-8) (APR 1992)
     The General Provisions of this contract set forth the Department's
     policy regarding printing to be performed in order to meet the terms
     of the contract.  Should the services of the Government Printing
     Office (GPO) be required, the contractor shall request to the
     Department of Education to requisition those, subject to the
     contractor's provision of a completed SF-1, Printing and Binding
     Requisition to the Public Printer.  Payment to the GPO shall be made
     directly by the Department and charged to the Contract.
     H.2   COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS APPLICATION
           (ED 307-11) (JUNE 1992)
    The contract clause entitled "Cost Accounting Standards" shall apply
    to any resulting contract, except as exempted under Section
    9903.201-1(b) of 48 CFR (CAS) Chapter 99 or when the contract is
    eligible for modified coverage under Section 9903.201-2(b) of the
    same Regulation. The clause entitled "Disclosure and Consistency of
    Cost Accounting Practices" shall apply in the latter case.
     H.3   ORDER OF PRECEDENCE (SOLICITATION)
           (ED 307-1) (NOVEMBER 1986)
     Any inconsistency in this solicitation shall be resolved by giving
    precedence in the following order:
        (a) the Schedule (excluding the work statement or
    specification),
        (b) representations and other instructions,
        (c) contract clauses (Section I)
        (d) any incorporated documents, exhibits, or attachments,
            excluding the work statement or specifications, and
        (e) work statement or specifications.
     H.4   DUAL COMPENSATION
           (ED 307-3) (MAR 1985)
 If a project staff member, subcontractor, or consultant is involved in
two or more projects, at least one of which is supported by Federal
funds, he/she may not be compensated for more than 100 percent of
his/her time during any part of the period of dual involvement.  That
is, an individual is prohibited from receiving double payment for any
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                                         RFP 98-003
given period of work.
     H.5   PAYMENT OF TRAVEL EXPENSES AND FEES FOR ED EMPLOYEES
           (ED 307-5) (MAR 1985)
 The Contractor shall not use any contract funds, or funds from other
sources, to pay the travel expenses of, or a fee to, ED employees for
lectures, attending program functions, or any other activities in
connection with this contract.
     H.6   PROHIBITION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST INDIVIDUALS
           WITH DISABILITIES (ED 301-20) (FEB 1995)
    The contractor shall comply with all applicable requirements of the
    Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 including Section 302, which
    provides that:
          "No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of
    disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services,
    facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place
    of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases
    to), or operates a place of public accommodation."
    Failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,
    as amended, shall be considered a failure to comply with the terms
    of this contract.
     H.7   REQUIRED SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION FOR
           PAYMENT BY ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER
           (ED 307-30) (SEP 1996)
    A.  FAR clause 52.232-33, Mandatory Information of Electronic Funds
    Transfer Payments, requires that contractors submit to the payment
    office information needed for payment by EFT.
    1.  If the contractor is already enrolled in the Vendor Express
    program and is receiving payments from ED through EFT, the
    contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer of its Vendor
    Express number and enter it on all invoices submitted for payment
    under this contract.
    2.  If the contractor is already enrolled in the Vendor Express
    program and receiving payments through EFT but not from ED,
    the contractor shall send a copy of its original Vendor Express
    enrollment Proof Letter to:
              Bernice Byrd
              U.S. Department of Education
              Program Management & Reporting Unit
              600 Independence Ave., SW, Room 3365
              Washington, D.C.  20202
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                                         RFP 98-003
    Or fax to:
              (202) 40l-l624
             (For confirmation of receipt call:  (202) 40l-0995.)
    The contractor shall promptly notify the Contracting Officer that
    one copy of its Proof Letter has been sent to the address above.
    3.  If the contractor is not currently enrolled in Vendor Express,
    the contractor shall call the National Finance Center (NFC)
    Inquiry line at l-800-42l-0323, Miscellaneous Payments Section,
    or Lea Lang at 504-255-3327, to request a Vendor Express
    application package including enrollment form SF 388l with an
    assigned Vendor Express number indicated in block 8, Additional
    Information.  The contractor must follow the NFC enrollment
    instructions and send the completed form back to:
              USDA/NFC
              P.O. Box 60,000
              Tano Building
              New Orleans, LA  70l60
    NFC will send a Prenotifiction Letter of enrollment to the
    contractor's financial institution indicated in the financial
    institution information blocks of the SF 388l.  NFC will also
    send a "test" entry of payment for zero dollars to the
    financial institution requesting verification of the
    contractor's account information.  The financial institution
    must return the completed Prenotification Letter with
    verification of the successful "test" entry to NFC within
    three work days.  The contractor will receive a Proof Letter
    from NFC indicating that the account is now active and that
    NFC is now able to implement payments using Vendor Express.
    The contractor shall promptly send a copy of its Proof
    Letter to the address in paragraph 2 above and notify the
    Contracting Officer.
    B.  Contractors can call NFC Inquiry at the 800 number in
    A.3. to confirm that their account has been properly
    activated to receive payments through EFT.  Contractors who
    have already submitted the required SF 388l Enrollment form
    to NFC and have NOT received a Proof Letter, must call NFC
    Inquiry line to follow up on their enrollment status.
     H.8   MANDATORY INFORMATION FOR
           ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER PAYMENT
           (FAR 52.232-33) (AUG 1996)
         (a)  Method of payment.  Payments by the Government under this
    contract, including invoice and contract financing payments, may be
    made by check or electronic funds transfer (EFT) at the option of
    the Government.  If payment is made by EFT, the Government may, at
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                                         RFP 98-003
    its option, also forward the associated payment information by
    electronic transfer.  As used in this clause, the term "EFT" refers
    to the funds transfer and may also include the information transfer.
         (b)  Mandatory submission of Contractor's EFT information. (l)
    The Contractor is required, as a condition to any payment under this
    contract, to provide the Government with the information required to
    make payment by EFT as described in paragraph (d) of this clause,
    unless the payment office determines that submission of the
    information is not required. However, until January l, 1999, in the
    event the Contractor certifies in writing to the payment office that
    the Contractor does not have an account with a financial institution
    or an authorized payment agent, payment shall be made by other than
    EFT.  For any payments to be made after January l, 1999, the
    Contractor shall provide EFT information as described in paragraph
    (d) of this clause.
         (2)  If the Contractor provides EFT information, applicable to
    multiple contracts, the Contractor shall specifically state the
    applicability of this EFT information in terms acceptable to the
    payment office.
         (c)  Contractor's EFT information.  Prior to submission of the
    first request for payment (whether for invoice or contract financing
    payment) under this contract, the Contractor shall provide the
    information required to make contract payment by EFT, as described
    in paragraph (d) of this clause, directly to the Government payment
    office named in this contract.  If more than one payment office is
    named for the contract, the Contractor shall provide a separate
    notice to each office. In the event that the EFT information
    changes, the Contractor shall be responsible for providing the
    changed information to the designated payment office(s).
         (d)  Required EFT information.  The Government may make payment
    by EFT through either an Automated Clearing House (ACH) subject to
    the banking laws of the United States or the Federal Reserve Wire
    Transfer System at the Government's option.  The Contractor shall
    provide the following information for both methods in a form
    acceptable to the designated payment office. The Contractor may
    supply this data for this or multiple contracts (see paragraph (b)
    of this clause).
         (l)  The contract number to which this notice applies.
         (2)  The Contractor's name and remittance address, as stated in
    the contract, and the contract number at the Contractor's financial
    agent.
         (3)  The signature (manual or electronic, as appropriate),
    title, and telephone number of the Contractor official authorized to
    provide this information.
         (4)  For ACH payments only:
         (i)  Name, address, and 9-digit Routing Transit Number of the
    Contractor's financial agent.
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                                         RFP 98-003
         (ii)  Contractor's account number and the type of account
    (checking, saving, or lockbox).
         (5)  For Federal Reserve Wire Transfer System payments only:
              (i)  Name, address, telegraphic abbreviation, and the
    9-digit Routing Transit Number for the Contractor's financial agent.
              (ii)  If the Contractor's financial agent is not directly
    on-line to the Federal Reserve Wire Transfer System and, therefore,
    not the receiver of the wire transfer payment, the Contractor shall
    also provide the name, address, and 9-digit Routing Transit Number
    of the correspondent financial institution receiving the wire
    transfer payment.
         (e)  Suspension of payment.  (l)  Notwithstanding the
    provisions of any other clause of this contract, the Government is
    not required to make any payment under this contract until after
    receipt, by the designated payment office, of the correct EFT
    payment information from the Contractor or a certificate submitted
    in accordance with paragraph (b) of this clause.  Until receipt of
    the correct EFT information, any invoice or contract shall be deemed
    not to be a valid invoice or contract financing request as defined
    in the Prompt Payment clause of this contract.
         (2)  If the EFT information changes after submission of correct
    EFT information, the Government shall begin using the changed EFT
    information no later than the 30th day after its receipt to the
    extent payment is made by EFT.  However, the Contractor may request
    that no further payments be made until the changed EFT information
    is implemented by the payment office.  If such suspension would
    result in a late payment under the Prompt Payment clause of this
    contract, the Contractor's request for suspension shall extend the
    due date for payment by the number of days of the suspension.
         (f)  Contractor EFT arrangements.  The Contractor shall
    designate a single financial agent capable of receiving and
    processing the electronic funds transfer using the EFT methods
    described in paragraph (d) of this clause.  The Contractor shall pay
    all fees and charges for receipt and processing of transfers.
         (g)  Liability for uncompleted or erroneous transfers. (l)  If
    an uncompleted or erroneous transfer occurs because the Government
    failed to use the Contractor-provided EFT information in the correct
    manner, the Government remains responsible for (i) making a correct
    payment, (ii) paying any prompt payment penalty due, and (iii)
    recovering any erroneously directed funds.
         (2)  If an uncompleted or erroneous transfer occurs because
    Government-provided EFT information was incorrect at the time of
    Government release of the EFT payment transaction instruction to the
    Federal Reserve System, and --
         (i)  If the funds are no longer under the control of the
    payment office, the Government is deemed to have made payment and
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                                         RFP 98-003
    the Contractor is responsible for recovery of any erroneously
    directed funds; or
         (ii)  If the funds remain under the control of the payment
    office, the Government retains the right to either make payment by
    mail or suspend the payment in accordance with paragraph (e) of this
    clause.
         (h)  EFT and prompt payment.  (l)  A payment shall be deemed to
    have been made in a timely manner in accordance with the Prompt
    Payment clause of this contract if, in the EFT payment transaction
    instruction given to the Federal Reserve System, the date specified
    for settlement of the payment is on or before the prompt payment due
    date, provided the specified payment date is a valid date under the
    rules of the Federal Reserve System.
         (2)  When payment cannot be made by EFT because of incorrect
    EFT information provided by the Contractor, no interest penalty is
    due after the date of the uncompleted or erroneous payment
    transaction, provided that notice of the defective EFT information
    is issued to the Contractor within 7 days after the Government is
    notified of the defective EFT information.
         (i)  EFT and assignment of claims.  If the Contractor assigns
    the proceeds of this contract as provided for in the Assignment of
    Claims clause of this contract, the assignee shall provide the
    assignee EFT information required by paragraph (d) of this clause.
    In all respects, the requirements of this clause shall apply to the
    assignee as if it were the Contractor.  EFT information which shows
    the ultimate recipient of the transfer to be other than the
    Contractor, in the absence of a proper assignment of claims
    acceptable to the Government, is incorrect EFT information within
    the meaning of paragraph (e) of this clause.
         (j)  Payment office discretion.  If the Contractor does not
    wish to receive payment by EFT methods for one or more payments, the
    Contractor may submit a request to the designated payment office to
    refrain from requiring EFT information or using the EFT payment
    method.  The decision to grant the request is solely that of the
    Government.
         (k)  Change of EFT information by financial agent.  The
    Contractor agrees that the Contractor's financial agent may notify
    the Government of a change to the routing transit number, Contractor
    account number, or account type.  The Government shall use the
    changed data in accordance with paragraph (e)(2) of this clause.
    The Contractor agrees that the information provided by the agent is
    deemed to be correct information as if it were provided by the
    Contractor.  The Contractor agrees that the agent's notice of
    changed EFT data is deemed to be a request by the Contractor in
    accordance with paragraph (e)(2) that no further payments be made
    until the changed EFT information is implemented by the payment
    office.
                            (End of Clause)
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                                         RFP 98-003
     H.9   ACCESSIBILITY OF SOFTWARE
           ED 316-1 (APR 1997)
         The Department of Education (ED) considers universal acces-
    sibility to information a priority for all its employees and
    external customers, including individuals with disabilities. Under
    Sections 504 and 508 ofthe Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C.
    subsections 794 and 794d, as amended, ED must ensure the
    accessibility of its programs and activities, specifically including
    electronic and information technology.  ED maintains the manual,
    "Requirements for Accessible Software Design," to convey the
    accessibility needs of the Department to the developers and
    suppliers of computer applications.  To comply with the provisions
    of this clause, the contractor may use the edition of the ED manual
    "Requirements for Accessible Software Design" in effect at the date
    of award of this contract or any more recent edition.  A copy of the
    most recent edition of the manual may be found at
    ocfo.ed.gov/coninfo/clibrary/software.htm.
         (a)  Software developed for ED--The contractor shall ensure
    that any software developed under this contract for use by ED's
    employees or external customers is accessible to individuals with
    disabilities.  At a minimum, such software must meet all the
    requirements the ED manual "Requirements for Accessible Software
    Design."  However, in accordance with paragraph (d) of this clause,
    the contracting officer may waive a requirement in writing.
         (b)  Software enhanced or modified for ED--Any enhancements and
    other modifications, made under this contract to software for use by
    ED's employees or external customers, are subject to the
    requirements of paragraph (a) of this clause, regardless of where or
    how the software was first developed.  Except as otherwise specified
    elsewhere in the contract schedule, the contractor is only required
    to ensure that the enhancements or modifications (not other features
    or parts of the software) comply with the requirements of paragraph
    (a).  However, the contractor is encouraged to point out
    deficiencies in the accessibility of the software and to suggest
    solutions to ensure the software fully complies with the
    accessibility requirements of paragraph (a).
         (c)  Other software delivered under this contract--Unless
    otherwise specified elsewhere in the contract schedule, the
    contractor is not required to ensure that software not developed
    under this contract meets the accessibility requirements of
    paragraph (a).  However--
             (1) The contractor shall consider accessibility to
    individuals with disabilities as a significant factor when selecting
    or purchasing any software that will be delivered under this
    contract for use by ED's employees or external customers.
             (2) At least ten calendar days prior to final selection of
    any software with a total estimated cost or price over $5,000 that
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                                         RFP 98-003
    does not meet all the requirements of the ED manual "Requirements
    for Accessible Software Design," the contractor shall notify the
    Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) in writing.
    Such notice shall list the specific acces- sibility features that
    are lacking and explain the trade-offs or other reasons for
    recommending selection of the software.
             (3) Within ten calendar days of the COTR's receipt of a
    notice under subparagraph (c)(2), if selection of the software may
    significantly impair ED's ability to ensure accessibility of its
    programs and activities to all its employees and external customers,
    including individuals with disabilities,  the contracting officer
    may reject selection of the software by written notice to the
    contractor.
         (d)  Waiver of requirements--It is recognized that new
    technologies may provide solutions that are not envisioned in or
    consistent with the provisions of the manual "Requirements for
    Accessible Software Design."  Or, certain requirements of the manual
    may be unreasonable or ineffective in certain situations.
    Accordingly, the contractor may request and the contracting officer
    may grant a waiver, in writing, to any requirement of the manual or
    of this clause.
      H.10  PRIVACY ACT NOTIFICATION
            (FAR 52.224-1) (APRIL 1984)
     The Contractor will be required to design, develop, or operate a
    system of records on individuals, to accomplish an agency function
    subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93-579, December 31,
    1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and applicable agency regulations.  Violation
    of the Act may involve the imposition of criminal penalties.
     H.11  PRIVACY ACT
           (FAR 52.224-2) (APRIL 1984)
  (a) The Contractor agrees to--
  (1) Comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 (the Act) and the agency
rules and regulations issued under the Act in the design,
development, or operation of any system of records on individuals to
accomplish an agency function when the contract specifically
identifies--
  (i) The systems of records; and
  (ii) The design, development, or operation work that the
contractor is to perform;
  (2) Include the Privacy Act notification contained in this
contract in every solicitation and resulting subcontract and in
every subcontract awarded without a solicitation, when the work
statement in the proposed subcontract requires the design,
development, or operation of a system of records on individuals that
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                                         RFP 98-003
is subject to the Act; and
  (3) Include this clause, including this subparagraph (3), in all
subcontracts awarded under this contract which requires the design,
development, or operation of such a system of records.
  (b) In the event of violations of the Act, a civil action may be
brought against the agency involved when the violation concerns the
design, development, or operation of a system of records on
individuals to accomplish an agency function, and criminal penalties
may be imposed upon the officers or employees of the agency when the
violation concerns the operation of a system of records on
individuals to accomplish an agency function.  For purposes of the
Act, when the contract is for the operation of a system of records
on individuals to accomplish an agency function, the Contractor and
any employee of the Contractor is considered to be an employee of
the agency.
  (c) (1) "Operation of a system of records," as used in this
clause, means performance of any of the activities associated with
maintaining the system of records, including the collection, use,
and dissemination of records.
  (2) "Record," as used in this clause, means any item, collection,
or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by
an agency, including, but not limited to, education, financial
transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history
and that contains the person's name, or the identifying number,
symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual,
such as a fingerprint or voiceprint or a photograph.
  (3) "System of records on individuals," as used in this clause
means a group of any records under the control of any agency from
which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by
some identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular
assigned to the individual.
    H.12  ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
          (ED 307-17) (APR 1984)
 (A)  The Contractor warrants that, to the best of the Contractor's
 knowledge and belief, there are no relevant facts or circumstances
 which could give rise to an organizational conflict of interest, as
 defined in FAR Subpart 9.5, or that the Contractor has disclosed all
 such relevant information.
 (B)  The Contractor agrees that if an actual or potential
 organizational conflict of interest is discovered after award, the
 Contractor will make a full disclosure in writing to the Contracting
 Officer.  This disclosure shall include a description of actions
 which the Contractor has taken or proposes to take, after
 consultation with the Contracting Officer, to avoid, mitigate, or
 neutralize the actual or potential conflict.
 (C)  Remedies - The Government may terminate this contract for
                                Page 73 of 139

                                         RFP 98-003
 convenience, in whole or in part, if it deems such termination
 necessary to avoid an organizational conflict of interest.  If the
 Contractor was aware of a potential organizational conflict of
 interest prior to award or discovered an actual or potential
 conflict after award and did not disclose or misrepresented relevant
 information to the Contracting Officer, the Government may terminate
 the contract for default, or pursue such other remedies as may be
 permitted by law or this contract.
 (D)  The Contractor further agrees to insert in any subcontract or
 consultant agreement hereunder, provisions which shall conform
 substantially to the language of this clause, including this
 paragraph (D).
     H.13  OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES
           (FAR 52.217-8) (AUG 1989)
  The Government may require continued performance of any services within
  the limits and at the rates specified in the contract.  These rates may
  be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates
  provided by the Secretary of Labor.  The option provision may be
  exercised more than once, but the total extention of performance
  hereunder shall not exceed 6 months.  The Contracting Officer may
  exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within the
  period specified in the Schedule.
  (Note:  Notice shall be given within 60 days
  before contract completion.)
   H.14 KEY PERSONNEL DESIGNATION
          (ED 307-2)  (MARCH 1985)
    In accordance with the contract clause entitled "Key Personnel", the
    following key personnel are considered to be essential to the work
    being performed:
    NAME______________________________
    TELEPHONE_________________________
    TITLE_____________________________
    NAME______________________________
    TELEPHONE_________________________
    TITLE_____________________________
    NAME______________________________
    TELEPHONE_________________________
    TITLE_____________________________
   H.15 OPTION FOR INCREASED QUANTITY
    The Government may increase the quantity for Services at the target
    cost, target fee and incentive fee specified below.  The Contracting
    Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor
    14 days in advance.  Delivery of the added items shall be as
    specified in Clause F.9 Schedule of Milestones and Deliverables.
                   Target    Target      Minimum         Maximum
                   Cost      Fee       Incentive Fee  Incentive Fee
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                                         RFP 98-003
    Option 1 Amer. Indian Children
    Option 2 Children with Disabilities
    Option 3 Food and Consumer Service
    Option 4 Home Assessment
    Option 5 Father Data
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                                         RFP 98-003
                   PART II  - CONTRACT CLAUSES
                  SECTION I  -  CONTRACT CLAUSES
     I.1   CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE-ALTERNATE I
           (FAR 52.252-2) (JUN 1988)
     This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with
     the same force and effect as if they were given in full text.  Upon
     request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text
     available.
     I.2   CLAUSES FOR A COST-PLUS-FIXED-FEE CONTRACT
           (MATRIX-A) (FEB 1997)
     I.2.1   FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION
             (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSES
         FAR
      Clause No.     Title and Date
  (The following clauses shall apply to all contracts except Research
   and Development.)
      52.203-6       Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the
                     Government (JUL 1995)
      52.203-7       Anti-Kickback Procedures (JUL 1995)
      52.203-10      Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or
                     Improper Activity (SEPT 1990)
  (The following clauses shall apply to all contracts in excess of
   $100,000.)
      52.203-3       Gratuities (APR 1984)
      52.203-5       Covenant Against Contingent Fees (APR 1984)
      52.204-4       Printing/Copying Double-Sided on Recycled
                     (JUN 1996)
      52.203-10      Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or
                     Improper Activity (JAN 1997)
      52.203-12      Limitation on Payments to Influence Certain
                     Federal Transactions (JAN 1990)
      52.207-3       Right of First Refusal of Employment (NOV 1991)
      52.209-6       Protecting the Government's Interest When
                     Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred,
                     Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment
                     (JUL 1995)
      52.215-2       Audit and Records--Negotiation (AUG 1996)
      52.242-15      Stop-Work Order - Alternate I (APR 1984)
      52.247-63      Preference for U.S. Flag Air Carriers
                     (JAN 1997)
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                                         RFP 98-003
  (The following clauses shall apply when Cost or Pricing
   Data is required or if the total life amount of the
   contract is greater than $500,000.)
      52.215-22      Price Reduction for Defective Cost or Pricing
                     Data (OCT 1995)
      52.215-24      Subcontractor Cost or Pricing Data
                     (OCT 1995)
  (The following clauses shall apply to contracts exceeding
   $3,000,000 when cost and pricing data is required for
   the procurement.)
      52.215-23      Price Reduction for Defective Cost or
                     Pricing Data - Modifications (OCT 1995)
      52.215-25      Subcontractor Cost or Pricing Data -
                     Modifications (OCT l995)
  (The following clause shall apply when prescribed under FAR
   subpart 15.812-2(a).  The alternate provision shall additionally
   apply when prescribed under 15.812-2(b).
      52.215-26      Integrity of Unit Prices (FEB 1997)
  (The following clause shall apply if prescribed in FAR 15.804-8(e).)
      52.215-27      Termination of Defined Benefit Pension Plans
                     (SEPT 1989)
  (The following clause shall apply if the contractor did not
   propose facilities capital cost of money in its offer.)
      52.215-31      Waiver of Facilities Capital Cost of Money
                     (SEPT 1987)
  (The following clauses shall apply to Contracts when Cost and
   Pricing Data is required or to which cost determinations will be
   subject to FAR subpart 31.2, Commerical Organizations.
      52.215-39      Reversion of Adjustment of Plans for
                     Postretirement Benefits Other than
                     Pensions (PRB) (FEB 1995)
      52.215-40      Notification of Ownership Changes
                     (FEB 1995)
      52.216-7       Allowable Cost and Payment (FEB 1997)
      52.216-8       Fixed Fee (FEB 1997)
      52.219-8       Utilization of Small, Small Disadvantaged &
                     Women-Owned Small Business Concerns
                     (FEB 1997)
 (The following clauses shall apply as prescribed under FAR subparts
  19.508(e) and 19.708(b).)
      52.219-9       Small, Small Disadvantaged & Women-Owned Small
                     Business Subcontracting Plan (AUG 1996)
      52.219-13      Utilization of Women-Owned Small
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                                         RFP 98-003
                     Businesses (AUG 1986)
      52.219-14      Limitation on Subcontracting (DEC 1996)
  (The following clauses shall apply to all contracts which include
   the clause FAR 52.219-9, Small Business and Small Disadvantaged
   Business Subcontracting Plan.)
      52.219-16      Liquidated Damages-Subcontracting Plan
                     (OCT 1995)
      52.220-3       Utilization of Labor Surplus Area Concerns
                     (APR 1984)
  (The following clause shall apply to all cost reimbursement
   contracts in excess of $100,000.)
      52.222-2       Payment of Overtime Premiums (JUL 1990)
  (The following clause shall be exempted from application under FAR
   provisions 52.222-3(a) through (c).)
      52.222-3       Convict Labor (AUG 1996)
  (The following clause shall apply when prescribed under FAR
   subpart 22.305.)
      52.222-4       Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act--
                     Overtime Compensation (JUL 1995)
  (The following clauses shall apply when prescribed under FAR
   subpart 22.6.)
      52.222-20      Walsh-Healy Public Contracts Act (DEC 1996)
      52.222-26      Equal Opportunity (APR 1984)
  (The following clauses shall apply to all RFPs and Contracts with a
   life aggregate amount over $1,000,000.)
      52.222-28      Equal Opportunity Pre-Award Clearance of Subcontract
                     (APR 1984)
      52.222-35      Affirmative Action for Special Disabled
                     and Vietnam Era Veterans (APR 1984)
      52.222-36      Affirmative Action for Handicapped
                     Workers (APR 1984)
  (Note:  The reports required by the following clause shall be
          submitted to OASVET (VETS-100); U.S. Department of Labor;
          200 Constitution Avenue, NW; Washington D.C.  20210.)
      52.222-37      Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans
                     and Veterans of the Vietnam Era (JAN 1988)
  (The two following clauses shall only apply to contracts to which
   the Service Contract Act is applicable.)
      52.222-41      Service Contract Act of 1965, as Amended
                     (MAY 1989)
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                                         RFP 98-003
      52.222-42      Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires
                     (MAY 1989)
  (Note:  List of equivalent rates, if applicable, will be given in
          attachment.)
      52.223-2       Clean Air and Water (Over $100,000)
                     (APR 1984)
  (The following clauses shall apply to (a) any contract awarded to
   an individual -- ie., a contractor having no more than one
   employee including the contractor -- or (b) any contract of
   $25,000 or more, unless excepted under the provisions of FAR
   23.505 (b) (1) (3).)
      52.223-6       Drug Free Workplace (JUL 1990)
      52.223-14      Toxic Chemical Release Reporting (OCT 1995)
      52.225-3       Buy American Act - Supplies (JAN 1989)
      52.225-11      Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases
                     (MAY 1992)
  (The following clause shall apply to all but specified research
   and development contracts.)
      52.227-1       Authorization and Consent (JUL 1995)
  (The following clauses shall apply to only specified research
   and development contracts.)
      52.227-1       Authorization and Consent - Alternate I
                     (APR 1984)
      52.227-2       Notice and Assistance Regarding Patent
                     and Copyright Infringement (AUG 1996)
      52.227-14      Rights in Data -- General (June 1987)
                     Alternate I (June 1987)
                     Alternate II (June 1987)
                     Alternate III (June 1987)
                     Alternate IV (June 1987)
                     Alternate V (June 1987)
                     (Alternate IV shall only apply to contracts for
                     basic or applied research -- other than those for
                     management or operation of Government facilities or
                     where international agreements require otherwise --
                     to be performed soley by universities and colleges.)
      52.227-23      Rights to Proposal Data (Technical) (JUNE 1987)
  (The following clause applies except for construction and
   architect-engineer services or unless otherwise formally waived
   by the federal contract office.)
      52.228-7       Insurance-Liability to Third Persons (APR 1984)
      52.232-9       Limitation on Withholding of Payments (APR 1984)
      52.232-17      Interest (JUN 1996)
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                                         RFP 98-003
      52.232-20      Limitation of Cost (APR 1984)
                     (Applicable if contract is fully funded.)
      52.232-22      Limitation of Funds (APR 1984)
                     (Applicable if contract is incrementally funded.)
      52.232-23      Assignment of Claims (JAN 1986)
      52.233-1       Disputes (OCT 1995)
      52.233-3       Protest After Award (OCT 1995)
      52.242-1       Notice of Intent to Disallow Costs (AUG 1987)
      52.242-13      Bankruptcy (JUL 1995)
      52.243-2       Changes - Cost-Reimbursement (AUG 1987)
                     Alternate V (APR 1984)
      52.244-2       Subcontracts Under Cost-Reimbursement
                     and Letter Contracts (FEB 1997)
      52.244-5       Competition in Subcontracting (DEC 1996)
      52.245-5       Government Property (Cost-Reimbursement,
                     Time-and-Material, or Labor-Hour Contract)
                     (DEC 1992)
  (The following clause shall apply to contracts for services.)
      52.246-5       Inspection of Services - Cost Reimbursement
                     (APR 1984)
      52.246-25      Limitation of Liability - Services (FEB 1997)
  (The following clause shall apply to Research and Development
   contracts.)
      52.246-8       Inspection of Research and Development
                     - Cost Reimbursement (APR 1984)
      52.246-23      Limitation of Liabilities for Supplies (FEB 1997)
  (The following clause shall apply if designated.)
      52.247-29      F.O.B. Origin (JUN 1988)
  (The following clause shall apply if designated.)
      52.247-34      F.O.B. Destination (APR 1984)
      52.249-6       Termination (Cost-Reimbursement) (SEP 1996)
      52.249-14      Excusable Delays (APR 1984)
      52.253-1       Computer Generated Forms (JAN 1991)
      52.232-25      Prompt Payment (MAR 1994)
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                                         RFP 98-003
     I.2.2    DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ACQUISTION REGULATION (EDAR)
              (48 CFR CHAPTER 34) CLAUSES
         EDAR
      Clause No.     Title and Date
      3452.202-1     Definitions (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.208-70    Printing (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.227-70    Publication and Publicity (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.227-71    Paperwork Reduction Act (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.227-72    Advertising of Awards (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.228-70    Required Insurance (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.237-71    Services of Consultants (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.242-70    Litigation and Claims (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.242-71    Notice to the Government of Delays (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.242-72    Withholding of Contract Payments (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.242-73    Accessibility of Meetings, Conferences, and Seminars
                     to Persons with Disabilities (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.243-70    Key Personnel (AUGUST 1987)
      3452.247-70    Foreign Travel (AUGUST 1987)
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                                         RFP 98-003
               PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS
                     AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS
               SECTION J -- LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
     J.1  LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
          (ED 309-1) (MARCH 1985)
    Identifier     Description         Pages     Included  In
                                                 By Ref    Attach.
    1.          Incentive Fee Plan          4                   X
    2.          Billing Instructions for    6                   X
                Cost-Reimbursement, Time
                and Materials, AND Labor-
                Hour Contracts
    3.         Contractor Performance       4                   X
               Information Sheet (will
               serve as Performance
               Evaluation Form during
               Contract Administration)
    4.         Small & Disadvantaged &      5                   X
               Women Owned Small Business
               Subcontracting Plan (Suggested
               Format)
    5.         SF 1448 Proposal Cover       1                   X
               Sheet - Uncertified Cost
               and Pricing Data
    6.         Title IV National Education
               Statistics Act               14                  X
    7.         Affidavit of Non-Disclosure   1                  X
   J.2  Documents Available for Inspection
         Copies of all ECLS design documents and materials referenced
    in this RFP may be obtained by calling the National Data Resource
    Center, C/O Pinkerton Computer Consultants, Inc. at (703) 845-3151.
                                Page 82 of 139

                                         RFP 98-003
                        PART IV, SECTION K
        REPRESENTATIONS,CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF THE
                            OFFEROR
    K.1   REPRESENTATION AUTHORITY
          (ED 310-1) (MARCH 1985)
 The offeror makes the following Representations and Certifications as
part of its proposal (check or complete all appropriate boxes or blanks
on the following pages).
 _________________________________               ____________________
  (Name of Offeror)                               (RFP No.)
 _________________________________               ____________________
  (Signature of                                   (Date)
   Authorized Individual)
 ____________________________________________________________________
  (TYPED NAME OF AUTHORIZED INDIVIDUAL)
 Note:  The penalty for making false statements in offers is prescribed
in 18 U.S.C. 1001.
 The Representations and Certifications must be executed by an
individual authorized to bind the offeror.
     K.2   WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS
           (FAR 52.204-5) (DEC 1996)
    As prescribed in 4.603(b), insert the following provision:
         (a)  Representation.  The offeror represents that it
    [] is [] is not a women-owned business concern.
         (b)  Definition.  "Women-owned business concern,"
    as used in this provision, means a concern which is at
    least 5l percent owned by one or more women; or in the case
    of any publicly owned business, at least 5l percent of the
    stock of which is owned by one or more women; and whose
    management and daily business operations are controlled by
    one or more women.
                             (End of provision)
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                                         RFP 98-003
    K.3   PLACE OF PERFORMANCE
          (FAR 52.215-20) (APRIL 1984)
     (A)  The offeror or quoter, in the performance of any contract
    resulting from this solicitation, [_] intends [_] does not intend
    (check applicable block) to use one or more plants or facilities
    located at a different address from the address of the offeror or
    quoter as indicated in this proposal or quotation.
     (B) If the offeror or quoter checks "intends" in paragraph (A)
    above, it shall insert in the spaces provided below the required
    information:
                                        Name and Address of Owner
     Place of Performance               and Operator of the Plant or
     (Street Address, City,             Facility if Other than Offeror
     County, State, Zip Code)           or Quoter
    __________________________________________________________________
    __________________________________________________________________
    __________________________________________________________________
    K.4   CERTIFICATION OF NONSEGREGATED FACILITIES
          (FAR 52.222-21) (APRIL 1984)
     (A)  "Segregated facilities," as used in this provision, means any
    waiting rooms, work areas, rest rooms and wash rooms, restraurants
    and other eating areas, time clocks, locker rooms and other storage
    or dressing areas, parking lots, drinking fountains, recreation or
    entertainment areas, transportation, and housing facilities provided
     for employees, that are segregated on the basis of race, color,
    religion, or national origin because of habit, local custom, or
    otherwise.
     (B)  By the submission of this offer, the offeror certifies that it
     does not and will not maintain or provide for its establishments,
    and that it does not and will not permit its employees to perform
    their services at any location under its control where segregated
    facilities are maintained.  The offeror agrees that a breach of this
     certification is a violation of the Equal Opportunity clause in the
     contract.
     (C)  The offeror further agrees that (except where it has obtained
    identical certifications from proposed subcontractors for specific
    time periods) it will--
          (1)  Obtain identical certifications from proposed
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                                         RFP 98-003
               subcontractors before the award of the subcontracts
               under which the subcontractor will be subject to the
               Equal Opportunity clause;
          (2)  Retain the certifications in the files; and
          (3)  Forward the following notice to the proposed
               subcontractors (except if the proposed subcontractors
               have submitted identical certifications for specific time
               periods):
     NOTICE TO PROSPECTIVE SUBCONTRACTORS OF REQUIREMENT FOR
    CERTIFICATIONS OR NONSEGREGATED FACILITIES
     A Certification of Nonsegregated Facilities must be submitted
    before the award of a subcontract under which the subcontractor will
    be subject to the Equal Opportunity clause.  The certification may
    be submitted either for each subcontract or for all subcontracts
    during a period (i.e., quarterly, semiannually).
     NOTE:  The penalty for making false statements in offers is
    prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 1001.
     K.5   DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE
           (FAR 52.223-6) (JAN 1997)
          (a) Definitions. As used in this clause--
    "Controlled substance" means a controlled substance in schedules I
    through V of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act
    (21 U.S.C. 812) and as further defined in regulation at 21 CFR
    1308.11 - 1308.15.
    "Conviction" means a finding of guilt (including a plea of nolo
    contendere) or imposition of sentence, or both, by any judicial
    body charged with the responsibility to determine violations of
    the Federal or State criminal drug statutes.
    "Criminal drug statute" means a Federal or non-Federal criminal
    statute involving the manufacture, distribution, dispensing,
    possession, or use of any controlled substance.
    "Drug-free workplace" means the site(s) for the performance
    of work done by the Contractor in connection with a specific
    contract at which employees of the Contractor are prohibited
    from engaging in the unlawful manufacture, distribution,
    dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance.
    "Employee" means an employee of a Contractor directly engaged
    in the performance of work under a Government contract. "Directly
    engaged" is defined to include all direct cost employees and any
    other Contractor employee who has other than a minimal impact or
    involvement in contract performance.
    "Individual" means an offeror/contractor that has no more than
    one employee including the offeror/contractor.
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                                         RFP 98-003
         (b) The Contractor, if other than an individual, shall--
    within 30 days after award (unless a longer period is agreed
    to in writing for contracts of 30 days or more performance
    duration), or as soon as possible for contracts of less
    than 30 days performance duration--
         (1) Publish a statement notifying its employees that
    the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession,
    or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the Contractor's
    workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against
    employees for violations of such prohibition;
         (2) Establish an ongoing drug-free awareness program to
    inform such employees about--
         (i) The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace;
         (ii) The Contractor's policy of maintaining a drug-free
    workplace;
         (iii) Any available drug counseling, rehabilitation,
    and employee assistance programs; and
         (iv) The penalties that may be imposed upon employees for
    drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace;
         (3) Provide all employees engaged in performance of the
    contract with a copy of the statement required by subparagraph
    (b)(1) of this clause;
         (4) Notify such employees in writing in the statement
    required by subparagraph (b)(1) of this clause that, as a
    condition of continued employment on this contract, the employee
    will--
         (i) Abide by the terms of the statement; and
         (ii) Notify the employer in writing of the employee's
    conviction under a criminal drug statute for a violation occurring
    in the workplace no later than 5 days after such conviction;
         (5) Notify the Contracting Officer in writing within
    10 days after receiving notice under subdivision (b)(4)(ii) of
    this clause, from an employee or otherwise receiving actual
    notice of such conviction.  The notice shall include the position
    title of the employee;
         (6) Within 30 days after receiving notice under
    subdivision (b)(4)(ii) of this clause of a conviction, take
    one of the following actions with respect to any employee who
    is convicted of a drug abuse violation occurring in the workplace:
         (i) Taking appropriate personnel action against such employee,
    up to and including termination; or
                                Page 86 of 139

                                         RFP 98-003
         (ii) Require such employee to satisfactorily participate in a
    drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program approved for such
    purposes by a Federal, State, or local health, law enforcement, or
    other appropriate agency; and
         (7) Make a good faith effort to maintain a drug-free workplace
    through implementation of subparagraphs (b)(1) though (b)(6) of
    this clause.
         (c) The Contractor, if an individual, agrees by award of the
    contract or acceptance of a purchase order, not to engage in the
    unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use
    of a controlled substance while performing this contract.
         (d) In addition to other remedies available to the Government,
    the Contractor's failure to comply with the requirements of
    (b) or (c) of this clause may, pursuant to FAR 23.506, render the
    Contractor subject to suspension of contract payments, termination
    of the contract or default, and suspension or debarment.
                              (End of clause)
    K.6   CERTIFICATE OF CURRENT COST OR PRICING DATA
          (ED 310-5) (MARCH 1985)
 (When a certificate of cost or pricing data is required to be submitted
in accordance with Federal Acquistion Regulation (FAR) 15.804-2, the
Contracting Officer will request that the Offeror complete, execute, and
submit to the Contracting Officer a certification in the format shown in
the following Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data.  The
certification shall be submitted only at the time negotiations are
completed.  Offerors should complete the certificate set forth below and
return it when requested by the Contracting Officer.)
 This is to certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the
cost or pricing data (as defined in Section 15.801 of the Federal
Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and required under FAR subsection 15.804-2)
submitted, either actually or by specific identification in writing, to
the Contracting Officer or to the Contracting Officer's Representative
in support of _________________* are accurate, complete, and current as
of _________________**.  This certification includes the cost or pricing
data supporting any advance agreements and forward pricing rate
agreements between the offeror and the Government that are part of the
proposal.
 Firm _______________________________________________________________
 Name _______________________________________________________________
 Title ______________________________________________________________
 Date of execution*** _______________________________________________
  *Identify the proposal, quotation, request for price adjustment, or
other submission involved, giving the appropriate identifying number
(e.g., RFP No.).
                                Page 87 of 139

                                         RFP 98-003
 **Insert the day, month, and year when price negotiations were
concluded and price agreement was reached.
***Insert the day, month, and year of signing, which should be as close
as practicable to the date when the price negotiations were concluded
and the contract price was agreed to.
    K.7   DUPLICATION OF COST
          (ED 310-6) (MARCH 1985)
 The offeror represents and certifies that any charges contemplated and
included in its estimate of cost for performance are not duplicative of
any charges against any other Government contract, subcontract, or other
Government source.
    K.8   EMPLOYER'S IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
          (ED 310-7) (MARCH 1985)
 The offeror's Internal Revenue Service "Employer's Identification
Number" is _______________________________.
     K.9   CONTRACTOR IDENTIFICATION NUMBER - DATA
           UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBER
           (FAR 52.204-6) (DEC 1996)
         (a) Contractor Identification Number, as used in this
    provision, means "Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
    number," which is a nine-digit number assigned by Dun and
    Bradstreet Information Services.
         (b) Contractor identification is essential for complying
    with statutory contract reporting requirements.  Therefore,
    the offeror is requested to enter, in the block with its name
    and address on the Standard Form 33 or similar document, the
    annotation "DUNS" followed by the DUNS number which identifies
    the offeror's name and address exactly as stated in the offer.
         (c) If the offeror does not have a DUNS number, it should
    contact Dun and Bradstreet directly to obtain one.  A DUNS
    number will be provided immediately by telephone at no charge
    to the offeror.  For information on obtaining a DUNS number,
    the offeror should call Dun and Bradstreet at l-800-333-0505.
    The offeror should be prepared to provide the following
    information:
         (l)  Company name.
         (2)  Company address.
         (3)  Company telephone number.
         (4)  Line of business.
         (5)  Chief executive officer/key manager.
         (6)  Date the company was started.
         (7)  Number of people employed by the company.
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                                         RFP 98-003
         (8)  Company affiliation.
         (d) Offerors located outside the United States may obtain
    the location and phone number of the local Dun and Bradstreet
    Information Services office from the Internet Home Page at
    http://www.dbisna.com/dbis/customer/custlist.htm.  If an offeror
    is unable to locate a local service center, it may send an
    e-mail to Dun and Bradstreet at globalinfo@dbisma.com.
                             (End of provision)
     K.10  TYPE OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATION
           (FAR 52.215-6) (JULY 1987)
     The offeror or quoter, by checking the applicable box, represents
    that:
     (a)  It operates as [_] a corporation incorporated under the laws
    of the State of _____________________, [_] an individual, [_] a
    partnership, [_] a nonprofit organization, or [_] a joint venture.
     (b)  If the offeror or quoter is a foreign entity, it operates as
    [_] an individual, [_] a partnership, [_] a nonprofit organization,
    [_] a joint venture, or [_] a corporation registered for business in
     ______________________ (country).
     K.11  AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATORS
           (FAR 52.215-11) (APRIL 1984)
   The offeror or quoter represents that the following persons are
 authorized to negotiate on its behalf with the Government in
 connection with this request for proposals or quotations:
                                               TELEPHONE NUMBER
       NAMES                   TITLE         (INCLUDING AREA CODE)
 ______________________   __________________  ____________________
 ______________________   __________________  ____________________
 ______________________   __________________  ____________________
    K.12  APPROVAL OF ACCOUNTING SYSTEM
          (ED 310-9) (MARCH 1985)
 The offeror [_] does, [_] does not, have an approved accounting system
for purposes of cost reimbursement under this requirement.  If so,
specify the approving government audit agency or office and the date of
approval.
 ____________________________________________________________________
 ____________________________________________________________________
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                                         RFP 98-003
 ____________________________________________________________________
 Date: ______________________________________________________________
     K.13  CERTIFICATION FOR INTENDED COMPLIANCE WITH
           "LIMITATION OF COST" CLAUSE
           (ED 310-15) (APRIL 1984)
  The offeror certifies by submission of offer hereunder for
understanding of and full intent to comply with the clause titled
"Limitation of Cost", or "Limitation of Funds" clause in the case of
incremental funding.
    K.14  GENERAL FINANCIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION
          (ED 310-10) (APRIL 1984)
  Offerors or quoters are requested to provide information regarding the
 following items in sufficient detail to allow a full and complete business
 evaluation.  If the question indicated is not applicable or the answer is
 none, it should be annotated.  If the offeror has previously submitted the
 information, it should certify the validity of that data currently on file
 at ED or update all outdated information on file.
  (A)  Contractor's Name: _________________________________________
  (B)  Address (If financial records are maintained at some other
       location, show the address of the place where the records
       are kept):
       ____________________________________________________________
       ____________________________________________________________
  (C)  Telephone Number: __________________________________________
  (D)  Individual(s) to contact re this proposal: _________________
       ____________________________________________________________
  (E)  Cognizant Government:
       Audit Agency: ______________________________________________
       Address: ___________________________________________________
       Auditor: ___________________________________________________
  (F)  (1)  Work Distribution for the Last Completed Fiscal
            Accounting Period:
            Sales:
            Government cost-reimbursement type prime
            contracts and subcontracts:                   $_________
            Government fixed-price prime contracts
                                Page 90 of 139

                                         RFP 98-003
            and subcontracts:                             $_________
            Commercial Sales:                             $_________
            Total Sales:                                  $_________
       (2)  Total Sales for first and second fiscal
            years immediately preceding last completed
            fiscal year.
            Total Sales for First Preceding Fiscal Year   $_________
            Total Sales for Second Preceding Fiscal Year  $_________
   (G)  Is company an ED rate entity or division?
        ___________________________________________________________
        If a division or subsidiary corporation, name parent
        company:
        ___________________________________________________________
   (H)  Date Company Organized: ___________________________________
   (I)  Manpower:
        Total Employees: __________________________________________
        Direct: ___________________________________________________
        Indirect: _________________________________________________
        Standard Work Week (Hours): _______________________________
   (J)  Commercial Products: ______________________________________
        ___________________________________________________________
   (K)  Attach a current organizational chart of the company.
   (L)  Description of Contractor's system of estimating and
        accumulating costs under Government contracts. (Check
        appropriate blocks.)
                                      Estimated/            Standard
                                      Actual Cost             Cost
        Estimating System
           Job Order                   ___________         ________
           Process                     ___________         ________
        Accumulating System
           Job Order                   ___________         ________
                                Page 91 of 139

                                         RFP 98-003
           Process                     ___________         ________
        Has your cost estimating system been approved by any
        Government agency?  Yes __________ No __________
        If yes, give name and location of agency: ________________
      ____________________________________________________________
        Has your cost accumulation system been approved by any
        Government agency?  Yes __________ No __________
        If yes, give name and address of agency: __________________
       ____________________________________________________________
   (M)  What is your fiscal year period?
        (Give month-to-month dates):
  ____________________________________________________________
        What were the indirect cost rates for your last completed
        fiscal year?
            Fiscal
             Year
          Fringe Benefits             _________          __________
          Overhead                    _________          __________
          G&A Expense                 _________          __________
          Other                       _________          __________
   (N)  Have the proposed indirect cost rate(s) been evaluated and
        accepted by any Government agency?  Yes _______   No_______
        If yes, name and location of the Government agency:
  ______________________________________________________________
        Date of last pre-award audit review by a Government agency:
        ________
        (If the answer is no, data supporting the proposed rates
        must accompany the cost or price proposal.  A breakdown of
        the items comprising overhead and G&A must be furnished.)
   (O)  Cost estimating is performed by:
        Accounting Department:  _________________________________
        Contracting Department: _________________________________
        Other (describe) ________________________________________
   (P)  Has system of control of Government property been approved
        by a Government agency?  Yes __________ No __________
                                Page 92 of 139

                                         RFP 98-003
        If yes, name and location of the Government agency:
       ___________________________________________________________
   (Q)  Purchasing Procedures:
        Are purchasing procedures written?  Yes _______  No_______
        Has your purchasing system been approved by a Government
        agency?  Yes __________ No __________
        If yes, name and location of the Government agency:
        ___________________________________________________________
   (R)  Does your firm have an established written incentive
        compensation or bonus plan?  Yes __________ No __________
     K.15  SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM REPRESENTATIONS
           (FAR 52.219-1) (JAN 1997)
         (a)(1)  The standard industrial classification (SIC) code for
    this acquisition is 8732.
            (2)  The small business size standard is 8732.
            (3)  Ths small business size standard for a concern which
    submits an offer in its own name, other than on a construction or
    service contract, but which proposes to furnish a product which it
    did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.
         (b) Representation.  (1) The offeror represents as part of its
    offer that it [_] is, [_] is not a small business concern.
            (2) (Complete only if offeror represented itself as a small
    business concern in block (b)(1) of this section.) The offeror
    represents as part of its offer that it [_] is, [_] is not a small
    disadvantaged business concern.
            (3) (Complete only if offeror represented itslef as a small
    business concern in block (b)(1) of this section.) The offeror
    represents as part of its offer that it [_] is, [_] is not a women-
    owned small business concern.
         (c) Definitions.
         "Joint venture," for purposes of a small disadvantaged business
    (SDB) set-aside or price evaluation preference (as pescribed at l3
    CFR l24.32), is a concern that is owned and controlled by one or
    more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals entering
    into a joint venture agreement with one or more business concerns
    and is considered to be affiliated for size purposes with such other
    concern(s). The combined annual receipts or employees of the
    concerns entering into the joint venture must meet the applicable
    size standard corresponding to the SIC code designated for the
    contract.  The majority of the venture's earnings must accrue
                                Page 93 of 139

                                         RFP 98-003
    directly to the socially and economically disadvantaged individuals
    in the SDB concern(s) in the joint venture. The percentage of the
    ownership involvement in a joint venture by disadvantaged
    individuals must be at least 5l percent.
         "Small business concern," as used in this provision, means a
    concern, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and
    operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is
    bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business
    under the criteria in 13 CFR Part 121 and size standard above.
         "Small disadvantaged business concern", as used in this
    provision, means a small business concern that (1) is at least 51
    percent unconditionally owned by one or more individuals who are
    both socially and economically disadvantaged, or a publicly owned
    business having at least 51 percent of its stock unconditionally
    owned by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged
    individuals, and (2) has its management and daily business
    controlled by one or more such individuals. This term also means a
    small business concern that is at least 51 percent unconditionally
    owned by an economically disadvantaged Indian tribe or Native
    Hawaiian Organization, or a publicly owned business having at least
    51 percent of its stock unconditionally owned by one or more of
    these entities, which has its management and daily business
    controlled by members of an economically disadvantaged Indian tribe
    or Native Hawaiian Organization, and which meets the requirements of
    13 CFR Part 124.
         "Women-owned small business concern", as used in this
    provision, means a small business concern-----
              (a) Which is at least 51 percent owned by one or more
    women or, in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51
    percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more women; and
              (b) Whose management and daily business operations are
    controlled by one or more women.
         (d) Notice.  (1) If this solicitation is for supplies and has
    been set aside, in whole or in part, for small business concerns,
    then the clause in this solicitation providing notice of the
    set-aside contains restrictions on the source of the end items to be
    furnished.
              (2) Notice.  Under 15 U.S.C. 645(d), any person who
    misrep- resents a firm's status as a small or small disadvantaged
    business concern in order to obtain a contract to be awarded under
    the preference programs established pursuant to sections 8(a), 8(d),
    9, or 15 of the Small Business Act or any other provision of Federal
    law that specifically references section 8(d) for a definition of
    program eligibility, shall -
              (i)    Be punished by imposition of a fine, imprisonment,
                     or both;
              (ii)   Be subject to administrative remedies, including
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                     suspension and debarment; and
              (iii)  Be ineligible for participation in programs
                     conducted under the authority of the Act.
     K.16  EQUAL LOW BIDS
           (FAR 52.219-2) (OCT 1995)
         (a)  This provision applies to small business conerns only.
         (b)  The bidder status as a labor surplus area (LSA) concern
         may affect entitlement to award in case of tie bids. If the
         bidder wishes to be considered for this priority, the bidder
         must identify, below, the LSA in which the costs to be incurred
         on account of manufacturing or production (by the bidder or the
         first-tier subcontractors) amount to more than 50 percent of
         contract price.
         _____________________________________________________________
         _____________________________________________________________
         (c) Failure to identify the labor surplus areas as specified
         above preclude the bidder from receiving priority consid-
         eration.  If the bidder is awarded a contract as a result
         of receiving priority consideration under this provision
         and would not have otherwise received award, the bidder
         shall perform the contract or cause the contract to be
         performed in accordance with the obligations of an LSA
         concern.
     K.17  PREVIOUS CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE REPORTS
           (FAR 52.222-22) (APRIL 1984)
     The offeror represents that--
     (A)  It [_] has, [_] has not participated in a previous contract or
     subcontract subject either to the Equal Opportunity clause of this
    solicitation, the clause originally contained in Section 310 of
    Executive Order No. 10925, or the clause contained in Section 201 of
     Executive Order No. 11114;
     (B)  It [_] has, [_] has not filed all required compliance reports;
     and
     (C)  Representations indicating submission of required compliance
    reports, signed by proposed subcontractors, will be obtained before
    subcontract awards.
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     K.18  AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMPLIANCE
           (FAR 52.222-25) (APRIL 1984)
  The offeror represents that (a) it [_] has developed and has on file,
[_] has not developed and does not have on file, at each establishment,
affirmative action programs required by the rules and regulations of the
Secretary of Labor (41 CFR 60-1 and 60-2), or (b) it [_] has not
previously had contracts subject to the written affirmative action
programs requirement of the rules and regulations of the Secretary of
Labor.
    K.19  CERTIFICATION OF TOXIC CHEMICAL RELEASE REPORTING
          (FAR 52.223-13) (OCT 1996)
         (a) Submission of the certification is a prerequisite for
    making or entering into this contract imposed by Executive Order
    12969, August 8, 1996.
         (b) By signing this offer, the offeror certifies that -
         |_| (1) As the owner or operator of facilities that will be
    used in the performance of this contract that are subject to the
    filing and reporting requirements described in section 313 of the
    Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986
    (EPCRA)(42 U.S.C. 11023) and section 6607 of the Pollution
    Prevention Act of 1990 (PPA) (42 U.S.C. 13106), the offeror will
    file and continue to file for such facilities for the life of the
    contract the Toxic Chemical Release Inventory Form (FR) as described
    in sections 313(a)(g) of EPCRA and section 6607 of PPA; or
            (2) None of its owned or operated facilities to be used in
    the performance of this contract is subject to the FR filing and
    reporting requirements because each such facility is exempt for at
    least one of the following reasons:
    (check each block that is applicable)
      |_| (i) The facility does not manufacture, process, or otherwise
    use any toxic chemicals listed under section 313(c) of EPCRA, 42
    U.S.C. 11023(c);
      |_| (ii) The facility does not have ten or more full-time
    employees as specified in section 313(b)(1)(A) of EPCRA, 42 U.S.C.
    11023(b)(1)(A);
      |_| (iii) The facility does not meet the reporting thresholds of
    toxic chemicals established under section 313(f) of EPCRA, 42 U.S.C.
    11023(f) (including the alternate thresholds at 40 CRF 372.27,
    provided an appropriate certificate form has been filed with EPA);
      |_| (iv) The facility does not fall within Standard Industrial
    Classification Code (SIC) designations 20 through 39 as set forth in
    Section 19.102 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation;
      |_| (v) The facility is not located within any State of the United
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                                         RFP 98-003
    States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
    Guam, American Somoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the
    Northern Mariana Islands, or any other terrotories or possession
    over which the United States has jurisdiction.
                          (End of Provision)
     K.20  POST EMPLOYMENT CONFLICT OF INTEREST
           (ED 310-16) (MARCH 1985)
 The contractor certifies that in developing a proposal in response to
the solicitation for this contract, it has not utilized the services of
any former Education Department (ED) employee who, while working for the
Government, participated personally and substantially in, or was
officially responsible for, the development or drafting of the
solicitation for this contract.  The contractor further certifies that
it did not utilize the services of such an ED employee in assisting or
representing the offeror at negotiations for this contract.
     K.21  CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION,
           PROPOSED DEBARMENT, AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITY
           MATTERS.  (FAR 52.209-5) (MAY 1989)
     (a)(1) The Offeror certifies, to the best of its knowledge and
     belief, that --
     (i)  The Offeror and/or any of its Principals --
     (A)  Are (  ) are not (  ) presently debarred, suspended, proposed
     for debarment, or declared ineligible for the award of contracts
     by any Federal agency;
     (B)  Have (  ) have not (  ), within a 3-year period preceding
     this offer, been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered
     against them for: commission of fraud or a criminal offense in
     connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a
     public (Federal, state, or local) contract or subcontract;
     violation of Federal or state antitrust statutes relating to the
     submission of offers; or commission of embezzlement, theft,
     forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making
     false statements, or receiving stolen property; and
     (C)  Are (  ) are not (  ) presently indicted for, or otherwise
     criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity with,
     commission of any of the offenses enumerated in subdivision
     (a)(1)(i)(B) of this provision.
     (ii)  The Offeror has (  ) has not (  ), within a 3-year period
     preceding this offer, had one or more contracts terminated for
     default by any Federal agency.
     (2)  "Principals," for the purposes of this certification, means
     officers; directors; owners; partners; and, persons having primary
     management or supervisory responsibilities within a business
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                                         RFP 98-003
     entity (e.g., general manager, plant manager, head of a
     subsidiary, division, or business segment, and similar
     positions).
     This certification concerns a matter within the jurisdiction of an
     agency of the United States and the making of a false, fictitious,
     or fraudulent certification may render the maker subject to
     prosecution under section 1001, title 18, United States Code.
     (b)  The Offeror shall provide immediate written notice to the
     Contracting Officer if, at any time prior to contract award, the
     Offeror learns that its certification was erroneous when submitted
     or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances.
     (c)  A certification that any of the items in paragraph (a) of
     this provision exists will not necessarily result in withholding
     of an award under this solicitation.  However, the certification
     will be considered in connection with a determination of the
     Offeror's responsibility.  Failure of the Offeror to furnish a
     certification or provide such additional information as requested
     by the Contracting Officer may render the Offeror nonresponsible.
     (d)  Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to
     require establishment of a system of records in order to render,
     in good faith, the certification required by paragraph (a) of this
     provision. The knowledge and information of an Offeror is not
     required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a
     prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings.
     (e)  The certification in paragraph (a) of this provision is a
     material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed
     when making award. If it is later determined that the Offeror
     knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to
     other remedies available to the Government, the Contracting
     Officer may terminate the contract resulting from this
     solicitation for default.
     K.22  TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION
           (FAR 52.204-3) (SEPTEMBER 1989)
      (a) Definitions.  "Common parent," as used in this solicitation
    provision, means that corporate entity that owns or controls an
    affiliated group of corporations that files its Federal income tax
    returns on a consolidated basis, and of which the offeror is a
    member.
    "Corporate status," as used in this solicitation provision, means a
    designation as to whether the offeror is a corporate entity, an
    unincorporated entity (e.g., sole proprietorship or partnership), or
    a corporation providing medical and health care services.
    "Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)," as used in this solicitation
    provision, means the number required by the IRS to be used by the
    offeror in reporting income tax and other returns.
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      (b) The offeror is required to submit the information required in
    paragraphs (c) through (e) of this solicitation provision in order
    to comply with reporting requirements of 26 U.S.C. 6041, 6041A, and
    6050M and implementing regulations issued by the Internal Revenue
    Service (IRS).  If the resulting contract is subject to reporting
    requirements described in 4.902(a), the failure or refusal by the
    offeror to furnish the information may result in a 20 percent
    reduction of payments otherwise due under the contract.
      (c) "Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
          (  ) TIN: _______________.
          (  ) TIN has been applied for.
          (  ) TIN is not required because:
          (  ) Offeror is a nonresident alien, foreign corporation, or
    foreign partnership that does not have income effectively connected
    with the conduct of a trade or business in the U.S. and does not
    have an office or place of business or a fiscal paying agent in the
    U.S.;
          (  ) Offeror is an agency or instrumentality of a foreign
    government;
          (  ) Offeror is an agency or instrumentality of a Federal,
    state, or local government;
          (  ) Other. State basis. __________.
      (d) "Corporate Status".
          (  ) Corporation providing medical and health care services,
    or engaged in the billing and collecting of payments for such
    services;
          (  ) Other corporate entity;
          (  ) Not a corporate entity;
          (  ) Sole proprietorship
          (  ) Partnership
          (  ) Hospital or extended care facility described in 26 CFR
    501(c)(3) that is exempt from taxation under 26 CFR 501(a).
      (e) "Common Parent".
          (  ) Offeror is not owned or controlled by a common parent as
    defined in paragraph (a) of this clause.
          (  ) Name and TIN of common parent:
          Name  _________________________
          TIN   _________________________
     K.23  CERTIFICATION AND DISCLOSURE REGARDING PAYMENTS
           TO INFLUENCE CERTAIN FEDERAL TRANSACTIONS
           (FAR 52.203-11) (APRIL 1991)
 (Note:  This certification is only applicable to proposals or pending
 contract awards exceeding $100,000 in value and shall only cover
 activities occurring from December 23, 1989 on.)
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      (a) The definitions and prohibitions contained in the clause, at FAR
 52.203-12, Limitation on Payments to Influence Certain Federal
 Transactions, included in this solicitation; are hereby incorporated by
 reference in paragraph (b) of this certification.
      (b) The offeror, by signing its offer, hereby certifies to the best
 of his or her knowledge and belief on or after December 23, 1989,
      (1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to
 any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or
 employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of
 Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress on his or her behalf in
 connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any
 Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any
 cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal,
 amendment or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or
 cooperative agreement;
      (2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds (including
 profit or fee received under a covered Federal transaction) have been
 paid, or will be paid, to any person for influencing or attempting to
 influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an
 officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress
 on his or her behalf in connection with this solicitation, the offeror
 shall complete and submit, with its offer, OMB standard form LLL,
 Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, to the Contracting Officer; and
      (3) He or she will include the language of this certification in all
 subcontract awards at any tier and require that all recipients of
 subcontract awards in excess of $100,000 shall certify and disclose
 accordingly.
      (c) Submission of this certification and disclosure is a
 prerequisite for making or entering into this contract imposed by  section
 1352, title 31, United States Code.  Any person who makes an expenditure
 prohibited under this provision or who fails to file or amend the
 disclosure form to be filed or amended by this provision, shall be subject
 to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000, and not more than $100,000,
 for each such failure.
     K.24  ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
           CERTIFICATE -- MARKETING CONSULTANTS
           (FAR 52.209-7) (OCTOBER 1995)
      (A) Definitions.
      (1) Marketing consultant means any independent contractor who
    furnishes advice, information, direction, or assistance to an
    offeror or any other contractor in support of the preparation or
    submission of an offer for a government contract by that offeror. An
    independent Contractor is not a marketing consultant when rendering
    --
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                                         RFP 98-003
         (i)  Services excluded in subpart 37.2;
         (ii) Routine engineering and technical services (such as
              installation, operation, or maintenance of systems,
              equipment, software, components, or facilities);
        (iii) Routine legal, actuarial, auditing,and accounting
              services; or
         (iv) Training services.
      (2) Organizational conflict of interest means that because of
    other activities or relationships with other persons, a person is
    unable or potentially unable to render impartial assistance or
    advice to the Government, or the person's objectivity in performing
    the contract work is or might be otherwise impaired, or a person has
    an unfair competitive advantage.
      (B) An individual or firm that employs, retains, or engages
    contractually one or more marketing consultants in connection with a
    contract, shall submit to the contracting officer, with respect to
    each marketing consultant, the certificates described below, if the
    individual or firm is notified that it is the apparent successful
    offeror.
      (C) The certificate must contain the following:
      (1) The name of the agency and the number of the solicitation in
    question.
      (2) The name, address, telephone number, and federal taxpayer
    identification number of the marketing consultant.
      (3) The name, address and telephone number of a responsible
    officer or employee of the marketing consultant who has personal
    knowledge of the marketing consultants involvement in the contract.
      (4) A description of the nature of the services rendered by or to
    be rendered by the marketing consultant.
      (5) The name, address, and telephone number of a responsible
    officer or employee of the marketing consultant who is knowledgeable
    about the services provided to such client(s), and a description of
    the nature of the services rendered to such client(s), if based on
    information provided to the Contractor by the marketing consultant,
    any marketing consultant rendering or, in the 12 months preceding
    the date of the certificate, has rendered services respecting the
    same subject matter of the instant solicitation, or directly
    relating to such subject matter, to the Government or any other
    client (including any foreign government or person).
      (6) A statement that the person who signs the certificate for the
    prime Contractor has informed the marketing consultant of the
    existence of subpart 9.5 and Office of Federal Procurement Policy
    Letter 89-1.
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      (7) The signature, name, title, employer's name, address, and
    telephone number of the persons who signed the certificates for both
    the apparent successful offeror and the marketing consultant.
      (D) In addition, the apparent successful offeror shall forward to
    the Contracting Officer a certificate signed by the marketing
    consultant that the marketing consultant has been told of the
    existence of subpart 9.5 and Office of Federal Procurement Policy
    Letter 89-1, and the marketing consultant has made inquiry, and to
    the best of the consultant's knowledge and belief, the consultant
    has provided no unfair competitive advantage to the prime Contractor
    with respect to the services rendered  or to be rendered in
    connection with the solicitation, or that any unfair competitive
    advantage that, to the best of the consultant's knowledge and
    belief, does or may exist, has been disclosed to the offeror.
      (E) Failure of the offeror to provide the required certifications
    may result in the offeror being determined ineligible for award.
    Misrepresentation of any fact may result in the assessment of
    penalties associated with false certifications or such other
    provisions provided for by law or regulation.
     K.25  CANCELLATION, RESCISSION, AND RECOVERY OF FUNDS FOR
           ILLEGAL OR IMPROPER ACTIVITY
           (FAR 52.203-8) (JAN 1997)
         (a)  If the Government receives information that a
    contractor or a person has engaged in conduct constituting
    a violation of subsection (a), (b), (c), or (d) of Section 27
    of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (4l U.S.C. 423)
    (the Act), as amended by section 4304 of the l996 National
    Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year l996 (Pub. L. l04-l06),
    the Government may -
         (l)  Cancel the solicitation, if the contract has not yet
    been awarded or issued; or
         (2)  Rescind the contract with respect to which -
              (i) The Contractor or someone acting for the Contractor
    has been convicted for an offense where the conduct constitutes a
    violation of subsection 27 (a) or (b) of the Act for the purpose of
    either -
         (A)  Exchanging the inforamtion covered by such subsections
    for anything of value; or
         (B)  Obtaining or giving anyone a competitive advantage in the
    award of a Federal agency procurement contract; or
         (ii)  The head of the contracting activity has determined,
    based upon a preponderance of the evidence, that the Contractor or
    someone acting for the Contractor has engaged in conduct
    constituting an offense punishable under subsections 27(e)(l) of the
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                                         RFP 98-003
    Act.
         (b)  If the Government rescinds the contract under paragraph
    (a) of this clause, the Government is entitled to recover, in
    addition to any penalty prescribed by law, the amount expended
    under the contract.
         (c)  The rights and remedies of the Government specified
    herein are not exclusive, and are in addition to any other rights
    and remedies provided by law, regulation, or under this contract.
                         (End of clause)
     K.26  ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
           (EDAR 3452.209-70) (AUG 1987)
    The offeror certifies that it [__] is [__] is not aware of any
    potential organization conflict of interest that it may have under
    this procurement.  If the offeror is aware of any potential
    conflict of interest, the offeror shall submit a disclosure
    statement fully describing the situation.  An organizational
    conflict of interest is  as defined and illustrated in FAR 9.5.
     K.27  REPRESENTATION OF LIMITED RIGHTS DATA AND RESTRICTED
           COMPUTER SOFTWARE
           (FAR 52.227-15) (JUNE 1987)
  (a)  This solicitation sets forth the work to be performed if a
  contract award results, and the Government's known delivery
  requirements for data (as defined in FAR 27.401).  Any resulting
  contract may also provide the government the option to order
  additional data under the Additional Data Requirements clause at
  52.227-16 of the  FAR, if included in the contract.  Any data
  delivered under the resulting contract will be subject to the
  Rights in Data -- General clause at 52.227-14 that is to be
  included in this contract.  Under the latter clause, a Contractor
  may withhold from delivery data that qualify as limited rights
  data or restricted computer software, and deliver form, fit, and
  function data in lieu thereof.  The latter clause also may be used
  with its Alternates II and/or III to obtain delivery of limited
  rights data or restricted computer software, marked with limited
  rights or restricted rights notices, as appropriate.  In addition,
  use of Alternate V with this latter clause provides the Government
  the right to inspect such data at the Contractor's facility.
  (b)  As an aid in determining the Government's need to include any
  of the aforementioned Alternates in the clause at 52.227-14,
  Rights in Data -- General, the offeror's response to this
  solicitation shall, to the extent feasible, complete the
  representation in paragraph (b) of this clause to either state
  that none of the data qualify as limited rights data or restricted
  computer software, or identify which of the data qualifies as
  limited rights data or restricted computer software.  Any
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                                         RFP 98-003
  identification of limited rights data or restricted computer
  software in the offeror's response in not determinative of the
  status of such data should a contract be awarded to the offeror.
  REPRESENTATION CONCERNING DATA RIGHTS
  Offeror has reviewed the requirements for the delivery of data or
  software an states (offeror check appropriate block)--
  [ ] None of the data proposed for fulfilling such requirements
  qualifies as limited rights data or restricted computer software.
  [ ] Data proposed for fulfilling such requirements qualify as
  limited rights data or restricted computer software and are
  identified as follows:
 _________________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________________
  NOTE:  "Limited rights data" and "Restricted computer software"
  are defined in the contract clause entitled "Rights In Data --
  General".
     K.28  CLEAN AIR AND WATER CERTIFICATION
           (FAR 52.223-1) (APRIL 1984)
  The Offeror certifies that--
  (A)  Any facility to be used in the performance of this proposed
  contract is [_], is not [_] listed on the Environmental Protection
  Agency List of Violating Facilities;
  (B)  The Offeror will immediately notify the Contracting Officer,
  before award, of the receipt of any communication from the
  Administrator, or a designee, of the Environmental Protection
  Agency, indicating that any facility that the Offeror proposes to
  use for the performance of the contract is under consideration to
  be listed on the EPA List of Violating Facilities; and
  (C)  The Offeror will include a certification substantially the
  same as this certification, including this paragraph (c), in every
  nonexempt subcontract.
    K.29   COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOTICES AND CERTIFICATION
           (52.230-1) (APR 1996)
         NOTE:  This notice does not apply to small businesses or
    foreign governments.  This notice is in three parts, identified by
    Roman numerals I through III.
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                                         RFP 98-003
         Offerors shall examine each part and provide the requested
    information in order to determine Cost Accounting Standards (CAS)
    requirements applicable to any resultant contract.
         If the offeror is an educational institution, Part II does not
    apply unless the contemplated contract will be subject to full or
    modified CAS coverage pursuant to 48 CFR 9903.201-2(c)(5) or
    9903.201-2(c)(6), respectively.
         I. DISCLOSURE STATEMENT-COST ACCOUNTING PRACTICES AND
    CERTIFICATION
         (a) Any contract in excess of $500,000 resulting from this
    solicitation, except contracts in which the price negotiated is
    based on (1) established catalog or market prices of commercial
    items sold in substantial quantities to the general public, or (2)
    prices set by law or regulation, will be subject to the requirements
    of the Cost Accounting Standard Board 48 CFR, Chapter 99, except for
    those contracts which are exempt as specified in 48 CFR 9903.201-1.
         (b) Any offeror submitting a proposal which, if accepted, will
    result in a contract subject to the requirements of 48 CFR, Chapter
    99, as a condition of contracting, submit a Disclosure Statement as
    required by 48 CFR 9903.202.  When required, the Disclosure
    Statement must be submitted as a part of the offeror's proposal
    under this solicitation unless the offeror has already submitted a
    Disclosure Statement disclosing the practices used in connection
    with the pricing of this proposal.  If an applicable Disclosure
    Statement has already been submitted, the offeror may satisfy the
    requirement for submission by providing the information requested in
    paragraph (c) of Part I of this provision.
         CAUTION:  In the absence of specific regulations or agreement,
    a practice disclosed in a Disclosure Statement shall not, by virtue
    of such disclosure, be deemed to be a proper, approved, or agreed-to
    practice for pricing proposals or accumulating and reporting
    contract performance cost data.
         (c) Check the appropriate box below:
              ___(1) Certificate of Concurrent Submission of Disclosure
    Statement.
         The offeror hereby certifies that, as a part of the offer,
    copies of the Disclosure Statement have been submitted as follows:
    (i) original and one copy to the cognizant Administrative
    Contracting Officer (ACO), or cognizant Federal agency official
    authorized to act in that capacity (Federal official), as
    applicable, and (ii) one copy to the cognizant Federal auditor.
         (Disclosure must be on Form No. CASB DS-1 or CASB DS-2, as
    applicable.  Forms may be obtained from the cognizant ACO or Federal
    official and/or from the loose-leaf version of the Federal
    Acquisition Regulation.)
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                                         RFP 98-003
    Date of Disclosure Statement:  _______________________________ Name
    and Address of Cognizant ACO or Federal Official Where Filed:
         ____________________________________________
         ____________________________________________
         ____________________________________________
         ____________________________________________
         The offeror further certifies that practices used in estimating
    costs in pricing this proposal are consistent with the cost
    accounting practices disclosed in the Disclosure Statement.
              ___(2) Certificate of Previously Submitted Disclosure
    Statement.
         The offeror hereby certifies that Disclosure Statement was
    filed as follows:
    Date of Disclosure Statement:  _______________________________ Name
    and Address of Cognizant ACO or Federal Official Where Filed:
         ____________________________________________
         ____________________________________________
         ____________________________________________
         ____________________________________________
         The offeror further certifies that the practices used in
    estimating costs in pricing this proposal are consistent with the
    cost accounting practices disclosed in the applicable Disclosure
    Statement.
              ___(3) Certificate of Monetary Exemption.
         The offeror hereby certifies that the offeror, together with
    all divisions, subsidiaries, and affiliates under common control,
    did not receive net awards of negotiated prime contracts and
    subcontracts subject to CAS totaling more than $25 million (of which
    at least one award exceeded $1 million) in the cost accounting
    period immediately preceding the period in which this proposal was
    submitted.  The offeror further certifies that if such status
    changes before an award resulting from this proposal, the offeror
    will advise the Contracting Officer immediately.
              ___(4) Certificate of Interim Exemption.
         The offeror hereby certifies that (i) the offeror first
    exceeded the monetary exemption for disclosure, as defined in (3) of
    this subsection, in the cost accounting period immediately preceding
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                                         RFP 98-003
    the period in which this offer was submitted and (ii) in accordance
    with 48 CFR 9903.202-1, the offeror is not yet required to submit a
    Disclosure Statement.  The offeror further certifies that if an
    award resulting from this proposal has not been made within 90 days
    after the end of that period, the offeror will immediately submit a
    revised certificate to the Contracting Officer, in the form
    specified under subparagraph (c)(1) or (c)(2) of Part I of this
    provision, as appropriate, to verify submission of a completed
    Disclosure Statement.
         CAUTION:  Offerors currently required to disclose because they
    were awarded a CAS-covered prime contract or subcontract of $25
    million or more in the current cost accounting period may not claim
    this exemption (4).  Further, the exemption applies only in
    connection with proposals submitted before expiration of the 90-day
    period following the cost accounting period in which the monetary
    exemption was exceeded.
    II.  COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS-ELIGIBILITY FOR MODIFIED CONTRACT
    COVERAGE
         If the offeror is eligible to use the modified provisions of 48
    CFR, Subpart 9903.201-2(b) and elects to do so, the offeror shall
    indicate by checking the box below.  Checking the box below shall
    mean that the resultant contract is subject to the Disclosure and
    Consistency of Cost Accounting Practices clause in lieu of the Cost
    Accounting Standards clause.
         ___ The offeror hereby claims an exemption from the Cost
    Accounting Standards clause under the provisions of 48 CFR
    9903.201-2(b) and certifies that the offeror is eligible for use of
    the Disclosure and Consistency of Cost Accounting Practices clause
    because (i) during the cost accounting period immediately preceding
    the period in which this proposal was submitted, the offeror
    received less than $25 million in awards of CAS-covered prime
    contracts and subcontracts, or the offeror did not receive a single
    CAS-covered award exceeding $1 million.  The offeror further
    certifies that if such status changes before an award resulting from
    this proposal, the offeror will advise the Contracting Officer
    immediately.
         CAUTION:  An offeror may not claim the above eligibility for
    modified contract coverage if this proposal is expected to result in
    the award of a CAS-covered contract of $25 million or more or if,
    during its current cost accounting period, the offeror has been
    awarded a single CAS-covered prime contract or subcontract of $25
    million or more.
    III. ADDITIONAL COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS APPLICABLE TO EXISTING
    CONTRACTS
         The offeror shall indicate below whether award of the
    contemplated contract would, in accordance with subparagraph (a)(3)
    of the Cost Accounting Standards clause, require a change in
    established cost accounting practices affecting existing contracts
    and subcontracts.
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                                         RFP 98-003
    ___ YES  ___ NO
                                 (End of Provision)
         ALTERNATE I (APR 1996).  As prescribed in 30.201-3(b), add the
    following subparagraph (c)(5) to Part I of the basic provision:
         [__]  (5) Certificate of Disclosure Statement Due Date by
    Educational Institution.
    If the offeror is an educational institution that, under the
    transition provisions of 48 CFR 9903.202-1(f), is or will be
    required to submit a Disclosure Statement after receipt of this
    award, the offeror hereby certifies that (check one and complete):
         [__]   (i)  A Disclosure Statement Filing Due Date of
    ____________________ has been established with the cognizant Federal
    agency.
          [__]  (ii) The Disclosure Statement will be submitted within
    the 6-month period ending ____________ months after receipt of this
    award.
    Name and Address of Cognizant ACO or Federal Official Where
    Disclosure Statement is to be Filed:
         __________________________________________________
         __________________________________________________
         __________________________________________________
         __________________________________________________
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                                         RFP 98-003
          SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES
                             TO OFFERORS
    L.1   TYPE OF CONTRACT
          (ED 311-1) (MARCH 1986)
  The Government contemplates award of a cost plus incentive fee type
 contract from this solicitation.
    L.2  INCREMENTAL FUNDING
         (EDAR 3452.232-71) (AUG 1987)
     (A)  Sufficient funds are not presently available to cover the total cost
    of the complete project described in this solicitation. However, it is the
    Government's intention to negotiate and award a contract using the
    incremental funding concepts described in the clause entitled "Limitation of
    Funds" in FAR 52.232-22.  Under that clause, which will be included in the
    resultant contract, initial funds will be obligated under the contract to
    cover an estimated base performance period.  Additional funds are intended
    to be allotted to the contract by contract modification, up to and including
    the full estimated cost of the entire period of performance.  This intent
    notwithstanding, the Government will not be obligated to reimburse the
    contractor for costs incurred in excess of the periodic allotments, nor will
    the contractor be obligated to perform in excess of the amount allotted.
     (B)  The Limitation of Cost clause in FAR 52.232-20 shall supersede the
    Limitation of Funds clause in the event the contract becomes fully funded.
    L.3   GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
          (ED 311-2) (FEB 1996)
  The following instructions establish the acceptable minimum
 requirements for the format and content of proposals:
  Your special attention is directed to the requirements for technical
 and business proposals and past performance report to be submitted in
 accordance with these instructions.
  Any resultant contract shall include the general provisions applicable
 to the selected offeror's organization and type of contract awarded.
 Copies of general provisions may be obtained by contacting the
 Contracting Officer.  Any additional clauses required by public law,
 executive order, or acquisition regulations, in effect at the time of
 execution of the proposed contract, will be included.
  The proposal must be prepared in three parts:  A "Technical Proposal,"
 "Business Proposal," and a "Past Performance Report." Each of the parts
 shall be separate and complete in itself so that evaluation of one may
 be accomplished independently of evaluation of the other. The technical
 proposal must not contain reference to cost; however, resource
 information, such as data concerning labor hours and categories,
 materials, subcontracts, etc., must be contained in the technical
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                                         RFP 98-003
 proposal so that your understanding of the scope of the work may be
 evaluated. It must disclose your technical approach in sufficient
 detail to provide a clear and concise presentation that includes, but
 is not limited to, the requirements of the technical proposal
 instructions.
  The proposal must be signed by an official authorized to bind your
 organization.  You must submit an original and   8  copies of your
 technical proposal and an original and   4 copies of your business
 proposal and an original and one copy of your past performance report
 to:
       U. S. Department of Education
       Support Services Group
       GSA Building, Room 3616 (Mail Stop 4447)
       7th & D Streets, S.W.
       Washington, D. C.   20202
  Hand-carried proposals must be delivered by entering through the 'D'
 Street entrance of the building and stopping at the Guard's Desk.
 Offerors are directed to call the Application Control Center (ACC) at
 708-8493.  Offerors should indicate for which RFP number they are
 submitting a proposal and should have proper identification.   Offerors
 will be required to sign in and be escorted to ACC where the proposal
 will be officially received. Offerors should consider this delay in
 meeting the time specified for proposal receipt.
  You may, at your discretion, submit alternate proposals, or proposals
 which deviate from the requirements; PROVIDED, that you also submit a
 proposal for performance of the work, as specified in the statement of
 work.  These proposals may be considered if overall performance would
 be improved or not compromised and if they are in the best interest of
 the Government.  Alternate proposals, or deviations from any
 requirements of this RFP, must be clearly identified.
  The Government will evaluate proposals in accordance with the
 evaluation criteria set forth in Section M of this request for
 proposals. Offerors are encouraged to submit proposals on recycled
 paper with a high post-consumer waste content.
  It is understood that your proposal will become part of the official
 contract file.
  The RFP does not commit the Government to pay any cost for the
 preparation and submission of a proposal.  In addition, the Contracting
 Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to
 the expenditure of public funds in connection with this proposed
 acquisition.
  To assist you in the preparation of your proposal, the Government
 estimates the effort to perform this contract to be as stated below.
 This level of effort is for the base contract level of effort including
 all sixty months, but does not include the optional tasks.  These
 numbers are furnished for the offeror's information only and are not
 considered restrictive for proposal purposes.
            Labor Category                       Staff Hours
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                                         RFP 98-003
     1.     Professional                                  56,160
    L.4   TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS
          (ED 311-3) (MARCH 1986)
  Proposals which merely offer to conduct a program in accordance
  with the requirements of the Government's scope of work will not
  be eligible for award.  You must submit an explanation of the
  proposed technical approach in conjunction with the tasks to be
  performed in achieving the project objectives.
  A detailed work plan must be submitted indicating how each aspect
  of the statement of work is to be accomplished.  Your technical
  approach should be in as much detail as you consider necessary to
  fully explain your proposed technical approach or method.  The
  technical proposal should reflect a clear understanding of the
  nature of the work being undertaken.
  The technical proposal must include information on how the project
  is to be organized, staffed, and managed.  Information should be
  provided which will demonstrate your understanding and management
  of important events or tasks.  You must explain how the management
  and coordination of consultant and/or subcontractor efforts will
  be accomplished.
  The technical proposal must include a list of names and proposed
  duties of the professional personnel, consultants, and key
  subcontractor employees assigned to the project.  Their resumes
  should be included and should contain information on education,
  background, recent experience, and specific requirement related or
  technical accomplishments.  The approximate percentage of time
  each individual will be available for this project must be
  included.
  The proposed staff hours for each of the above individuals should
  be allocated against each task or subtask for the project.
  The technical proposal must provide the general background,
  experience, and qualifications of the organization.  Similar or
  related contracts, subcontracts, or grants should be included and
  contain the name of the customer, contract or grant number, dollar
  amount, time of performance, and the names and telephone numbers
  of the contracting officer's technical representative or project
  officer and contracting/grants officer.
  The technical proposal must contain a discussion of present or
  proposed facilities and equipment which will be used in the
  performance of the contract.
  The technical proposal must be prepared and submitted in the
  following format:
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                                         RFP 98-003
 A.  Organization and Content of Proposal
 All information necessary to judge the technical soundness of the offer
 should be contained in the technical proposal.
 A.1 Technical proposal.
       Offerors should provide a Technical Proposal for the entire
 project.  This includes 1) the core tasks (tasks 1 - 13) and 2) each of
 the optional studies and supplements.   An offeror must address all
 optional special studies and supplements in its proposal.  All special
 studies and supplements will be exercised at the discretion of the
 government.
      The technical proposal should be organized into the following
 sections: Table of Contents, Introduction, General Approach, Statement
 of Work, Project Management, Proposed Staff Related Experience, and
 Related Corporate Experience.  The authors of each section should be
 clearly identified in the proposal. Specific requirements for each
 section are discussed in greater detail in the following paragraphs.
      A.1.1 Table of Contents
      The Table of Contents should provide an easy means to identify
 major points of discussion.
      A.1.2 Introduction
      The Introduction should demonstrate the offeror's understanding of
 the purposes, methodology, and products of the project and should
 include a short summary of the offeror's qualifications and unique
 strengths related to the work outlined in the RFP. In describing the
 purposes of the project, offerors should discuss their current
 understanding of the design of the ECLS-B and how the study can be
 designed to answer questions surrounding the National Education Goals
 and early childhood development and education.  The offeror should
 identify the most important research and policy questions that the
 ECLS-B should be designed to address.
      A.1.3 General approach
      The General Approach section should be organized into three parts.
  In the first part, the offeror is asked to describe its overall
 approach for successfully accomplishing the work and the rationale for
 the proposed approach.  The offeror should include a framework or
 conceptual model that it will use to guide the design of the ECLS-B and
 to help make decisions about what data are most important to collect in
 the ECLS-B.  In the second part, the offeror should identify what it
 sees as the major challenges associated with 1) selecting a nationally
 representative sample of new births, 2) securing the cooperation and
 participation of parents and child care providers, 3) conducting
 in-home interviews with parents, and 4) creating a meaningful
 assessment battery for the ECLS-B.  The offeror should include a
 framework for the assessment battery that it will use when making
 decisions about what instruments and items to include. In the third
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                                         RFP 98-003
 section, the offeror should describe the methods and approaches it will
 use to respond to each of these challenges.
      A.1.4 Statement of work
      The Statement of Work section should correspond to the Scope of
 Work section in this document. The offeror's Statement of Work should
 expand upon each of the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work and
 discusses procedural issues related to completing each task.  The
 offeror's plan for carrying out each task, including the naming of
 staff members who will play a major role in completing the task, should
 be clearly stated. Any variations to the tasks and subtasks defined
 herein should be accompanied by a rationale.  If the variation affects
 the overall cost of the study, this should be indicated in the
 technical proposal and alternative designs should be separately costed
 in the business or cost proposal.  Offerors are encouraged to propose
 alternatives that, if adopted, would improve upon the study or reduce
 the costs.  However, for evaluation purposes, the offeror should also
 submit a proposal to perform the work as specified in this document.
 (Refer to Section L.3 for a discussion of alternate proposals.)
      Listed below are topics that the offeror should fully discuss when
 preparing its description of the work and methods it will use in
 completing specific tasks, special studies, and supplements.
 Task 1.  Project Planning and General Management
        It is anticipated that the contractors staff will meet about 3
 times per year (other than the initial meeting described above) with
 the COTR over the life of the contract.  Typically, two of the meetings
 per year will be one-day meetings and one will be a two-day meeting.
 The designation of attendees to each meeting should be made only after
 the meeting goals and agenda have been established.  An average of
 three of the contractors staff members will typically attend each
 meeting.
      The offerors proposal should include: 1) a description of general
 project management and quality control procedures, 2) a sample agenda
 for the initial project meeting, 3) an example of the type of briefing
 material that will be prepared, 4) an outline for a project brochure,
 and 5) a plan for securing master data files and documentation.
 Task 2. Technical review panel and outside review
      The offeror's proposal should include: 1) a preliminary list of
 recommended TRP members with justifications, 2)  a draft agenda for the
 first TRP meeting, and 3) a schedule for TRP and outside group
 meetings.
      Offerors should assume that three outside review groups will be
 convened over the life of the contract.  Each group will be comprised
 of up to 8 non-federal members and will meet for one day in Washington,
 D.C.
 Task 3.  Develop Survey Instruments and Procedures
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                                         RFP 98-003
      Based on the offeror's review of the draft content outline and its
 knowledge of the research and policy questions surrounding the
 development and education of young children, the offeror should
 identify the areas and constructs in most need of work and the gaps in
 content coverage.  The offeror's proposal should include its plans for
 completing this work and for filling these gaps.
      The offeror's proposal should also include: 1) its approach to
 creating the ECLS-B assessment battery and its plans for obtaining
 outside review of its plans prior to their being finalized, 2) a
 preliminary plan for conducting cognitive laboratory work on the base
 year survey instruments, identifying specific areas within the
 questionnaires that may need special attention, and 3) its approaches
 for increasing the participation of non-Hispanic language minorities in
 the ECLS-B.
 Task 4.  Design and Select Sample
      The offeror's proposal should include a preliminary sample design
 for the ECLS-B that meets the requirements specified in the SOW.  The
 offeror's choice of a sampling frame should be identified and
 justified.   Any plans for clustering or stratifying the sample should
 be clearly stated.  The offeror's plans for oversampling particular
 populations of children should be identified and justified.
      A secondary goal of the ECLS-B is to use the data from this sample
 with data from the ECLS-K sample to answer questions that span the
 preschool and elementary school years covered by the two cohorts.  The
 offeror's proposal should include a discussion of how the ECLS-B should
 be designed to accomplish this goal. Specific examples of how
 information from the two samples would be used to answer questions of
 this type, and the statistical methods that would be used should be
 included in the offeror's proposal.
 Task 5.  Study Design Report
      The offeror should offer a preliminary outline that summarizes the
 major components of the Study Design Report.  This outline should
 reflect the proposed instruments and sample design.
 Task 6.  IMT/OMB Clearance
      The offeror's proposal should describe of its approach to
 preparing the materials required for OMB clearance. The offeror's
 proposal should suggest possible ways of working with OMB to meet the
 needs of the ECLS-B.
 Task 7.  Develop CATI/CAPI System
      The offeror should describe how the proposed CATI/CAPI system will
 be portable for use by the government and the computer resources
 required since the government will test the proposed system.
      The offeror should include a description of its approach to
 programming and testing each  CATI/CAPI instrument and identify when
 these activities will take place.
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                                         RFP 98-003
 Task 8.  Field test of survey instruments and procedures
      Because of the tight schedule of this contract, it is important
 that the contractor begin preparing for the field test early in the
 contract.  The offeror should describe the design of the field test and
 discuss how it intends to use the field test to evaluate its methods
 and procedures for the main study.  Any experiments or studies imbedded
 in the field test should be clearly identified and justified.
      The offeror's proposal should justify its decision to design and
 implement a field test that follows the same children/families over
 time or one that uses a multi-cohort cross-sectional design.
 Task 9.  Hiring and training CATI/CAPI interviewers
      Offerors should identify potential problems associated with
 recruiting, hiring, and training of: 1) field staff and 2) telephone
 interviewers, and how it will overcome these problems. The offeror's
 proposal should include 1) a draft agenda for training field staff to
 conduct in-home assessments of young children and for conducting
 interviews with parents and child care providers, 2) a plan describing
 how it intends to ensure that all field staff receive the same
 training, and 3) a plan for evaluating the training program and the
 performance of individual trainees during and after training.
 Task 10.  Data collection (receipt control system)
      The offeror should include a data collection schedule for each
 component of the ECLS-B (e.g., parent/guardian interview, child care
 and education provider, child assessment) for the base year, first and
 second followup waves.  The data collection approach that will be used
 for each of these components at each point in time should be clearly
 identified and justified.
      The SOW requires the contractor to capture data from child care
 and education providers through a questionnaire/interview. The offeror
 should explain its approach to collecting these data. Designs using
 other approaches (e.g., observations) should be submitted as an
 alternative proposal.
      The offeror is to propose the events and activities that will be
 monitored by this system and describe how the systems files will be
 maintained.  The offeror should provide an example of a report prepared
 by its system.
      The offeror is to describe its approach to tracking children and
 the system that will be used to support this activity.  The sources of
 information that the offeror will use to locate sample members and the
 sequence in which these sources will be used should be described.
 Task 11.  Data file preparation and documentation
      The offeror's proposal should include a description of its plans
 for coding and editing data and for dealing with missing data.  It
 should also include a description of how it will produce sample weights
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                                         RFP 98-003
 for each study population (e.g., children, parents  and care
 providers).  Also, its plan for conducting confidentially analyses
 should be included.
 Task 12.  Data Analysis and Reporting
      The offeror's proposal should include 1) a description of a
 Statistics in Brief that would be developed for use when adjudicating
 the ECLS-B public release files and 2) its plans for estimating
 standard errors for each study component.
 Task 13.  Methodology Report
      The offeror's proposal should include a description of its
 approach to developing the Methodology Report.  A draft outline of the
 report should be included.
 Optional Tasks:
 1.    Oversampling American Indian Children
      The offeror's proposal should include a preliminary design for
 increasing the number of American Indian children in the ECLS-B.  The
 offeror should assume a sample size of 1,000 American Indian children.
 2.    Home Assessment
      The offeror should include a detailed set of plans for conducting
 an assessment of children's home environment. Offeror's should propose
 a design that involves the participation of the families of all the
 children in the family and a design that involves only a sample of
 these families.
 3.     Father Data
      The offeror should propose an approach to collecting data from the
 resident fathers of the children in the ECLS-B sample. Again, offerors
 should propose a design that involves the participation of all resident
 fathers and one that involves a sample of these fathers.
      A.1.5 Project Management
      The complexity of the project requires that the contractor has in
 place an effective management system that enables tasks to be completed
 on schedule and within budget.  The Project Management section includes
 discussions of the offeror's procedures for: coordinating and
 controlling project personnel, resources, and tasks; ensuring adherence
 to schedules and dead- lines; ensuring high quality products and
 outcomes; identifying potential problems early; maintaining close
 communication with the COTR; and controlling project expenditures.
 This section outlines the offerors specific plans for managing the
 ECLS-B and identifies how its proposed approach to project management
 will respond to the special needs and complexities of the ECLS-B.
 Descriptions that are limited to the offerors general approach to
 project management will be considered unacceptable.
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                                         RFP 98-003
      The Project Management section details the offeror's plan for
 managing the ECLS, including proposed lines of authority, coordination
 and communication within the offeror's organization and with any
 subcontractors, consultants, and NCES/ED.  All personnel, including
 subcontractor staff and consultants should be identified and their
 position in the study's management structure detailed in an
 organization chart.  There should also be a staff skills matrix that
 identifies the project director and key project staff by skill area
 (e.g., early childhood development and education, child assessment,
 sampling, data collection, training,  data processing)  (see A.1.6).
 All key staff of subcontractors should be identified and described in
 the same way and listed in the staff skills matrix.  There should be
 sufficient detail on how each project staff member will be used.
      In all cases where key personnel external to the offeror's
 organization are proposed, letters of agreement (with proposed staff)
 and letters of availability (endorsed by the primary organizations with
 which they are affiliated) are to be included. For purposes of the Work
 Statement, staff are defined as all personnel proposed to work on the
 study regardless of their primary affiliation or specific assignment.
 A person-loading chart that shows the number of hours each key staff
 member will devote to each of the project tasks and the number of total
 hours each will devote to the core and optional tasks should be
 included in this section of the offeror's technical proposal. The hours
 for other project staff (e.g., programmers, clerical staff, field
 staff) should be reported by labor category. A similar chart is
 required for each optional special study and supplement.  All key staff
 of subcontractors proposed for the ECLS should be included in the
 person-loading chart.
      The offeror should also provide information on the level of
 commitment to the ECLS-B and to other projects and administrative
 activities for each proposed key staff member.  Offerors should clearly
 state how many hours equals one full-time equivalent.
      Project Schedule.  The offeror should provide a project schedule
 for completing the 13 core tasks.  Separate schedules should be
 provided for the base year, first followup, and second followup rounds
 of the study.  Project schedules for completing the optional special
 studies and supplements should also be included in the offerors
 technical proposal.
      A.1.6 Proposed staff related experiences
      This section of the offeror's proposal should contain a summary
 for each proposed key staff member that indicates how his/her prior
 work experience and educational background relates to his/her proposed
 role on the ECLS.  Primary areas of expertise should be clearly
 specified.  The summary should be limited to the two or three
 experiences that best qualify the staff member for the role he/she will
 play on the ECLS-B.
      Offerors are encouraged to submit current vitae for each staff
 member proposed for the project.  The vitae should document only
 directly related experience, educational background, publications, and
 professional activities. Each vitae should list: 1) each degree earned
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                                         RFP 98-003
 (along with the date when each was confirmed, the confirming
 institution, and the major field of study); 2) no more than four
 prior/current work or project experiences; and 3) no more than 10
 publications and professional presentations.  Vitae should only list
 previous work experience and publications that are directly relevant to
 the staff members proposed duties on the ECLS-B.  Submitting general
 vitae or vitae that do not clearly identify the information identified
 above is unacceptable.
      One of the single greatest determinants of project success is the
 quality of the contractor's staff.  To plan, conduct and complete the
 ECLS-B base year, first, and second followup studies successfully
 requires staff who together have technical exper- tise, knowledge, and
 experience in a wide range of areas. At a minimum, staff should have
 expertise in the following areas: child development and early childhood
 education, child assessment, test development and the development of
 longitudinal measures of childrens growth, measurement of children's
 social skills and physical development, field operations, CATI/CAPI
 data collection, field staff and CATI/CAPI interviewer training, data
 processing and computer applications, research methodology, statistics,
 sampling and psychometrics.  In addition to these areas, optional tasks
 require staff with different subject matter (e.g., children with
 disabilities and child and family nutrition) and methodological
 expertise.  The contractor's staff's subject matter expertise should be
 above and beyond that possessed by the members of the contractor's
 Technical Review Panels.
      Offeror's staff's experience and expertise in each of these areas
 should be clearly described and documented in this section. The
 offeror's proposal should include a matrix that clearly identifies
 which of its proposed project staff possess each of the above skills
 and expertise.
      The Proposed Project Director is critical to the study because
 this person sets the study's tone and direction.  This person should
 have expertise in designing, conducting, and managing large studies
 with multiple components such as the ECLS- B.  The person should be
 knowledgeable in the subject matter areas of particular interest to the
 ECLS-B. Most important is the individuals management experience and
 skills.  The project director should be able to organize, oversee,
 manage, and control the quality of staff performance on many tasks
 simultaneously. The project director should be a good leader: strong;
 confident; and capable of not only inspiring project staff to perform
 productively as team members, but of taking whatever corrective action
 is required to insure quality performance.  The project director is
 expected to be a problem solver and a good communicator.  The project
 director should be capable of identifying problems early or
 anticipating them before they occur.  Once identified, the project
 director should not hesitate to share potential problems with the COTR
 for consideration and resolution.  Finally, the project director should
 be a person who can feel comfortable working closely with the COTR as a
 colleague and member of the study team.   In summary, the project
 director should have these traits and a demonstrated ability to meet
 deadlines, to produce qualitatively sound products within budget, and
 to keep the COTR informed of and involved in major decisions or events
 that are likely to affect the project's performance and products.  The
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                                         RFP 98-003
 project director is expected to be committed to the study and to be
 prepared to maintain this commitment over the period of the contract.
      NCES/ED believes that the magnitude and complexity of the ECLS-B
 requires a large commitment by the project director (in excess of 80
 percent).
      Task leaders and key project personnel should also be persons who
 can make a long-range commitment to the study.  Their competencies
 should complement those of the project director and they should be
 individuals who can feel they are part of the project director's team.
 They should be people with demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and
 to produce high quality products. They should have expertise which
 matches their assigned responsibilities on the project.
      Key project staff include the project director, any associate
 project directors, the task leader for the sampling tasks (tasks 4 and
 5), the chief sampling statistician, and the task leader for data
 collection (task 11).  Any changes or substitutions of these key
 personnel requires advance approval by the Contracting Officer in
 consultation with the COTR (see Key Personnel Clause).
      A.1.7 Related corporate experience
      The Related Corporate Experience section describes the offeror's
 capability and experience in the following areas: design and conduct of
 large-scale national studies; design and conduct of large-scale
 longitudinal studies; design and conduct of studies of children and
 their families and child care and education arrangements/programs;
 design and selection of national samples and developing weights for
 complex sample designs; development and use of computer technology and
 software systems in support of large-scale data collection; design and
 development of  large data bases; design and use of systems for
 processing, documenting, and maintaining large data bases; design of
 survey instruments; and the development of assessment batteries for
 measuring children's growth in cognitive and noncognitive domains.
 Offerors should include in their proposal a matrix that clearly
 identifies which of its prior and ongoing corporate projects are
 demonstrative of its expertise in each of the above areas.
      The Corporate Experience section contains a description of the
 approach that the offeror will use to provide corporate oversight for
 the ECLS-B.  This section includes detailed information on how project
 expenditures will be monitored and controlled.  The specific steps that
 the offeror will take to insure the quality of the work and products of
 its staff and to identify problems in performance should be clearly
 defined.
      The Corporate Experience section also describes the offeror's past
 experience in conducting studies of a similar nature and magnitude.
 One-page abstracts of related work should be included which clearly
 identify the topics or issues addressed, the study design, the sample
 size and sample design, data collection methodologies, the time frame
 of the study and its current status (complete, ongoing, etc.).  The
 name, current affiliation, and current telephone number of the
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                                         RFP 98-003
 sponsor's COTR should be specified.  These COTRs may be asked to report
 their experience on the project (size, problems, overruns,
 responsiveness, flexibility, and product quality).
 Use of Subcontractors
      Proposals may include plans to subcontract parts of the work,
 provided that evidence is presented that any proposed subcontractor has
 agreed to perform and is fully capable of performing the assigned
 tasks, and that the offeror has effective control of the
 subcontractor's work in the project.  Offerors are encouraged to make
 use of subcontractors for specialized tasks where subcontractor
 expertise would strengthen the offeror's proposal.
    L.5   PAST PERFORMANCE REPORT
          (ED 314-1) (MAR 1996)
    Each offeror shall submit the following information as a separately
    bound part of its proposal for both the offeror and proposed major
    subcontractors.  Major, as defined here and in the remainder of
    sections L and M regarding past performance, is any subcontractor
    that is subcontracted for a minimum of 25% of the total contract
    amount.  If the offeror has no relevant corporate or organizational
    past performance, the offeror may substitute past performance of its
    management or proposed key personnel.  Subcontractors who submit the
    past performances form must have the prime contractors', for whom
    they are subcontracting with in this procurement, name on the form
    also.
    A.  Each offeror shall submit information about its most recent four
    contracts, completed in the last three years or currently in
    process, which are of similar size, scope, complexity or, in any
    way, are relevant to the effort required by this solicitation. If
    the offeror's last four similar contracts are all currently in
    process, submit the last three similar contracts currently in
    process, and the most recent similar contract completed within the
    last three years.  Contracts listed may include those entered into
    by the Federal Government, agencies of State and local governments
    and commercial customers.  Contracts with the parent or an affiliate
    of the offeror may not be used. Include the following information
    for each contract and subcontract:
         1.   Identification
              a.   Name of the contracting activity
              b.   Program title or product name
              c.   Contract number
              d.   Contract type
              e.   Period of performance, including all option
                   periods
              f.   Contract Value:
                   (1)  Initial projected total contract amount
                        including all option periods
                   (2)  Final or current projected total contract
                        amount including all option periods
              g.   Points of Contact
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                   (1)  Contracting officer and telephone and fax
                        number and e-mail address (if known)
                   (2)  Administrative contracting officer, if
                        different from above, and telephone and fax
                        number and e-mail address (if known)
                   (3)  Program manager, COTR or technical officer
                        and telephone and fax number and e-mail
                        address (if known)
         2.   Work performed and relevance
              a.   Brief synopsis of work performed
              b.   Brief discussion of how the work performed is
                   relevant to the statement of work in this
                   solicitation
              c.   Brief, specific examples of the offeror's high
                   quality performance
         3.   If any of the listed contracts are award-fee or
              incentive contracts, include a table showing fees
              awarded and the minimum and maximum available fee for
              each period.
         4.   Paragraph E. below requires you to send a copy of the
              "Contractor Information Form" to each of your
              references.  In your past performance report, include:
              a.  The date you sent the "Contractor Information
                  Form" to each reference.
              b.  How you sent it (e.g., fax, mail, express delivery
                  service, courier, e-mail, etc.).
              c.  To whom you sent it including telephone and fax
                  number and e-mail address (if known).
    B.   The offeror may provide information on problems encountered
    on the contracts and subcontracts identified in A above and
    corrective actions taken to resolve those problems.  Other than
    the information requested in A above, offerors should not provide
    general information on their performance on the identified
    contracts.  General performance information will be obtained from
    the references.
    C.   Offerors should understand the difference between experience
    and past performance.  Experience reflects the offeror's
    capability of performing a requirement.  Past performance
    reflects how well it has performed similar requirements.  In
    assessing past performance, the quality of the offeror's past
    performance is of primary significance, not the quantity of
    previous contracts performed.  An offeror's experience will be
    evaluated in the technical proposal.  For further guidance on
    including information on experience or how experience will be
    evaluated refer to the technical proposal instructions and
    evaluation criteria.
    D.   The offeror may describe any quality awards or
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                                         RFP 98-003
    certifications that indicate the offeror possesses a high-quality
    process for developing and producing the product or service
    required.  Such awards or certifications include, for example,
    the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award, other government quality
    awards, and private sector awards or certifications (e.g., the
    automobile industry's QS 9000, Sematech's SSQA, or ANSI/EIA-599).
         Identify which segment of the company (one division or the
    entire company) received the award or certification.  Describe
    when the award or certification was bestowed.  If the award or
    certification is over three years old, present evidence that the
    qualifications still apply.  Information about awards will be
    considered in evaluation of each of the past performance
    subfactors described in Section M.  The offeror may describe how
    the award relates to one or more of the subfactors.
    E.   No later than the date proposals are due under this
    solicitation (see Block 9 of Standard Form 33), send a
    copy to each of your four references of the "Contractor
    Performance Information" form attached to this solicitation.
    Ask each reference to complete the form and return it to the
    contracting officer as prescribed on the form.  Completed
    forms from references are due l0 calendar days after the
    date proposals are due under this solicitation.  Request that
    the reference please return the completed form to the
    contracting officer by this date.  Do not ask the reference
    to give you a copy of the completed form or any information
    therefrom.
    F.   Each offeror will be evaluated on its performance under
    existing and prior contracts for similar products or services.
    Performance information will be used for both responsibility
    determinations and as an evaluation factor against which
    offerors' relative rankings will be compared to assure best value
    to the government.  The government will focus on information that
    demonstrates quality of performance relative to the size and
    complexity of the procurement under consideration.  The
    "Contractor Performance Information" form identified in Section J
    will be used to collect this information.  References other than
    those identified by the offeror may be contacted by the
    Government with the information received used in the evaluation
    of the offeror's past performance.
    L.6   BUSINESS PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS
          (ED 311-4A) (JUL 1996)
 The offeror(s) business proposal must contain the following
 information.  This RFP may contain additional RFP-specific business
 proposal instructions elsewhere in Section L or in Section J.
 A.   Standard Form 33, "Solicitation, Offer and Award", the Special
 Provision article entitled "Contract Administrator," and
 "Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors
 or Quoters of Section K" must be properly filled out and signed by
 an official authorized to bind the offeror.  Your proposal must
 stipulate that it is predicated upon all the terms and conditions
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                                         RFP 98-003
 of this RFP.
 B.  The information, if any, required by the provision FAR 52.215-41,
 "Requirements for Cost or Pricing Data or Information Other Than
 Cost or Pricing Data, Alternative IV" as incorporated in Section L
 of this solicitation.
 C.  Property and equipment - It is ED policy that contractors
 provide all equipment and facilities necessary for performance of
 contracts; however, in some instances, an exception may be granted
 to furnish Government-owned property or to authorize purchase with
 contract funds.  If additional equipment must be acquired, you must
 include in your proposal the description and estimated cost of each
 item, and whether you propose to acquire the item with your own
 funds.
 The description shall include the following elements for individual
 items which will exceed $1,000 in cost:
 (1)  A brief statement of function;
 (2)  manufacturer and manufacturer's brand name, model or part
 number; and
 (3)  vendor and its proposed price.
 You must identify all Government-owned property in your possession
 and all property acquired from Federal funds, to which you have
 title, that is proposed to be used in the performance of the
 prospective contract.
 D.  Other Administrative Details:
 (1)  The proposal shall list the names and telephone numbers
 of persons authorized to conduct negotiations.
 (2)  Block 12 of Standard Form 33 must contain a Statement to
 the effect that your offer is firm for a period of at least
   90 calendar days from the date of receipt of offers
 specified by the Government.
 E.  Responsibility of Prospective Contractor - In order for an
 offeror to receive a contract, the contracting officer must first
 make an affirmative determination that the prospective contractor
 is responsible in accordance with the provisions of FAR 9.104.  To
 assist the contracting officer in this regard, the offeror shall
 supply sufficient categorical descriptions and statements to
 establish the following:
 (1)  The offeror's financial capability; including detail for
 the accounting system and controls employed by the offeror;
 (2)  the offeror's capability to meet delivery or performance
 schedules;
 (3)  the offeror's record of business integrity;
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                                         RFP 98-003
 (4)  the offeror's possession of necessary organizational
 experience, technical skills or the ability to obtain them;
 (5)  the offeror's possession of necessary facilities; or the
 ability to obtain them; and
 (6)  the offeror's compliance with subcontract requirements;
 and
 (7)  any other special considerations involved in the
 acquisition.
 F.  The attached vendor payment Enrollment Form is not required
 to be submitted with your proposal.  However, be aware, that
 should you be awarded this contract, a properly completed
 Enrollment Form must be submitted to the contracting officer
 within 5 days of contract award.  Please ensure that you have
 available the financial information required on the form, as
 payment on this contract will be accomplished through EFT.
 NOTE:  THESE DESCRIPTIONS AND STATEMENTS SHOULD ALSO BE
 INCORPORATED IN THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL, AS CONDUCIVE OF SEPARATE
 EXAMINATION BY THE TECHNICAL EVALUATORS DURING THE PROCESS OF
 TECHNICAL EVALUATION.
    L.7   REQUIREMENTS FOR COST OR PRICING DATA OR INFORMATION
          OTHER THAN COST OR PRICING DATA
          (FAR 52.215-41, ALTERNATE IV) (OCT 1995)
         (a)  Submission of cost or pricing data is not required.
         (b)  Provide information described below:
              As part of its business proposal, the offeror shall
    submit information to help the contracting officer determine the
    reasonableness of the proposed price and assess cost realism.  The
    offeror should include at least the following information:
         The estimated cost and fee (if any) for the base contract
    period and for any option periods;
         Salaries of proposed key personnel;
         Number of hours proposed for key personnel;
         Indirect cost rates used in preparing the cost proposal;
         Any property or equipment costing over $l,000 proposed
         for purchase; and
         Significant assumptions used, such as inflation rates for
         subsequent years.
              The offeror may use Standard Form l448, Proposal Cover
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                                         RFP 98-003
    Sheet (Cost or Pricing Data Not Required) or its own format for
    this information.  Instructions for completing SF l448 are in Table
    l5-3 at FAR l5.804-6.
              The offeror may include other information to show that
    the offeror can complete the work at the proposed price.
              The contracting officer reserves the right to require
    cost or pricing data if the contracting officer subsequently
    determines that none of the exceptions under FAR l5.804-l apply and
    that the contract amount exceeds the threshold at FAR
    l5.804-2(a)(l).
                            (End of provision)
     L.8   SMALL, SMALL DISADVANTAGED AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS
           SUBCONTRACTING PLAN
           (FAR 52.219-9) (OCT 1995)
     (a)  This clause does not apply to small business concerns.
     (b)  "COMMERCIAL PRODUCT," as used in this clause, means a product
          in regular production that is sold in substantial quantities
          to the general public and/or industry at established catalog
          or market prices.  It also means a product which, in the
          opinion of the Contracting Officer, differs only insignifi-
          cantly from the contractor's commercial product.
         "SUBCONTRACT," as used in this clause, means any agreement
         (other than one involving an employer-employee relationship)
         entered into by a Federal Government prime Contractor or
         subcontractor calling for supplies or services required for
         performance of the contract or subcontract.
     (c)  The offeror, upon request by the Contracting Officer, shall
         submit and negotiate a subcontracting plan, where applicable,
         which separately addresses subcontracting with small business
         concerns, with small disadvantaged business concerns and with
         women-owned small business concerns. If the offeror is submit-
         ting an individual contract plan, the plan must separately
         address subcontracting with small business concerns, small
         disadvantaged business concerns, and women-owned small
         business concerns with a separate part for the basic contract
         and separate parts for each option (if any).  The plan shall
         be included in and made a part of the resultant contract.
         The subcontracting plan shall be negotiated within the time
         specified by the Contracting Officer.  Failure to submit and
         negotiate the subcontracting plan shall make the offeror
         ineligible for award of a contract.
     (d)  The offeror's subcontracting plan shall include the
          following:
          (1) Goals, expressed in terms of percentages of total planned
              subcontracting dollars, for the use of small business
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                                         RFP 98-003
              concerns, small disadvantaged business concerns and women-
              owned small business concerns as subcontractors.  The
              offeror shall include all subcontracts that contribute to
              contract performance, and may include a proportionate
              share of products and services that are normally allocated
              as indirect costs.
          (2)  A statement of:
                (i)  Total dollars planned to be subcontracted;
               (ii)  Total dollars planned to be subcontracted to
                     small business concerns;
              (iii)  Total dollars planned to be subcontracted to
                     small disadvantaged business concerns; and
               (iv)  Total dollars planned to be subcontracted to
                     women-owned small business concerns.
          (3) A description of the principal types of supplies and
              services to be subcontracted, and an identification of
              the types planned for subcontracting to:
               (i)  small business concerns;
              (ii)  small disadvantaged business concerns; and
             (iii)  women-owned small business concerns.
          (4) A description of the method used to develop the
              subcontracting goals in paragraph (d)(1) of this clause.
          (5) A description of the method used to identify potential
              sources for solicitation purposes (e.g., existing
              company source lists, the Procurement Automated Source
              System (PASS) of the Small Business Administration, the
              National Minority Purchasing Council Vendor Information
              Service, the Research and Information Division of the
              Minority Business Development Agency in the Department
              of Commerce, or small, small disadvantaged business
              concerns and women-owned small business concerns trade
              associations).  A firm may rely on PASS as its small
              business source list.  Use of the PASS as its source
              list does not relieve a firm of its responsibilities
              (i.e., outreach, assistance, counseling, pubicizing
              subcontracting opportunities) in this clause.
          (6)  A statement as to whether or not the offeror included
               indirect costs in establishing subcontracting goals, and
               a description of the method used to determine the
               proportinate share of indirect costs to be incurred with
                 (i)  small business concerns;
                (ii)  small disadvantaged business concerns; and
               (iii)  small women-owned business concerns.
          (7)  The name of individual employed by the offeror who will
               administer the offeror's subcontracting program, and a
               description of the duties of the individual.
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                                         RFP 98-003
          (8)  A description of the efforts the offeror will make to
               assure that small, small disadvantaged and women-owned
               smaall business concerns have an equitable opportunity
               to compete for subcontracts.
          (9)  Assurances that the offeror will include the clause on
               this contract entitled "Utilization of Small, Small
               Disadvantaged and Women-Owned Small Business Concerns"
               in all subcontracts that offer further subcontracting
               opportunities, and that the offeror will require all
               subcontractors (except small business concerns) who
               receive subcontracts in excess of $500,000 ($1,000,000
               for construction of any public facility), to adopt a
               plan similar to the plan agreed to be the offeror.
         (10)  Assurances that the offeror will:
                 (i)  cooperate in any studies or surveys as may be
                      required,
                (ii)  submit periodic reports in order to allow the
                      Government to determine the extent of compliance
                      by the offeror with the subcontracting plan,
               (iii)  submit Standard Form (SF) 294, Subcontracting
                      Report for Individual Contracts, and/or SF 295,
                      Summary Subcontract Report, in accordance with
                      the instructions on the forms, and
                (iv)  ensure that its subcontractors agree to submit
                      Standard Form 294 and 295.
          (11)  A recitation of the types of records the offeror will
                maintain to demonstrate procedures that have been
                adopted to comply with the requirements and goals in
                the plan, including establishing source lists; and a
                description of its efforts to locate small, small
                disadvantaged and women-owned small business concerns
                and award subcontracts to them.  The records shall
                include at least the following (on a plant-wide or
                company-wide basis, unless otherwise indicated):
                  (i)  Source lists (e.g., PASS), guides, and other
                       data that identify small, small disadvantaged
                       and women-owned small business concerns.
                 (ii)  Organizations contacted in an attempt to locate
                       sources that are small, small disadvantaged and
                       women-owned small business concerns.
                (iii)  Records on each subcontract solicitation
                       resulting in an award of more than $100,000,
                       indicating:
                       (a)  whether small business concerns were
                            solicited and if not, why not,
                       (b)  whether small disadvantaged business
                            concerns were solicited and if not, why
                            not,
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                                         RFP 98-003
                       (c) whether women-owned small business concerns
                           were solicited and if not, why not, and
                       (d)  if applicable, the reason award was not
                            made to a small business concern.
                 (iv)  Records of any outreach efforts to contact:
                      (a)  trade associations,
                      (b)  business development organizations, and
                      (c)  conferences and trade fairs to locate
                      to locate small, small disadvantaged and women-
                      owned small business sources.
                  (v)  Records of internal guidance and encouragement
                       provided to buyers through:
                       (a)  workshops, seminars, training, etc., and
                       (b)  monitoring performance
                       to evaluate compliance with the program's
                       requirements.
                 (vi)  On a contract-by-contract basis, records to
                       support award data submitted by the offeror to
                       the Government, including the name, address, and
                       business size of each subcontractor. Contractors
                       having company or division-wide annual plans
                       need not comply with this requirement.
     (e)  In order to effectively implement this plan to the extent
          consistent with efficient contract performance, the
          Contractor shall perform the following functions:
          (1)  Assist small, small disadvantaged and women-owned small
               businessconcerns by arranging solicitations, time for
               the preparation of bids, quantities, specifications, and
               delivery schedules so as to facilitate the participation
               by such concerns.  Where the Contractor's lists of
               potential small, small disadvantaged, and women-owned
               small business subcontractors are excessively long,
               reasonable effort shall be made to give all such small
               business concerns an opportunity to compete over a period
               of time.
          (2)  Provide adequate and timely consideration of the
               potentialities of small, small disadvantaged and women-
               owned small business concerns in all "make-or-buy"
               decisions.
          (3)  Counsel and discuss subcontracting opportunities with
               representatives of small, small disadvantaged and women-
               owned small business firms.
          (4) Provide notice to subcontractors concerning penalties and
              remedies for misrepresentations of business status as
              small, small disadvantaged or women-owned small business
              for the purpose of obtaining a subcontract that is to be
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                                         RFP 98-003
              included a part or all of a goal contained in the
              Contractor's subcontracting plan.
     (f)  A master subcontracting plan on a plant or division-wide
          basis which contains all the elements required by (d) above,
          except goals, may be incorporated by reference as a part of
          the subcontracting plan required of the offeror by this
          clause; provided,
          (1)  the master plan has been approved,
          (2)  the offeror provides copies of the approved master plan
               and evidence of its approval to the Contracting Officer,
               and
          (3)  goals and any deviations from the master plan deemed
               necessary by the Contracting Officer to satisfy the
               requirements of this contract are set forth in the
               individual subcontracting plan.
     (g)  (1)  If a commercial product is offered, the subcontracting
               plan required by this clause may relate to the offeror's
               production generally, for both commercial and
               noncommercial products, rather than solely to the
               Government contract.  In these cases, the offeror shall,
               with the concurrence of the Contracting Officer, submit
               one company-wide or division-wide annual plan.
          (2)  The annual plan shall be reviewed for approval by the
               agency awarding the offeror its first prime contract
               requiring a subcontracting plan during the fiscal year,
               or by an agency satisfactory to the Contracting
               Officer.
          (3)  The approved plan shall remain in effect during the
               offeror's fiscal year for all of the offeror's
               commercial products.
     (h)  Prior compliance of the offeror with other such
          subcontracting plans under previous contracts will be
          considered by the Contracting Officer in determining the
          responsibility of the offeror for award of the contract.
     (i)  The failure of the Contractor or subcontractor to comply in
          good faith with:
          (1)  the clause of this contract entitled "Utilization of
               Small, Small Disadvantaged Business and Women-Owned Small
               Business Concerns," or
          (2)  an approved plan required by this clause, shall be a
               material breach of the contract.
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                                         RFP 98-003
     L.9   PREAWARD ON-SITE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMPLIANCE REVIEW
           (FAR 52.222-24) (APRIL 1984)
  An award in the amount of $1 million or more will not be made under
 this solicitation unless the offeror and each of its known first-tier
 subcontractors (to whom it intends to award a subcontract of $1 million
 or more) are found, on the basis of a compliance review, to be able to
 comply with the provisions of the Equal Opportunity clause of this
 solicitation.
    L.10  EXPLANATION TO PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS
          (FAR 52.215-14) (APRIL 1984)
  Any prospective offeror desiring an explanation or interpretation of
 the solicitation, drawings, specification, etc., must request it in
 writing soon enough to allow a reply to reach all prospective offerors
 before the submission of their offers.  Oral explanations or
 instructions given before the award of the contract will not be
 binding.  Any information given to a prospective offeror concerning a
 solicitation will be furnished promptly to all other prospective
 offerors as an amendment of the solicitation, if that information is
 necessary in submitting offers or if the lack of it would be
 prejudicial to any other prospective offerors.
    L.11  LATE SUBMISSIONS, MODIFICATIONS, AND
          WITHDRAWALS OF PROPOSALS
          (FAR 52.215-10) (MAY 1997)
         (a)  Any proposal received at the office designated in the
    solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of offers
    will not be cconsidered unless it is received before award is made
    and -
          (1) It was sent by registered or certified mail not later
              than the fifth calendar day before the date specified
              for receive of offers (e.g., an offer submitted in
              response to a solicitation requiring receipt of
              offers by the 20th of the month must have been
              mailed by the l5th);
          (2) It was sent by mail (or telegram or facsimile, if
              authorized) or hand-carried (including delivery by a
              commercial carrier) if it is determined by the
              Government that the late receipt was due primarily
              to Government mishandling after receipt at the
              Government installation;
         (3)  It was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail
              Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee, not
              later than 5:00 p.m. at the place of mailing two
              working days prior to the date specified for
              receipt of proposals.  The term "working days"
              excludes weekends and U.S. Federal holidays.
         (4)  It was transmitted through an electronic
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                                         RFP 98-003
              commerce method authorized by the solicitation
              and was received at the initial point of entry
              to the Government infrastructure not later than
              5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date
              specified for receipt of proposals;
         (5)  There is acceptable evidence to establish that
              it was received at the activity designated for
              receipt of offers and was under the Government's
              control prior to the time set for receipt of
              offers, and the Contracting Officer determines
              that accepting the late offer would not unduly
              delay the procurement; or
          (6) It is the only proposal received.
         (b)  Any modification of a proposal or quotation, including a
    modification resulting from the Contracting Officer's request for
    "best and final" offer, is subject to the same conditions as in
    subparagraphs (a)(1) through (1)(5) of this provision.
         (c)  The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of
    mailing of a late proposal or modification sent either by U.S.
    Postal Service registered or certified mail is the U.S. or Canadian
    Postal Service postmark both on the envelope or wrapper and on the
    original receipt from the U.S. or Canadian Postal Service.  Both
    postmarks must show a legible date or the proposal, quotation, or
    modification shall be processed as if mailed late.  "Postmark" means
    a printed, stamped, or otherwise placed impression (exclusive of a
    postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable
    without further action as  having been supplied and affixed by
    employees of the U.S. or Canadian  Postal Service on the date of
    mailing.  Therefore, offerors or quoters should request the postal
    clerks to place a legible hand cancellation  bull's-eye postmark on
    both the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
         (d)  Acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at
    the Government installation includes the time/date stamp of that
    installation on the proposal wrapper, other documentary evidence of
    receipt maintained by the installation, or oral testimony or
    statements of Government personnel.
         (e)  The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of
    mailing of a late offer, modification, or withdrawal sent by Express
    Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee is the date entered
    by the post office receiving clerk on the "Express Mail Next Day
    Service - Post Office to Addressee" label and the postmark on both
    the envelope or wrapper and on the original receipt from the U.S.
    Postal Service, "Postmark" has the same meaning as defined in
    paragraph (d) of this provision, excluding postmarks of the Canadian
    Postal Service.  Therefore, offers or quoters should request the
    postal clerk to place a legible hand cancellation bull's-eye
    postmark on both the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
         (f)  Notwithstanding paragraph (A) above, a late modification
    of an otherwise successful proposal that makes its terms more
    favorable to the Government will be considered at any time it is
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                                         RFP 98-003
    received and may be accepted.
         (g)  Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice or telegram
    (including mailgram) received at any time before award.  If the
    solicitation authorizes facsimile proposals, proposals may be
    withdrawn via facsimile received at any time before award, subject
    to conditions specified in the provision entitled "Facsimile
    Proposals."  Proposals may be withdrawn in person by an offeror or
    an authorized representative, if the representative's identity is
    made known and the representative signs a receipt for the proposal
    before award.
    L.12  FAILURE TO SUBMIT OFFER
          (FAR 52.215-15) (MAY 1997)
    Recipients of this solicitation not responding with an offer should
    not return this solicitation, unless it specifies otherwise.
    Instead, for paper transactions, they should advise the issuing
    office by letter, postcard, or established electronic commerce
    methods, whether they want to receive future solicitations for
    similar requirements.  Electronic solicitations do not require
    notification of desire to receive future solicitations, since these
    solicitations will be openly available to any interested party.  If
    a recipient does not submit an offer and does not notify the issuing
    office that future solicitations are desired, the recipient's name
    may be removed from the applicable mailing list.
                          (End of Provision)
    L.13  CONTRACT AWARD
          (FAR 52.215-16) (OCT 1995)
     (A)  The Government will award a contract resulting from this
    solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to
    the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, cost
    or price and other factors, specified elsewhere in this
    solicitation, considered.
     (B)  The Government may  (1) reject any or all offers,  (2) accept
    other than the lowest offer, and  (3) waive informalities and minor
    irregularities in offers received.
     (C)  The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a
    contract after conducting written or oral discussions with all
    responsible offerors whose proposals have been determined to be
    within the competitive range. However, each initial offer should
    contain the offeror's best terms from a cost or price and technical
    standpoint.
     (D)  The Government may accept any item or combination of items,
    unless doing so is precluded by a restrictive limitation in the
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    solicitation or the offer.
     (E)  A written award or acceptance of offer mailed or otherwise
    furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance
    specified in the offer shall result in a binding contract without
    further action by either party.  Before the offer's specified
    expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an
    offer, as provided in paragraph (D) above), whether or not there are
    negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of
    withdrawal is received before award.  Negotiations conducted after
    receipt of an offer do not constitute a rejection or counter offer
    by the Government.
     (F)  Neither financial data submitted with an offer, nor
    representations concerning facilities or financing, will form a part
    of the resulting contract.  However, if the resulting contract
    contains a clause providing for price reduction for defective cost
    or pricing data, the contract price will be subject to reduction if
    cost or pricing data furnished is incomplete, inaccurate, or not
    current.
     (G) The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if
    the prices proposed are materially unbalanced between line items or
    subline items.  An offer is materially unbalanced when it is based
    on prices significantly less than cost for some work and prices
    which are significantly overstated in relation to cost for other
    work, and if there is a reasonable doubt that the offer will result
    in the lowest overall cost to the Government, even though it may be
    the low evaluated offer, or it is so unbalanced as to be tantamount
    to allowing as advance payment.
     (H) The Government may disclose the following information in post-
    award debriefings to other offerors: (1) the overall evaluated cost
    or price and technical rating of the successful offeror; (2) the
    overall ranking of all the offerors, when any ranking was developed
    by the agency during source selection; (3) a summary of the
    rationale for award; and (4) for acquisitions of commercial end
    items, the make and model of the item to be delivered by the
    successful offeror. (End of provision).
    L.14  PROVISION FOR EVALUATION FACTOR AMENDMENTS
          (ED 311-7) (MARCH 1986)
  It is hereby provided that the evaluation factors for award under
 Section M herein shall not be modified except by a formal amendment to
 this solicitation and that no factors other than those set in that
 section shall be used in the evaluation of the technical proposals.
     L.15  APPLICATION OF PATENT RIGHTS CLAUSE
           (ED 311-13) (MARCH 1987)
  A patent rights clause will be incorporated with the resulting
 contract.  Designation will be among the clauses in FAR 52.227-11, -12,
 and -13.  Designation will be made under the provisions in FAR 27.303.
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    L.16  FORMS CLEARANCE PROCESS
          (ED 311-5) (MARCH 1986)
  Reference is made to the General Provision entitled "Paperwork
 Reduction Act."  If the contractor has proposed the use of any plan,
 questionnaire, interview guide or other similar device which calls
 either for answers to identical questions from ten or more persons
 other than Federal employees or information from Federal employees
 which is outside the scope of their employment, any of which is to be
 used by the Federal Government or disclosed to third parties,
 clearances from the Deputy Under Secretary for Management or his/her
 delegate within the Department of Education and the Office of
 Management and Budget shall first be obtained. Those should be expected
 to take at least 120 days together. Offerors' proposals shall
 accordingly reflect that 120 day period in proposal timelines if the
 Paperwork Reduction Act is applicable.
     L.17  SERVICE OF PROTESTS
           (FAR 52.233-2) (AUG 1996)
    ^ (A)  Protests, as defined in Section 33.101 of the Federal
    Acquisition Regulation, that are filed directly with an agency, and
    copies of any protests that are filed with the General Accounting
    Office (GAO), shall be served on the Contracting Officer (addressed
    as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt
    from the Contracting Officer specified in block l0 of SF-33.
    (B)  The copy of any protest shall be received in the office
    designated above within one day of filing a protest with GAO.
                          (End of Provision)
     L.18  FACILITIES CAPITAL COST OF MONEY
           (FAR 52.215-30) (SEPT 1987)
     (Note:  This provision only applies to commercial organizations
     that are subject to the cost principles in FAR Subpart 31.2.)
     (a)  Facilities capital cost of money will be an allowable cost
     under the contemplated contract if the criteria for allowability
     in subparagraph 31.205-10(a)(2) of the Federal Acquisition
     Regulation are met.  One of the allowability criteria requires
     the prospective contractor to propose facilities capital cost
     of money in its offer.
     (b)  If the prospective Contractor does not propose this cost,
     the resulting contract will include the clause Waiver of
     Facilities Capital Cost of Money.
   L.19 REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION
    a)   All requests for clarification are due by July 31, 1997.
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    1)   Written requests shall be submitted to the address listed
         below:
         ATTN:     MICHELLE A. RINGO
                   U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
                   CONTRACTS AND PURCHASING OPERATIONS
                   ROOM 3616; MAIL STOP 4447
                   7TH AND D STREETS, SW
                   WASHINGTON, DC 20202-4447
    2)   Requests transmitted via facsimilie (fax) are acceptable at
         (202) 708-9817.
    3)   Electronic submission of requests are encouraged and should be
         sent Michelle_Ringo@ed.gov.
    b)   Should any Request for Clarification be received after the
         date stated above, the Government reserves the right not to
         provide an answer.  If however, in the Government's opinion,
         the Request cites an issue of significant importance, the
         Government may provide written responses to all offerors.
    c)   The Government will not provide any information concerning
         requests for clarfication in response to telephone calls from
         Offerors.  Written, faxed and/or electronic inquiries will be
         answered in writing and provided to all offerors.
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                 SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD
     M.1   EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD (ALTERNATE I)
           (ED 312-2) (FEB 1996)
    (A)  The Government will make award to the responsible offeror(s)
    whose offer conforms to the solicitation and is most advantageous to
    the Government, cost or price and other factors considered.  For
    this solicitation, price will be a substantial factor in source
    selection, however quality factors (including technical merit and
    past performance), considered together, are significantly more
    important than cost or price.  The contracting officer will
    determine whether the difference in quality is worth the difference
    in cost or price.
    (B) Past Performance
    1.   Each offeror's past performance will be evaluated based on the
    subfactors below.  The past performance rating will be combined with
    the technical rating at a ratio of 36% past performance to technical
    to produce a combined quality rating. The relative importance of
    combined quality factors to cost or price is described in paragraph
    M.1(A).
    2.   Past performance subfactors:
         a.   Quality of Product or Service - compliance with
              contract requirements - accuracy of reports -
              appropriateness of personnel - technical excellence.
         b.   Problem Resolution - anticipates and avoids or
              mitigates problems - satisfactorily overcomes or
              resolves problems - prompt notification of problems -
              pro-active - effective contractor-recommended
              solutions.
         c.   Cost Control - within budget - current, accurate and
              complete billings - costs properly allocated -
              unallowable costs not billed - relationship of
              negotiated costs to actual - cost efficiencies.
         d.   Timeliness of Performance - meets interim milestones -
              reliable - stays on schedule despite problems -
              responsive to technical direction - completes on time,
              including wrap-up and contract administration - no
              liquidated damages assessed.
         e.   Business Relations - effective management - use of
              performance-based management techniques - business-like
              concern for the customer's interests - effective
              management and selection of subcontractors - effective
              small/small disadvantaged business subcontracting
              program - reasonable/cooperative behavior - effective
              use of technology in management and communication -
              flexible - minimal staff turnover - maintains high
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                                         RFP 98-003
              employee morale - resolves disagreements without being
              unnecessarily litigious.
         f.   Customer Service - understands and embraces service and
              program goals - team approach with the customer -
              satisfaction of end users with the contractor's service
              - positive customer feedback - prompt responses -
              courteous interactions - effective escalations and
              referrals - initiative and proactive improvements -
              creative service strategies.
    Bonus Rating--Where the offeror has demonstrated an exceptional
    performance level in any of the above six subfactors, the
    contracting officer may give additional consideration for that
    factor.  It is expected that this rating will be used in those rare
    circumstances when contractor performance clearly exceeds the
    performance level of "excellent."
    3.   Past performance evaluation will be based on information
    obtained from the awards and references listed in the offeror's
    proposal, other customers known to the Government, consumer
    protection organizations, and others who may have useful and
    relevant information.  Information will also be considered regarding
    any major subcontractors, and key personnel records. The contracting
    officer will give greater consideration to information about an
    offeror's past performance that the contracting officer considers
    either more reliable or more relevant to the effort required by this
    solicitation.
    4.   Evaluation of past performance may be quite subjective, based
    on consideration of all relevant facts and circumstances. It will
    include consideration of the offeror's commitment to customer
    satisfaction and will include conclusions of informed judgement.
    5.   Award may be made from the initial offers without discussions.
    However, if discussions are held, offerors will be given an
    opportunity to discuss unfavorable past performance information
    obtained from references, if the offeror has not had a previous
    opportunity to comment on the information.  The contracting officer
    may review recent contracts to ensure that corrective measures
    raised in discussions have been implemented. Prompt corrective
    action in an isolated instance might not outweigh an overall
    negative trend.
    6.   If an offeror, or the management or proposed key personnel for
    the offeror, does not have a past performance history relating to
    this solicitation, the offeror will receive a neutral evaluation for
    past performance.
    (C)  Technical Evaluation Criteria:
    1.  Quality and credibility of the General Approach and
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        Statement of Work (60 points)
    --   Approach to accomplishing each task and the tasks as a whole is
    complete and feasible within the proposed time frames (35 points)
    --   Demonstrates an understanding of the challenges facing the
    project and proposes creative, innovative, and affordable solutions
    to these challenges (15 points)
    --   Demonstrates a familiarity with the issues in education that
    are to be addressed through the proposed study (10 points)
    2.  Qualifications, technical and managerial, and experience of
        the proposed project director     (15 points)
    --   Demonstrated experience supervising the work of many
    professionals and the overall quality of their work on many tasks
    simultaneously (5 points)
    --   Demonstrated ability to adhere to project schedules, keep costs
    within budget, and manage the work of contractor staff and any
    subcontractors (5 points)
    --   Expertise in the design and conduct of large-scale national
    studies  (3 points)
    --   Expertise in early childhood development and education policy
    and research (2 points)
    3.  Soundness of the management plan and task/time commitments
        of staff (15 points)
    --   Proposed project organization demonstrates an efficient use of
    staff with clearly defined lines of authority and responsibilities,
    and staff assignments match their expertise  (5 points)
    --   Demonstrates effective control of tasks and resource
    allocations that will ensure the timely completion of
    tasks/deliverables within the proposed budget (5 points)
    --   Proposes a sound and feasible approach to controlling the
    quality of project work and products (5 points)
    4.  Qualifications of the project staff (15 points)
    --   Collectively possess the technical expertise, knowledge, and
    experience in all areas related to the study, including: child
    assessment, test development and the development of longitudinal
    measures of children's growth, measurement of children's social
    skills and physical development, field operations, questionnaire
    design, CATI/CAPI data collection, field staff and CATI/CAPI
    interviewer training, data processing and computer applications,
    research methodology, statistics, sampling and psychometrics. (10
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    points)
    --   Subject matter expertise in the research and policy areas of
    concern to the ECLS-B           (5 points)
    5.  Corporate expertise, capability, and oversight (5 points)
    --   Demonstrated corporate expertise in the following areas: design
    and conduct of large-scale national studies; design and conduct of
    large-scale longitudinal studies; design and conduct of studies of
    children and their families and child care and education
    arrangements/programs; design and selection of national samples and
    developing weights for complex sample designs; development and use
    of computer technology and software systems in support of
    large-scale data collection; design and development of  large data
    bases; design and use of systems for processing, docu- menting, and
    maintaining large data bases; design of survey instruments; and the
    development of assessment batteries for measuring children's growth
    in cognitive and noncognitive domains.  (3 points)
    --   Evidence of strong corporate commitment and oversight as
    evidence by a clear and effective approach to problem identification
    and resolution (2 points)
     M.2   EVALUATION OF OPTIONS
           (FAR 52.217-5) (JULY 1990)
     Except when it is determined in accordance with FAR 17.206(b) not
     to be in the Government's best interests, the Government will
     evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for
     all options to the total price for the basic requirement.
     Evaluation options will not obligate the Government to exercise
     the option(s).
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