Work Ethics Courseware

CUI SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION – SEE FAR 2.101 AND 3.104 CUI SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION – SEE FAR 2.101 AND 3.104 DEPARTMENT OF WAR EDUCATION ACTIVITY (DoWEA) PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS) FOR WORK ETHICS FIRST 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background The Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) is one of only two federally operated school systems. DoWEA plans, directs, coordinates, and manages prekindergarten through grade 12 educational programs in 160 fully accredited schools that serve over 65,000 children of active-duty military and DoW civilian families. Our curriculum, resources and student achievement scores on standardized assessments compare favorably to those of high-performing US public school systems. Operating as a field activity of the Office of the Secretary of War (Personnel and Readiness), DoWEA is overseen by a director located at our headquarters in Alexandria, VA. Our schools are organized into three geographic areas: Americas, Europe, and Pacific. In the Americas, DoWEA operates 50 schools located in seven states, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. In Europe and the Middle East, DoWEA operates 64 schools located in Germany, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Bahrain. In the Pacific, DoWEA operates 45 schools located in South Korea, Japan (mainland and Okinawa), and Guam. DoWEA also operates one fully accredited virtual high school with teaching hubs in the Americas, Europe, and Pacific. There are many non-university-track, postsecondary careers options in skilled trades. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, these skilled trades have millions of job openings and will likely have even more in the future. Although DoWEA has a Career Technical Education (CTE) Program, DoWEA’s curriculum does not have a course focused on a positive work ethic as the foundation for any career track that a student pursues. DoWEA has never awarded a contract for a work ethics-focused course. 1.2 Scope DoWEA requires an established high school, semester-long Career and Technical Education (CTE) work- ethics-focused curriculum—provisionally named Work Ethics First—with a proven track record of successful implementation, to be delivered by educators. An established, ready-to-use curriculum and resources empower students to make career choices based on the following:  Balancing the Career Narrative: Curriculum highlights the dignity, demand, and good-paying, life- long employment in the skilled trades as an alternative to a career requiring a university-degree.  Focusing on Character over Compliance: Instilling a proactive work ethic as a primary life skill, framing gratitude for the freedoms that those living in America enjoy and personal accountability as core components of career success regardless of the chosen career path—not job-specific work ethics that focus on punctuality, attention to detail, etc. Without doing a student survey, DoWEA estimates the number of students taking the course at 10-15 percent per year—1250-1875 students. The table below has data for either a per student or per school price estimate. DoWEA High School Sizes and Enrollment* Est. Number of Teachers for the Proposed Course School Size # of Schools Enrollment Base Year # of Instructors Option Years # of Instructors 0-100 students 0 537 0 0 101-250 students 12 2,098 12 6 251-500 students 12 4,337 12 7 501-750 students 4 2,481 4 1 751-1000 students 4 3,274 4 1 Above School Level Staff -- -- 7 1 Totals 40 12,727 39 16 * Projected enrollment for the 26-27 school year -- 1 of 11 -- CUI SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION – SEE FAR 2.101 AND 3.104 CUI SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION – SEE FAR 2.101 AND 3.104 2 2.0 Requirement Objectives 2.1 Student Resources (Objective #1) The objective of this requirement is to equip DoWEA educators with the specific instructional resources for a ½-credit high school course that delivers work-ethic-focused curriculum, culminating in an industry- recognized certification that carries brand weight among employers in the skilled trades. The proposed solution shall be a commercial, off-the-shelf course that has been successfully delivered to high school students. The following tasks help the Contractor understand the requirements to meet the objective but are not exhaustive. The Contractor shall develop a complete solution using a performance-based approach. Supporting Tasks for Requirement - Objective #1 – The Contractor shall: 2.1.1 Provide instructional resources focusing on life skills such as the following: - Personal responsibility - Financial responsibility - Individual effort - Gratitude - Punctuality - Productivity - Team-oriented mindset - Initiative - Lifelong learning - Attitude - Resilience - Tenacity - Character - Integrity - Workplace safety 2.1.2 Provide instructional resources that promote the skilled trades as a viable career path that students should consider. 2.1.3 Provide (1) formative quizzes, (2) a summative assessment and (3) an industry-recognized certificate for successful completion of the course. Performance Standards (PS) and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) - Objective #1  PS: Provide the required instructional resources.  AQL: At least 75 percent of the students pass the summative assessment. 2.2 Instructor Resources and Professional Learning (Objective #2) The objective is to ensure that DoWEA teachers have the resources and training to implement instruction with fidelity. The following tasks help the Contractor understand the requirements to meet the objective but are not exhaustive. The Contractor shall develop a complete solution using a performance-based approach: Supporting Tasks for Requirement - Objective #2 – The Contractor shall: 2.2.1 Instructor Resources: Provide instructional resources for each instructor to teach the proposed course with fidelity. Performance Standards (PS) and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) - Objective #2  PS: Provide the instructional resources.  AQL: Access 24/7/365 except for sch…