Agency Education Department

Contractor National School Climate Center

SWIFT Contract Number 89661

Project Name School Climate Leadership Training and Pilot

Project Number (if applicable) {Empty}

Summarize purpose of the contract, including why it was necessary: The National School Climate Center (NSCC) will provide training and support to the Educational Cooperative Leaders (ECL) to serve as School Climate Improvement regional coordinators for all of Minnesota’s districts and charter schools in an ongoing and sustainable manner to reduce bullying though improved school climate. This work will be organized around providing direct training to up to 30 ECLs and ongoing coaching and technical assistance as they learn and work on school climate improvement efforts with one or two principals and their school leadership teams in their service area over the contract period. With support from the Minnesota Department of Education’s (MDE) School Safety Technical Assistance Center (SSTAC) staff all ECLs will also have access to additional resources and tools from the NSCC, such as the NSCC Resource Center and School Climate Measurement Assessment Tools as part of the National School Climate Improvement Certification process.
The NSCC will work with the ECLs and SSTAC staff to administer their Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI) tool to up to 18 small districts or schools in Minnesota. NSCC, in partnership with MDE SSTAC staff, will organize up to two separate one day in person trainings for the 30 ECLs and the school and district leadership teams, projected for August and October 2015. By providing training to regional ECL’s MDE will have increase capacity to assist districts and charter schools in enhancing their school climate in meeting statutory requirements under Minnesota Statutes, Section 121A.031, Subdivision 3 which compel schools and districts to prevent bullying by create safe and supportive learning environments for all students.

Project Duration

Start Date Mon, 03/09/2015 - 00:00

Original end date Tue, 06/30/2015 - 00:00

Actual end date Tue, 06/30/2015 - 00:00

Did project finish on time? Yes

Total billable hours utilized (if applicable) {Empty}

Contract Amounts

Original contract: $177925.13

Amendments $0.00

Contract total $177925.13

Did project finish within budget? Yes

What was the funding source? STATE

Is this a sole source contract? Yes

If this was a single source contract, explain why the agency determined there was only a single source for the services (if applicable) The National School Climate Center (NSCC) is the only entity in the country that can provide this certification. The NSCC is America’s leading school climate center, presenting a comprehensive array of school climate informed research, policy guidelines, measurement systems, school improvement guidelines and leadership development opportunities. No other organization or University based center has this array of integrated guidelines, learning opportunities and tools. There is only one other national center aimed at improving school climate and it is at the US Department of Education, Safe & Supportive Schools Center, which is supported by the American Institutes of Research. But, the Safe & Supportive Schools Center doesn’t have the comprehensive tools that NSCC has or a comprehensive training or certification program.
The School Climate Leadership Certification is only offered by the NSCC. Based on a website search for other providers, there are no other organizations in the country that offer this service. The NSCC also is the only entity that has access to the tools that the districts need in order to accomplish a school climate improvement process. For example, their climate assessment tool, the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI), is a nationally recognized school climate survey that provides detailed information to support long-term and informed data-driven decisions for school climate improvement planning. The CSCI is the only comprehensive school climate survey that has been endorsed and recommended in the three independent national reviews of school climate surveys.

Evaluator Name Craig Wethington

Evaluator Email Address Craig.Wethington@state.mn.us

Evaluate the contractor's timeliness Very Satisfactory: The contractor provided all of the services/duties on time.

Evaluate the contractor's quality Very Satisfactory: Excellent understanding of each of the key projects tasks. The objectives and deliverables were all met. The contractor understood expectations of the contract and demonstrated the ability to develop high quality work and meet deadlines.

Evaluate the contractor's cost Very Reasonable: The program budget and cost were very reasonable and costs for services/duties were directly linked to the desired outcomes from the contract.

Evaluate the contractor's overall performance Overall, the contractor’s performance was very satisfactory. The contractor met all established deadlines, was very responsive to requests for more information or documentation, demonstrated flexibility when needed, and delivered on all of the deliverables in the contract. The contractor was open to receiving feedback and was willing to make changes based on that feedback when necessary.

Would you engage the contractor's services again? Yes

Describe any negative action taken during the duration of this contract (i.e., termination, pursuit of suspension, etc.): Not applicable

Please rate the overall experience with the contractor 5 - very satisfied