Accessible Digital Textbook Files and Materials for Texas Public Schools
November 19, 2010
COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL FINANCE/PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: This item proposes acceptance of proposals for production of an array of accessible digital textbook files and instructional materials including digital braille files for use with portable braille-reading devices, other accessible student-ready digital files, tactile graphics, and embossed braille textbook copies from the textbooks scheduled to be adopted by the board in November 2010. At the November 2010 meeting, the board is scheduled to consider acceptance of the proposals based on the recommendations of a review panel of experts on accessible instructional materials (AIM).
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §31.028.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: At the July 2010 meeting, the board voted to approve the release of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for production of digital braille textbook master files, tactile graphics, and braille textbook copies.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: TEC, §31.028, authorizes the board to purchase special textbooks for the education of public school students who are blind or visually impaired. For a teacher who is blind or visually impaired, the board must provide a teacher’s edition in Braille or large type upon request. The teacher’s editions must be available at the same time the student edition textbooks become available.
TEC, §31.028(b), requires the publisher of an adopted textbook to provide the agency with computerized textbook files for the production of braille textbooks or other versions of textbooks to be used by students with disabilities, on request of the State Board of Education. A publisher shall arrange computerized textbook files in one of several optional formats specified by the State Board of Education (SBOE).
Agency textbook proclamations require publishers to provide the agency with textbook files in the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) format. Sections 612(a)(23)(A) and 674(e)(4) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, amended by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, established the NIMAS. The purpose of the NIMAS is to help increase the availability and timely delivery of print instructional materials in accessible formats to blind or other persons with print disabilities in elementary and secondary schools.
In the RFP for Accessible Digital Textbook Files and Materials, the textbooks to be produced were arranged into four packages of various sizes (Attachment I). Proposers were instructed to produce digital Braille files and tactile graphics for selected parts of the textbook, Longman Keystone, Grade 7, Texas Edition, copyright 2011, and provide this product as a sample of their best work (Attachment II).
An independent panel of experts of the visually impaired and accessible instructional materials met in Austin on September 14-15, 2010, and reviewed the proposals and samples of the work that were submitted by the proposers (Attachment III).
Digital Braille Files and Tactile Graphics
Region 4 Education Service Center (ESC) received the highest score (94) for all packages. Region 4 also bid the lowest price for Package A and Package B. Region 20 ESC received the second highest score (90) on all packages and bid the lowest price for Package C. Visual Aid Volunteers (VAV) received the third highest score (89) for all packages and bid the second lowest price for Package D along with several other bidders.
Staff recommends that Region 4 ESC be awarded Packages A and B; that Region 20 ESC be awarded Package C; and that Visual Aid Volunteers be awarded Package D. The recommendation for awarding Packages A and B to Region 4 ESC is based on the fact that they received the highest score and bid the lowest prices for Packages A and B. The recommendation for awarding Package C to Region 20 ESC is based on the fact that they bid the lowest price for Package C and also received the second highest score. The recommendation for awarding Package D to VAV is based on the fact that it is unlikely that any one producer would be able to deliver more than two packages of high quality digital braille files and tactile graphics in a timely manner in conjunction with the fact that Visual Aid Volunteers (VAV) bid the second lowest price for Package D and received the third highest score for Package D.
A summary of the review panel’s evaluation and the staff recommendations on digital braille files and tactile graphics, including scores, bid prices, maximum and minimum number of braille pages requested and the number recommended for award, is included as Attachment IV.
Braille Copies
Region 4 ESC received the highest score (100) for each of the four copy packages and bid the lowest prices for Copy Package A and Copy Package B. Region 20 ESC received the second highest score (97) for all copy packages and bid the second lowest prices for Copy Package C and Copy Package D along with two other bidders.
Staff recommends that Region 4 ESC be awarded Packages A and B and that Region 20 ESC be awarded Packages C and D. The recommendation for awarding Packages A and B to Region 4 ESC is based on the fact that they received the highest score; bid the lowest prices for all packages; and that these two packages have the highest number of braille pages to be copied and distributed. Nevertheless staff’s operational experience is that no one producer is likely to be able to deliver all of the copies required by Texas school districts in a timely manner. The recommendation for awarding Packages C and D to Region 20 ESC is based on the fact that they received the second highest score for all copy packages and bid the second lowest price for Copy Packages C and D along with two other bidders.
A summary of the review panel’s evaluation and the staff recommendations on braille copies, including scores and bid prices, is included as Attachment V.
FISCAL IMPACT: For school year 2011-2012, the cost of acquiring digital braille textbook files, accessible textbook files in other formats, tactile graphics, and braille textbook copies for public school students and teachers who are visually impaired is estimated not to exceed $7,140,000. This amount includes the cost of purchasing braille versions of previously adopted and newly adopted textbooks.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Acceptance of the recommended proposals for producing accessible versions of newly adopted textbooks will ensure that braille readers and students with other disabilities in the public school student and teacher populations have equal access to instructional materials.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: None.
COMMISSIONER'S RECOMMENDATION: I recommend that the State Board of Education:
Accept the proposal from Region 4 ESC to produce digital braille files for use with portable braille-reading devices, accessible student-ready digital files in other formats, and tactile graphics from Packages A and B and authorize the commissioner of education to conclude the necessary contract;
Accept the proposal from Region 20 ESC to produce digital braille files for use with portable braille-reading devices, accessible student-ready digital files in other formats, and tactile graphics from Package C and authorize the commissioner of education to conclude the necessary contract;
Accept the proposal from Visual Aid Volunteers to produce digital braille files for use with portable braille-reading devices, accessible student-ready digital files in other formats, and tactile graphics from Package D and authorize the commissioner of education to conclude the necessary contract;
Accept the proposal from Region 4 ESC to produce braille copies from Copy Packages A and B and authorize the commissioner of education to conclude the necessary contract;
Accept the proposal from Region 20 ESC to produce braille copies from Copy Packages C and D and authorize the commissioner of education to conclude the necessary contract.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert Scott
Commissioner of Education
Staff Members Responsible:
Anita Givens, Associate Commissioner
Standards and Programs
Norma Torres-Martinez, Deputy Associate Commissioner
Standards and Alignment
John Lopez, Managing Director
Instructional Materials and Educational Technology
Charles Mayo, Manager, Distribution and Accessibility
Instructional Materials and Educational Technology
Attachments:
I. Summary of Production Requirements
II. Producers that Received Requests for Proposals
III. Members of the Accessible Instructional Materials Review Panel
IV. Summary of Review Panel’s Evaluation and Recommendations for Accessible Instructional Materials
V. Evaluation Summary for Braille Copies