On June 15, 2001, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) released a Request for Proposal (RFP) to search for new Student Management Software for the Arkansas Public School Computer Network (APSCN). The RFP established a minimum requirement that the software be completely web based and contain functionality in all the following areas: Student Demographics, Medical, Attendance, Scheduling, Discipline, Testing/Evaluation, Special Education, Grade Reporting, and State Reporting. This requirement was determined after much review and evaluation of the ideal software for the APSCN customers.
An Evaluation Committee was formed with representatives from ADE/APSCN, school district users, and DIS technical personnel to determine the best fit for APSCN. Eight vendors submitted proposals to be evaluated by the Committee. After several weeks of intensive evaluation, the Evaluation Committee has determined that none of these eight vendors met the minimum requirements as set forth in the RFP. Because of this determination, the ADE has decided that no award can be made under the RFP released June 15, 2001.
This finding does not mean that the search for new Student Management Software has ended. Instead, the ADE intends to step up its effort to identify a robust Student Software solution that best fits the needs of our school partners and the APSCN system. The original Request for Proposal will undergo a quick review to determine what modifications are required to better identify the right software solution for the State of Arkansas. The revised RFP will be released as soon as possible with the goal of identifying a new software by 2nd quarter of 2002.