The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) is hosting a Pre-solicitation Conference that is open to all responsible offerors for three (3) new competitions. The purpose of this conference is to provide potential offerors with background information to better understand the Department's requirements. The attached draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) is provided to interested parties for questions and comments. The projects for the competitions are as follows:

• Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)-Integrated Adult Assessment
The goal for the Integrated Adult Assessment U.S. National Data Collection Supplement is to supplement the PIAAC U.S. national data collection undertaken in 2011 with (1) an additional sample of U.S. adults to produce, when combined with the original 2011 U.S. PIAAC sample, a representative U.S. sample capable of supporting analyses of key U.S. subgroups outlined in this performance work statement; (2) a bridging study that establishes a statistical linkage between PIAAC and the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL); and (3) administration of an assessment of additional adult literacy domains not included in PIAAC 2011.

• Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
The goal for the TIMSS 2015 procurement is data collection in the United States for TIMSS 2015 that meets all international and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) guidelines and that makes available on a timely basis high-quality internationally comparative assessment data. The data collection will include assessments in mathematics and science at the 4th and 8th grades (and possibly 12th grade) and questionnaires administered to students, as well as questionnaires for schools and teachers. The study shall result in a report presenting U.S. data and the international comparisons from the perspective of an American constituency.

• Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
The goal for the PISA 2015 procurement is data collection in the United States for PISA 2015 that meets all international and NCES guidelines and that makes available on a timely basis high-quality internationally comparative assessment data. The data collection will include computer-based assessments in mathematics, science, and reading literacy and questionnaires administered to students and schools. The study shall result in a report presenting U.S. data and the international comparisons from the perspective of an American constituency. This contract will also include a validity study to examine the relationship between performance on PISA and educational and workforce outcomes by recruiting students that participate in PISA 2012 and administering a questionnaire in 2015, when those students are 18 years old.

The Pre-solicitation Conference will be held as follows: Date: June 18, 2012
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: National Center for Education Statistics
U.S. Department of Education
1990 K Street, NW
8th Floor, Conference Room 1
Washington DC 20006

Registration is required for the event.

Questions and comments must be provided in writing. Please email all questions and comments by June 13, 2012 to Sylvia Reid, Contracting Officer, Sylvia.Reid@ed.gov at 12:30 PM Eastern Time. There will be a time for questions and answers at the conference. Questions asked in writing by June 13, 2012 will be answered at the conference; questions asked at the conference will be answered in an addendum to the solicitation. Responses to all questions will be posted in an amendment to the solicitation.

In addition, the Department will also post a summary of what was said at the conference.

Each contractor is required to email a list of attendees from their company by June 14, 2012 to Sylvia Reid, Contracting Officer, at Sylvia.Reid@ed.gov. This list will be used for Pre-Solicitation Conference attendees to gain entry at the security desk of the building. Contractors should bring state or federal issued identification.

There will be a conference call dial in number available for a limited number of participants upon request.