Software Development Services

The Vendor is required to provide for the procurement software development and maintenance services.
- Required Services
•    Intuitive, browser-based item and test editors with support for various item types and metadata tagging.
•    Item data basing, allowing items to be flexibly deployed as field, anchored, scaled, or removed from existing tests.
•    A centralized graphics repository to house all primary visual assets used in item creation.
•    Text-to-speech (TTS) and speech-to-text (STT) engines to assist with content accessibility.
•    A “push to publish” test build feature to collect and format all the assets for a user selected test and transfer those assets to a staging or preview online test delivery environment.
•    Varied item presentation formats to engage students taking tests and assist with digital administrations.
•    Integration with an existing backend API for display of item and test statistics.
•    Proposer would be expected to work with university’s in-house technology, content, and assessment teams to ensure that the system meets pedagogical, assessment, and usability standards.
- Secure Web-Based Test Delivery App
•    Design and implement a web-based testing application for use by students with a range of disabilities, including the most significant cognitive disabilities who are unable to participate in general assessments even with accommodations. 
•    This application shall not only support the students but must also support credentialed educational professionals who assist with the assessment. 
•    This system must comply with all state-level security and accessibility standards, provide seamless user onboarding, and support classroom deployed assistive technology and devices. 
- This system must include:
•    Potential for students to securely log in to access assessments and practice activities.
•    Access to practice activities and released assessments by students and test administrators, following pre-established logic that includes time of year, student grade, and test administrator credentialing.
•    Restrictions to access for unauthorized content or software during assessments.
•    Capacity for the application to run within current and recent versions of common web browsers. Platform support shall include Windows, macOS, Chromebooks, and iPads.
•    A simple, web-based user interface with intuitive, student-friendly graphics.
•    An interface designed to accommodate students with significant cognitive disabilities.
•    Maximal display space for content and minimize tool-related distractions.
•    Navigation guided by clearly labeled buttons for BACK, NEXT, and EXIT WITHOUT SAVING.
•    A READ button available on each screen to play synthetic speech for on-screen content.
•    Synthetic read-aloud functionality available and directly accessible on each test screen.
•    Diagnostic and skill information based on both traditional and computer adaptive tests for teachers to use information in a formative manner.
- Professional Development Training and Proficiency (T&P) Platform.
•    Develop a T&P application to deliver professional development and testing updates to educational professionals. The site should feature a clean, modern user interface, responsive design, secure login options, and integration with our internal APIs. Platform must include:
o    Structured, role-specific professional development for teachers and test administrators.
o    Delivery of engaging multimedia training modules with progress tracking. 
o    Verification of user proficiency through quizzes, exams, and interactive content.
o    Clear and concise display of user progress through the training process, to validate completion and mastery of training.
o    Timely ability to communicate assessment system updates through a centralized platform (post-login banners, updates, or notifications area).
o    Support accessibility and mobile usability.
o    Interface with common reporting and analytics systems to track participation and performance.
o    Assets for use in Help Desk ‘tickets’ for users to query software use through a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
o    Configured home page for access to related professional development opportunities including courseware and informational fact sheets.
o    Single sign on (SSO) to use software in association with other University platforms.
- Intelligent Navigation and Teacher Dashboard. 
•    Develop a unified dashboard and navigation system to support student linkage to interventions and progress reporting. 
•    This interface must support a streamlined experience, allowing students to seamlessly move between intervention activities without waiting for teacher assignment, redundant clicks, or confusing workflows, internally we refer to this update as “auto-transmission.”
- Artificial Intelligence Integration. 
•    Replace system’s current “Concepts and Attributes” instructional support feature in the writing software with an AI-powered solution. 
•    This new feature must use natural language processing and machine learning to deliver personalized feedback, intelligent writing prompt recommendations, and contextual insights to both students and teachers. 
•    Additionally, the system must support automatic scoring of production responses (PRs) and selected responses (SRs) to deliver real-time performance reports.
- Enhancements to Existing Systems. 
•    Targeted upgrades to optimize and modernize existing features in system’s ecosystem. 
•    These enhancements must build on existing system features and require tight integration with existing code and navigation protocols.
-  Adaptive Testing Integration. 
•    Assist in enhancing assessment and intervention delivery system with full support for Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) with Diagnostic Feedback and Reporting. 
•    The system must integrate with existing student grouping logic, existing item and test display and data recording, and reporting structures to maintain continuity in data output and analytics.
- Educational Usability and Maintainability.
•    The interface should be intuitive for non-technical users such as faculty, administrative staff, and students.
•    Content management features should be user-friendly and require minimal training.
•    The application should be modular and extensible to support future integration with institutional systems (e.g., LMS, SIS, and SSO).
•    Full technical documentation must be provided, including installation instructions, database schema, API references, and user manuals for both admin and end-users.

- Contract Period/Term: 3 years