AP US History Instructional Resources

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a determination for a single-source bridge contract for AP® US History (APUSH) instructional resources. The Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) requires these resources to ensure continuity of instruction for approximately 1,100 students, 46 teachers, and 12 above-school-level specialists.

• Comprehensive APUSH digital instructional materials aligned with College Board standards.

• Materials include textbooks, lesson plans, assessments, and supplemental resources.

• Teacher resources for planning, instruction, and differentiation.

• Download capability for resources for internal use, including worksheets and printed textbook content for students with Individualized Education Programs or other accessibility needs.

• This is a firm fixed-price bridge contract.

• The period of performance is a 12-month period.

• FY26 Operating and Maintenance (O&M) funds are available for the base period.

• The total estimated value is redacted.

• This document indicates a determination for a single-source award to Cengage Learning, Inc.

• The rationale for single-source is based on time constraints due to a government shutdown, which interrupted key acquisition activities, preventing a full and open competition before the start of the SY 2026-27.

• The bridge contract is intended to maintain uninterrupted access to resources and align with a planned FY2027 recompetition.

• Not applicable as this is a sole-source determination.

• The authority for this action is 10 U.S.C. 3204(a), as implemented in FAR 6.103(a).

• Market research identified Cengage Learning Inc. as the incumbent. Other potential vendors (Savvas Learning Company LLC, McGraw-Hill Education, HMH Education Company) were contacted but could not meet the requirement in time for the 2026-27 school year for full and open competition in FY27.

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This PWS outlines the requirements for providing digital instructional resources and related support for the AP® US History (APUSH) course to students, teachers, and above-school-level experts. The goal is to prepare students to pass the College Board's APUSH examination.

• Provide 100% digital instructional resources aligned to the current APUSH curriculum framework and themes.

• Resources must cover nine chronological periods from 1491-Present.

• Resources must support the development of historical thinking skills, including chronological reasoning, comparison and contextualization, arguments based on evidence, and interpretation and synthesis.

• Provide COTS digital resources for teachers, including background information, instructional strategies, and assessment tools.

• Develop assessments that closely approximate the AP® exam structure (Multiple-Choice, Short-Answer, Document-Based, Long Essays).

• Provide professional learning through asynchronous webinars and synchronous sessions.

• Resources must be accessible 24/7/365, with no more than one unscheduled downtime per year.

• Professional learning participants should rate webinars as good/helpful at least 75% of the time.

• Technical support must acknowledge requests within two hours and resolve 90% of requests within one business day.

• Work shall be performed at the Contractor's facilities.

• The contract period will include a one-year bridge contract in fiscal year 2026, followed by a full and open competition in fiscal year 2027.

• Resources must be compatible with DoWEA's learning management system (LMS, Schoology) and Google Classrooms, and accessible via DoWEA's single sign-on platform (ClassLink).

• Resources must meet specific technical requirements, including SCORM® compliance and FedRAMP Level 2 standards.

• Contractor must comply with cybersecurity requirements, including data protection and privacy mandates.

• Digital rights for all visual materials must be provided to DoWEA for internal use without incurring copyright costs.