Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This document outlines the Performance Work Statement (PWS) for the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 29th cycle, focusing on the United States' participation. The primary goal is to collect and report education information and statistics that meet high methodological standards, are objective, and are relevant to policymakers and practitioners.

The contractor will manage and execute all national tasks required for the successful implementation of the PISA 2029 study in the United States. This includes:

• Project management, including post-award meetings, ongoing management, and data security planning.
• Obtaining necessary Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearances for study instruments and procedures.
• Adapting, preparing, testing, and producing assessment instruments and questionnaires for the U.S. context.
• Managing sampling activities for both the field trial and the main study.
• Conducting data collection for the field trial (Spring 2028) and the main study (Spring 2029), utilizing school devices for computer-based assessment.
• Processing and reviewing data, including disclosure risk assessment.
• Scoring of cognitive items and coding of questionnaire responses.
• Conducting optional Teacher Questionnaires.
• Preparing electronic data files and user guides for dissemination.

The anticipated total period of performance is 48 months, consisting of a 12-month Base Period and three additional 12-month Option Periods.

• Quality Control: Integrated throughout all project phases, including item reliability/validity tests, nonresponse analyses, and ensuring deliverables meet NCES and OECD/PISA standards.
• NCES Standards: Adherence to statistical standards and publication style guidelines.
• Confidentiality: Strict adherence to data confidentiality and security protocols, including staff background checks and nondisclosure affidavits.
• Accessibility: All public deliverables must adhere to Section 508 requirements for accessibility.
• Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price.
• Deliverables: Numerous deliverables are specified, including various plans, reports, data files, and materials related to each task.
• International Collaboration: Work will be conducted in coordination with the OECD and international contractors.

Request for Information (RFI)

This RFI is issued by the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to conduct market research for the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2029. The Department intends to award a contract for a 12-month base period and three 12-month optional periods to conduct PISA 2029 in the U.S. PISA measures 15-year-old students' reading, mathematics, and science literacy. The U.S. has participated in PISA in previous years, with the most recent cycle being PISA 2025. The proposed contract includes student and questionnaire assessments, with an optional task for teacher questionnaire data.

This RFI is for market research purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Proposals (RFP) or a commitment to award a contract. No reimbursement will be provided for response costs.

The Department is seeking responses to the following questions to strengthen the proposed requirement:

• Clarity of the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS).
• Potential changes to maintain quality standards while reducing cost.
• Information needed for offerors to accurately price a fixed-price contract.
• Other changes to better achieve the program's purpose.

Interested parties should submit capability statements (max 10 pages, single-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point font) addressing:

• Entity name, address, and contact information (including UEI).
• Entity size status (large/small) for NAICS code 541720, socioeconomic categories, and appropriateness of the NAICS code.
• Identification of any unduly restrictive language in the draft PWS, with specific examples and reasoning.
• Questions regarding the contents of the DRAFT PWS.
• Opportunities for small business subcontracting and justification.
• Questions regarding the proposed Firm Fixed Price contract nature.
• Identification of any Government-wide contracts that could be used for ordering.

Responses must be emailed to Alyson Allman (Alyson.allman@ed.gov) by May 21, 2026, 12:00 PM ET.