[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21873-21877]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9485]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice Inviting Proposals for Taking Ownership and Operation of 
the TEACH Campaign

AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice inviting proposals for ownership and operation of the 
TEACH Campaign, including the recruiting effort and the maintenance and 
operation of the Web Portal.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Education (Department) has set a goal 
for the United States to lead the world in completion of postsecondary 
education by 2020. The Department recognizes that the most significant 
in-school-factor in a student's education is his or her teacher, and 
wants to

[[Page 21874]]

encourage a large and diverse group of high-performing individuals to 
pursue a career in teaching. As one strategy to reach this goal, the 
Department launched the TEACH Campaign--a national teacher recruiting 
effort with the goal of contributing to a high-performing and more 
diverse teaching force by linking prospective teachers to opportunities 
for preparation, licensure, and employment. Through a contract, the 
Department launched the TEACH Campaign using traditional media, digital 
media, social networking, and direct outreach and follow-up activities 
with potential and current teachers, and supported it with a Web-based 
portal (http://www.teach.gov, and associated social networking accounts 
with YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, collectively referred to as the 
``Web Portal'') that is available for use by potential and currently 
employed teachers for free. The TEACH Campaign (i) targets individuals 
between the ages of 18 and 25, especially those who are potential high-
performers and are among populations under-represented in the teaching 
profession or are individuals interested in teaching English learners, 
students with disabilities, or in the fields of science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in underserved communities (the 
targeted populations), (ii) strives to enhance public perception of 
teachers, and (iii) develops support for new and already-practicing 
teachers. The TEACH Campaign, which is supported through the Web 
Portal, is based on a comprehensive strategic communications plan, 
which includes a clear and identifiable ``brand,'' celebrity and 
teacher public service announcements that are disseminated through 
multiple formats (e.g., traditional media, digital media, and social 
networks), and direct outreach and follow-up activities with potential 
teachers. The Web Portal is designed to improve the recruitment, 
training, mentoring, retention, and placement of teachers.
    The Department plans to transfer ownership and operation of the 
TEACH Campaign, including the recruiting effort and the Web Portal, to 
an entity or to a group of entities that enter into an agreement to 
collaborate, form a consortium, or establish a partnership (entity) 
that works outside of the Federal Government and that would, with its 
own resources, execute and continuously improve an excellent and 
effective teacher recruiting effort, continuously improve a highly 
visible and useful Web Portal, and continue to make the Web Portal 
available at all times to potential and currently employed teachers for 
free. Through this notice, we are inviting proposals from entities 
interested in owning and operating the TEACH Campaign, including the 
recruiting effort and the Web Portal.

DATES: To ensure that your proposal receives consideration, it must be 
received by the Department no later than May 19, 2011. The Department 
would like to announce the selected entity on or about June 20, 2011.
    Please inform us via e-mail by May 4, 2011, if you intend to submit 
a proposal. Notification of your intent to submit a proposal will help 
the Department prepare for the review process. Please note that you may 
still submit a proposal if you do not indicate that you intend to 
apply. Instructions for submitting a proposal are set forth in the 
Submission Requirements section later in this notice.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should e-mail 
[email protected]. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's proposal remains subject to all 
other requirements and limitations in this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, please send 
an e-mail to: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Through the fiscal year 2009 appropriation under the School 
Improvement Programs account, Congress authorized the Secretary of 
Education to carry out activities, such as the TEACH Campaign, to 
improve the recruitment, training, mentoring, retention, and placement 
of teachers in order to improve educational outcomes. See Public Law 
111-8, Division F, Title III, March 11, 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act 
(Act), Div. F, Title III, School Improvement Programs, Section 4, 
preceding Division A of the Act, and the House Manager's Explanatory 
Statement, published in the Congressional Record on February 23, 2009, 
which provided the following: ``In addition, up to $7,500,000 shall be 
available for the Secretary to use for teacher and principal quality 
initiatives designed to improve recruitment, training, mentoring, 
retention, and placement, and transform education outcomes.''
    To achieve the ultimate goal of once again leading the world in 
college completion by 2020, the Department, through a contract, 
designed and created the TEACH Campaign, including the recruiting 
effort and the Web Portal. The recruiting effort and the Web Portal 
were designed to, among other things: (i) Increase interest in, and 
access to, the tools needed to prepare for and secure a position in the 
teaching profession, particularly among the targeted populations, (ii) 
enhance the public perception of teachers, and (iii) develop support 
for new and already practicing teachers. The Web Portal was launched on 
September 27, 2010, and continues to be available to potential and 
currently employed teachers for free.
    The Department believes that the effectiveness of the TEACH 
Campaign would be significantly enhanced--that is, would provide long-
lasting benefits to the targeted populations and to the Nation--if an 
outside entity assumed responsibility for ownership and continued 
operation of the recruiting effort and the Web Portal. The Department 
will provide the selected entity with information we gathered on the 
early use of the recruiting effort and the Web Portal, including on the 
costs of operation and the audiences that have accessed the Web site, 
in order to help the entity effectively maintain, operate, and enhance 
the Web Portal and improve the recruiting effort. In addition, the 
Department will, through a transfer agreement signed by the Department 
and the selected entity, set forth the terms of the transfer of 
ownership of the TEACH Campaign, including the recruiting effort and 
the Web Portal, to an entity outside of the Federal Government, and the 
operation of the TEACH Campaign and the Web Portal by that entity with 
the entity's own resources.
    Some of the key provisions of the transfer agreement will be the 
following:
    Objective. The transfer agreement will require the selected entity 
to agree that the objective of the TEACH Campaign is to (i) recruit 
more than a million total new teachers, with an emphasis on recruiting 
members of the targeted populations, (ii) enhance public perception of 
teachers, and (iii) develop support for new and already-practicing 
teachers (the Objective).
    Privacy Policy. The transfer agreement will require, among other 
things, that the selected entity include on the Web Portal a privacy 
policy that protects the privacy of the users and limits the selected 
entity's use of users' data. Further, the transfer agreement will 
require that any data about users that the Department transfers to the 
selected

[[Page 21875]]

entity will be used only for the purpose of improving the recruitment, 
training, mentoring, retention, and placement of teachers in order to 
improve educational outcomes and will not be used for another purpose 
without the consent of the user.
    Trademarks. The Department has created trademarks to identify and 
distinguish the TEACH Campaign (Trademarks). Pursuant to the 
transfer agreement, the Department will assign all rights in the 
Trademarks to the selected entity.
    Web Address. Because the Web Portal is currently registered as a 
``.gov'' domain and ``.gov'' domains are only available to official 
government organizations, the selected entity must re-register the Web 
Portal with an alternate domain that is appropriate (e.g., .org, .com, 
or .edu).
    Responsibilities of the Selected Entity. The duties of the selected 
entity will include, at a minimum:
    (1) Making the Web Portal readily available at all times to 
potential and currently employed teachers for free.
    (2) Solving any implementation problems in order to keep the 
recruiting effort and the Web Portal operating in at least the same 
condition in which they are transferred to the entity.
    (3) Enhancing the overall quality of the recruiting effort and the 
Web Portal, including but not limited to, enhancing the content made 
available through each, such as providing better information on how to 
become a teacher, on State certification processes, and on job 
listings.
    (4) Identifying new populations of potential teachers (e.g., 
members of the military, mid-career professionals, and recent 
retirees), while continuing to reach out to the targeted populations 
identified in this notice.
    (5) Continuing and enhancing outreach efforts designed to elevate 
the public perception of teaching and through traditional and digital 
marketing and outreach strategies.
    (6) Continuing and enhancing direct outreach and follow-up 
activities with the targeted populations through, for example, public 
events and other programming.
    (7) Building business partnerships and coalitions that will help 
develop the TEACH Campaign into a nationally prominent effort to bring 
a large number of high-performing individuals into the next generation 
of teachers, including individuals from the targeted populations.
    Based on these general expectations, an entity interested in 
acquiring ownership and operation of the TEACH Campaign, including the 
recruiting effort and the maintenance and operation of the Web Portal, 
should submit a proposal that addresses the following key factors, 
which are designed to enable an entity to demonstrate its ability to 
recruit teachers, its prior success in executing large projects, and 
its ability to effectively manage the TEACH Campaign, including the 
recruiting effort and the Web Portal.

Key Factors

    The entity's proposal must include evidence that the entity will 
meet the following factors:
    (1) The entity's ability to increase interest in, and access to, 
the teaching profession among the targeted populations.
    (2) The entity's ability to achieve established goals, including 
prior success in executing large projects.
    (3) The entity's planned use of a privacy policy that protects the 
privacy interests of the users of the Web Portal; limits the entity's 
use of users' data; and ensures that any data about users that the 
Department transfers to the selected entity will be used only for the 
purpose of achieving the Objective and will not be used for any other 
purpose without the consent of the user.
    (4) Demonstrated substantive interest in the goals of the TEACH 
Campaign and an expertise in recruitment.
    (5) Demonstrated capacity to complete a recruiting effort, or 
demonstrated willingness to enter into a partnership with an entity 
with such capacity.
    (6) Demonstrated organizational capacity to conduct direct outreach 
to, and follow-up efforts with, the targeted populations, or 
demonstrated willingness to enter into a partnership with an entity 
with such capacity.
    (7) Entity's capacity to enter into partnerships with partners or 
potential partners, who can supplement and enhance the entity's ability 
to establish a successful recruiting effort.
    (8) The technological infrastructure and other resources to operate 
and maintain effectively the TEACH Campaign, including the Web Portal, 
and make it available to potential and currently employed teachers for 
free.
    (9) A proposed system for measuring the entity's success in meeting 
the Objective.
    (10) Evidence of the entity's fiscal and management capabilities.
    The Department will use the following criteria to evaluate how well 
the proposals submitted in response to this notice address these Key 
Factors.

    Note: The maximum total score any proposal can receive is 100 
points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in 
parentheses below.

Organizational Capacity (25 Points)

    (1) The extent to which the entity describes a comprehensive vision 
for an enduring recruiting and outreach effort that at a minimum meets 
the Objective.
    (2) The quality of the proposed project personnel, and the extent 
to which the personnel have the appropriate qualifications, 
competencies, and experience in the management of (i) a recruiting 
effort that includes traditional media, digital media, social 
networking, and direct outreach and follow-up activities with 
prospective teachers, and (ii) the operation and maintenance of the Web 
Portal in a manner that achieves the Objective.
    (3) The extent to which the entity (i) has the technological and 
financial resources, and skills to maintain and operate the TEACH 
Campaign, including the Web Portal, and ensure that the Web Portal is 
made available to potential and currently employed teachers for free, 
(ii) has the capacity to develop and execute a recruiting effort that 
includes traditional media, digital media, social networking, and 
direct outreach and follow-up activities with prospective teachers and 
(iii) has the resources and capability to meet the Objective.
    (4) The extent to which the entity demonstrates the ability to 
enter into partnerships and coalitions that will help develop the 
project into a nationally prominent movement to recruit a large, high-
performing and diverse group of individuals into the next generation of 
teachers.

Management Plan (25 Points)

    (1) The extent to which the entity provides a comprehensive 
description of the proposed plan in a clear and sequential fashion for 
(i) accomplishing all of the responsibilities listed in the 
Responsibilities of the Selected Entity section of this notice, (ii) 
effectively managing the TEACH Campaign, including the recruiting 
effort and the Web Portal, and (iii) enhancing and continuing operation 
of the recruiting effort and the Web Portal.
    (2) The extent to which the entity's proposed system for evaluating 
its success in meeting the Objective is likely to produce data that 
accurately measure its success in recruiting more than a million total 
new teachers, including teachers from the targeted populations.
    (3) The extent to which the entity's privacy policy to protect the 
users of the Web Portal is effective, limits the entity's use of users' 
data, and ensures

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that any data about users that the Department transfers to the selected 
entity will be used only for the purpose of improving the recruitment, 
training, mentoring, retention, and placement of teachers in order to 
improve educational outcomes and will not be used for any other purpose 
without the consent of the user.
    (4) The extent to which the time commitments of the entity's staff 
are appropriate to operate and maintain the TEACH Campaign, including 
the Web Portal, and an effective recruiting effort that includes 
traditional media, digital media, social networking, and direct 
outreach and follow-up activities with prospective teachers.

Outreach Efforts (25 Points)

    (1) The quality of the entity's marketing and outreach plan for the 
TEACH Campaign, which includes a description of the goals of raising 
the public perception of teachers and of the TEACH Campaign's 
Objective.
    (2) The extent to which the entity demonstrates the ability and 
prior success in executing large efforts of this type.
    (3) The extent to which the entity demonstrates strong familiarity 
with and success in using traditional media, digital media, and social 
media campaigns and how it plans to maintain active communities via 
social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, email lists, and 
bulletin boards to encourage new users to engage with the TEACH 
Campaign and encourage return visits to the Web Portal.
    (4) The extent to which the entity demonstrates a thorough 
understanding of the targeted populations of potential and current 
teachers.
    (5) The quality of the entity's plan for continuing and enhancing 
direct outreach and follow-up activities with the targeted populations 
(through, for example, organizing public events and other programming).

The Web Portal (25 Points)

    (1) The quality of the entity's plan and vision for the enhancement 
and continued operation of the Web Portal.
    (2) The extent to which the entity demonstrates that it has the 
technological and financial resources and skills to maintain and 
operate the Web Portal, and to ensure that the Web portal is made 
available to potential and currently employed teachers for free in 
perpetuity.
    (3) The extent to which the entity demonstrates the capability to 
aggregate content and data regarding the full cycle of becoming a 
teacher (e.g., teacher preparation institutions, scholarships, State 
certification processes, and job listings) and publish and maintain up-
to-date and useful information for potential and current teachers.
    (4) The extent to which the entity demonstrates the ability to 
integrate the Web Portal into off-line (e.g., radio, print, and 
television) and on-line (e.g., search engine, video, and video games) 
advertising and promotion campaigns.
    (5) The extent to which the entity provides credible evidence that 
the management of personnel, partners and potential partners, physical 
resources, activities, and work production will result in a robust and 
high-quality Web Portal with a 99.99 percent ``uptime rate'' exclusive 
of published maintenance periods and inclusive of clear communication 
to users of what to expect in the event of technical difficulties.
    (6) The quality of the entity's plan for monitoring and evaluating 
the intended use, effectiveness, and improvements of the Web Portal.

Interests of the Federal Government

    To protect the Department's interests in the TEACH Campaign, 
including the Web Portal and the Trademarks, the selected entity must 
provide a written assurance executed by an appropriate officer that--
    (1) The entity acknowledges that the Department will assign to the 
selected entity ownership and operation of the TEACH Campaign, 
including the Web Portal and all rights and interests it possesses in 
the data and content therein, as well as the Trademarks, including all 
rights and interests possessed therein.
    (2) The entity agrees to own and operate the TEACH Campaign, 
including the Web Portal and the Trademarks, consistent with its 
proposal and with the purposes and provisions of this notice.
    (3) The entity agrees, per calendar year, to submit three quarterly 
reports and an annual report regarding the operation, audience, and use 
of the TEACH Campaign, including the Web Portal, in such detail as the 
Department specifies in the transfer agreement until the Department and 
the entity mutually agree in writing that the selected entity achieved 
the Objective.
    (4) The entity acknowledges that if it fails to comply with the 
transfer agreement at any time prior to achieving the Objective, all 
rights and interests in all data and content of the TEACH Campaign, 
including the Web Portal, and any improvements thereto; all 
intellectual property rights, including the Trademarks; and all 
databases needed to operate the TEACH Campaign and the Web Portal will 
revert back to the Department at no cost to the Department (Reversion).
    In the event of a Reversion, the Department can transfer ownership, 
operation, and interests in the TEACH Campaign, the Web Portal, and the 
Trademarks, to another entity in accordance with a notice published in 
the Federal Register.

Termination of Certain Rights, Duties, and Obligations

    All duties, obligations, and restrictions of the selected entity, 
as specified in the transfer agreement, including, but not limited to, 
the selected entity's obligation to provide quarterly and annual 
reports to the Department, and the Department's right to repossess the 
TEACH Campaign, including the Web Portal and the Trademarks, will end 
upon the Department's and the selected entity's mutual written 
determination that the selected entity achieved the Objective.

Availability of Funds

    The Department anticipates that there will not be any Federal funds 
available to support the TEACH Campaign, including the Web Portal, once 
ownership and operation are transferred from the Federal Government to 
the selected entity. Upon the transfer, the TEACH Campaign, including 
the Web Portal will be the sole responsibility of the selected entity 
to bear all costs associated with ownership and operation thereof.

Other Required Information in Proposals

    Proposals submitted in response to this notice also must include 
the following information:
    (1) Name, address, and contact information for the entity 
submitting the proposal.
    (2) Mission statement of the entity.
    (3) The entity's current Web site URL.
    (4) The most recent audited information (such as that contained in 
a consolidated financial statement) regarding the financial condition 
and other capabilities of the entity.
    (5) Description of existing programs owned and operated by the 
entity that could support the entity in achieving the goals of the 
TEACH Campaign, including the Web Portal.
    Submission Requirements: Interested entities must submit a proposal 
for owning and operating the TEACH Campaign, including the recruiting 
effort and the maintenance and operation of the Web Portal, that 
addresses the factors and associated criteria outlined in this notice.

[[Page 21877]]

Proposals may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail or 
hand delivery. We will not consider any proposal that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements.
    a. Electronic Submission of Proposals. If you choose to submit your 
proposal to us electronically, email your proposal to [email protected]. 
Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your 
proposal by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on May 19, 2011.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your proposal in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if 
you submit your proposal in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
any narrative sections and all other attachments to your proposal as 
files in a .PDF (Portable Document) format only. If you upload a file 
type other than a .PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not 
review that material.
     Prior to submitting your electronic proposal, you may wish 
to print a copy of it for your records.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other documents at a later date.
    Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability: If you 
are prevented from electronically submitting your proposal on the 
deadline date because [email protected] was unavailable, we will grant 
you an extension of one business day to enable you to transmit your 
proposal electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant 
this extension if--
     [email protected] was unavailable for 60 minutes or more 
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on 
the deadline date; or
     [email protected] was unavailable for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline 
date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may e-mail 
[email protected]. If [email protected] was unavailable due to technical 
problems with the system and, therefore, the proposal deadline is 
extended, an e-mail will be sent to all entities that informed the 
Department that they intended to submit a proposal.
    Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the 
unavailability of [email protected]. If [email protected] is available, 
and, for any reason, you are unable to submit your proposal 
electronically, you may submit your proposal in paper format by mail or 
hand delivery in accordance with the instructions in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Copies of Proposals by Mail. If you submit 
your proposal in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service 
or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of 
your proposal, on or before the proposal deadline date, to the 
Department at the following address: The TEACH Campaign, Office of 
Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20202-5930.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    (i) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (ii) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (iii) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (iv) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your proposal through the U.S. Postal Service, note 
that the Department does not accept either of the following as proof of 
mailing:
    (i) A private metered postmark.
    (ii) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your proposal is postmarked after the proposal deadline date, we 
will not consider your proposal.

    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.

    c. Submission of Paper Copies of Proposals by Hand Delivery. If you 
submit your proposal in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a 
courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of your 
proposal by hand, on or before the deadline date, to the Department at 
the following address: The TEACH Campaign, Office of Innovation and 
Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-5930.
    The Department accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 
4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal 
holidays.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, 
as well as all other documents of this Department published in the 
Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To 
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at 
the site.

    Dated: April 14, 2011.
James H. Shelton, III,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2011-9485 Filed 4-18-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P