Smarter Balanced Issues Request for Proposals for English Language Arts/Literacy Content Development
Santa Clara, CA, April 13, 2026 — Today, Smarter Balanced, a member-led assessment consortium serving students in mathematics and English language arts in grades 3–12, released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking organizations to support the development of English language arts/literacy (ELA) assessment content for its assessment system. The effort aims to support the development of high-quality, standards-aligned assessment content and ensure that students demonstrate progress toward college- and career-readiness.
The RFP seeks to identify one or more organizations capable of developing and delivering a comprehensive suite of ELA assessment content aligned with Smarter Balanced standards and specifications. This work includes the full lifecycle of ELA content development, including the development of assessment items across all claims and grade levels; identification, sourcing, and rights clearance of passages and stimuli (including listening stimuli); facilitation of educator recruitment, training, and review activities; and implementation of quality-control, revision, and approval processes.
Suppliers will be responsible for authoring, uploading, managing, and tracking ELA content and associated metadata within Smarter Balanced’s Test and Item Management System, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with Smarter Balanced guidelines and specifications. The RFP also emphasizes innovative uses of technology to expand student access to rigorous content.
This effort builds on Smarter Balanced’s ongoing commitment to high-quality, standards-aligned assessment practices and responds to the growing needs of member states to support robust ELA content that informs teaching and learning. The work will adhere to rigorous quality-control processes, Smarter Balanced ELA content and item specifications, style guides, fairness and accessibility guidelines, and strict test security protocols to ensure the reliability and integrity of all deliverables.
Selected organizations will have the opportunity to collaborate with Smarter Balanced to support the development of ELA assessment content across a multi-state assessment system, contributing to the development of high-quality resources that directly support teaching and learning nationwide.
The RFP is now available to the public via the University of California Public Bid website (RFP 003954 English Language Arts/Literacy Content Creation for Smarter Balanced Assessments). Please see the overview document for additional information.
Responses are due by Friday, May 22, 2026 at 5 p.m. Pacific time. A notification of award is anticipated in July 2026, with project kickoff expected in August 2026.
For more information or questions, please contact Rita Bruce, Procurement and Supply Chain Services, at llbruce@ucsc.edu.
About Smarter Balanced
Smarter Balanced is a member-led consortium providing the most comprehensive and innovative standards-aligned system that supports teaching and learning and improves local and statewide systems. Our dynamic system of educational tools — developed in collaboration with our members and educators — gives teachers integrated lessons, activities, and methods of gauging progress, along with interim and summative assessments that provide actionable data as students progress toward college- and career-readiness. www.smarterbalanced.org
Media Contact: Kimberly Blanchard, Director of External Affairs Programs | kimberly.blanchard@smarterbalanced.org | (831) 316-2549
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