Smarter Balanced Issues Request for Proposals for Mathematics Content Development Services
Santa Clara, CA, June 8, 2026 — Today, Smarter Balanced, a member-led assessment consortium serving students in mathematics and English language arts in grades 3 through high school, released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking organizations to support mathematics content development services for its assessment system. The effort aims to expand and refresh the Smarter Balanced mathematics item pool with high-quality, standards-aligned content that supports valid and reliable measurement of student learning.
The RFP seeks to identify one or more organizations capable of providing comprehensive mathematics content development services, including the identification and development of mathematical stimuli (such as contexts, diagrams, tables, graphs, and data sets); the development of computer adaptive test items and performance tasks across Claims 1-4; the recruitment, training, and facilitation of educator and subject-matter expert review meetings; and the implementation of rigorous quality-control, revision, and approval processes. The work spans the full lifecycle of mathematics content development for grades 3 through high school, with emphasis on conceptual understanding, procedural skills and fluency, problem solving, modeling, and mathematical reasoning.
Suppliers will be responsible for authoring, managing, and tracking mathematics content within the Smarter Balanced Test and Item Management System, ensuring accurate rendering of mathematical notation, correct tool and calculator configurations, and full alignment with Smarter Balanced Mathematics Content Specifications, Item and Task Specifications, Performance Task Specifications, Style Guide, Fairness Guidelines, and Accessibility and Universal Design Guidelines. The RFP stresses 100% quality-control review of all items, stimuli, and metadata, along with documented bias and sensitivity reviews and verified usage rights for any third-party assets. The RFP also emphasizes innovative uses of technology to expand student access to rigorous content.
This effort builds on the Smarter Balanced commitment to high-quality, standards-aligned assessment practices and responds to the ongoing need of member states and jurisdictions to maintain a robust and current item pool. The work will adhere to strict test security protocols, confidentiality requirements, and Smarter Balanced quality criteria — including a defined error taxonomy and batch acceptance standards — to ensure the integrity and instructional value of all deliverables.
Selected organizations will have the opportunity to collaborate with Smarter Balanced to develop mathematics assessment content used across a multi-state assessment system, contributing to 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 (Reference: 003994-May2026 UCSC Mathematics Content Creation). Please see the overview document for additional information.
Responses are due by Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 5 p.m. Pacific time. A notification of award is anticipated in late August 2026, with project onboarding expected in September 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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