Expert Consultant Services for Early Childhood Curriculum and High Quality Instructional Materials

Background
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) recognizes the importance of high-quality early childhood experiences for children's development and long-term success. High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) are essential for children from birth to five years, providing a strong foundation for future learning through engaging, research-based content aligned with developmental standards. MSDE aims to strengthen instructional quality and improve child outcomes across Maryland's mixed delivery early childhood system by investing in the adoption and implementation of HQIM. This contract seeks expert consultants to lead a comprehensive review and alignment of early childhood curricula used throughout Maryland's mixed-delivery system, ensuring alignment with state standards and frameworks.

Work Details
The selected consultants will conduct a comprehensive review of early childhood curricula, evaluating them against MSDE's HQIM framework. Responsibilities include:
1. Conducting reviews of up to 12 selected early childhood curricula;
2. Analyzing instructional content using MSDE’s subject-specific frameworks and rubrics;
3. Documenting specific examples from instructional materials that support ratings;
4. Completing reports that include rating summaries, narrative justifications, and overall recommendations;
5. Collaborating with other reviewers to build consensus on ratings.

The evaluation will focus on standards alignment, support for multilingual learners, content relevance to children's backgrounds, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and family engagement opportunities.

Period of Performance
The contract is expected to begin on or about March 1, 2026, and terminate on December 31, 2026.

Place of Performance
Work must be completed at the business site of the consultant, with required travel to the Maryland State Department of Education for in-person meetings as necessary.

Bidder Requirements
Bidders must meet the following requirements:
- A bachelor's degree or higher in education or a relevant content area;
- Maryland state teaching certification or equivalent in early childhood education;
- Strong knowledge of early childhood standards;
- Experience in curriculum alignment and evaluation;
- Experience in developing curriculum for young learners;
- Excellent organizational skills;
- Proficient computer skills;
- Access to up-to-date computer equipment and internet connectivity;
- Submission of written disclosure of prior work with early childhood education curriculum publishers.