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The TDSB is currently soliciting bids from qualified Proponents for the provision of Comprehensive Psychological Assessments.
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is required to conduct student psychological assessments to support educational programming, including, but not limited to, guiding classroom instruction, developing Individual Education Plans (IEPs), supporting Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) decisions, identifying giftedness, and assessing learning, behavioural, social-emotional, and mental health needs that may impact student achievement and well-being. TDSB has a team of in-house psychologists who conduct these assessments. There is currently a waitlist for assessments so additional support is needed to keep that list as short as possible. There are also non-instructional times of the year, such as Winter, Spring and Summer Breaks, where staff may not be available to conduct these assessments within the required timelines.
TDSB staff will always have “first right of refusal” for the work before it is offered to any external service providers. The external service providers are intended only to supplement existing Board psychological assessment resources where internal capacity is unavailable or insufficient to meet student needs. The use of external service providers is not intended to replace, displace, reduce regularly scheduled hours of work, or alter work assignments of Board-employed psychologists.
The TDSB is issuing this Request for Tender (RFT) to invite licensed professionals who can provide Comprehensive Psychological Assessments (the “Services”) to support filling in these gaps. TDSB does not guarantee any minimum volume of work to an individual successful proponent. Any estimated volumes are provided for planning purposes only. Assignments will be made only after internal staffing options have been considered based on operational need, available funding, geographic requirements, vendor capacity and satisfactory performance.
Only the successful proponents awarded contracts through this tender will be eligible to do business with the Toronto District School Board. The term of the agreement resulting from this Tender opportunity will be for two (2) years with the possibility for 3 extensions of one (1) year each. This agreement will commence upon contract award.
The TDSB reserves the right to award this RFT to multiple Proponents, in order to ensure the needs and requirements of TDSB and its students are met. Subject to the operational needs of TDSB, where possible an equitable distribution of assessments will be assigned to the awarded service providers; keeping in mind the complexity of the assessment required. The TDSB Special Education department reserves the right to assign assessments in a manner that best meets the needs of the Board and its students.
BOARD EMPLOYEE RESTRICTION AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The successful Contractor shall not assign, subcontract, retain, employ, or otherwise engage any individual who is an employee of the Toronto District School Board to perform services under this Agreement, unless expressly approved in writing by the Board. Without limiting the foregoing, no Board-employed psychologist, psychological associate, or other Board employee who may be involved in, or have access to, the Board's assessment referral process, staffing decisions, waitlists, or related operational information shall perform psychological assessments under this Agreement. The Contractor shall immediately disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest to the Board. The Board reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine whether a conflict of interest exists and to require the removal or replacement of any individual assigned to provide services under this Agreement. Failure to comply with this provision may result in the rejection of referrals, suspension of assignments, termination of the Agreement, or any other remedy available to the Board.
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