Specifications include, but are not limited to: 1. Utilizes family engagement to deliver age-appropriate instruction in reading that may be implemented in homes or in child-care centers. 2. Offers optional instruction in mathematics and science. 3. Aligns with relevant state standards for preschool under KRS 157.3175. 4. Assists with the objectives of the Head Start Act, 42 U.S.C. sec. 9801 et seq. 5. Assists children with disabilities in preparing for kindergarten. 6. Meets the benchmarks for evidence-based programs established by the United States Department of Education. 7. Solicit families to encourage their eligible child's participation in the pilot project through public information campaigns, outreach programs, and referrals from other educational entities that is partially focused on communities and areas of the state encountering persistent poverty. 8. Reserve forty percent (40%) of a cohort's membership for eligible students with a household income of no more than two hundred percent (200%) of the federal poverty level. 9. Provide a multisensory reading tutoring program. 10. A validated adaptive reading test that does not require the presence of trained adults to administer and that has been demonstrated as an accurate indicator of a child's reading readiness. 11. As needed and at no cost for the student's family, for the duration of the student's participation in the pilot project, provide a student with a household income of no more than four hundred percent (400%) of the federal poverty level with: 1. A computer or tablet; and 2. Access to internet service. 12. Comply with state and federal education and digital privacy laws. 13. Develop a recruitment plan to solicit families to participate in the pilot project. 14. Provide administrative and technical support to students, families, and any other involved education professionals for the installation and operation of the instructional software. 15. Seek the advice and expertise of local stakeholders, such as public and private early childhood education professionals, the department, local school board members, kindergarten teachers, and parents, on the implementation of the pilot project in areas such as: 1. Soliciting families to participate in the pilot project. 2. Providing training to families and education professionals. 3. Motivating families to regularly use the instructional 16. Conduct a randomized controlled trial or other external evaluation that supports the efficacy of the educational technology program the provider implements. The vendor should be able to validate user access, collect user data and store research data. 17. The vendor should update the instructional software as needed. 18. The vendor should produce reports for parents, schools, the department, and the Legislative Research Commission. 19. The vendor should be able to provide at the conclusion of each school year, report any data required by the department to conduct an evaluation of the pilot project's effectiveness.
