Executive Summary
Ohio's Department of Education and Workforce needs a modern, reliable system to replace CCIP and deliver the ED STEPS vision: a unified platform where districts complete needs assessments, create improvement plans, apply for grants, and manage funds — all in one place. Concourse can deliver this system in 6 months across three focused phases, at a fraction of the cost of the current contract, with no payment required until delivery.
Understanding the Challenge
Ohio's Comprehensive Continuous Improvement Plan (CCIP) system has served the state for nearly two decades, but it was built for a different era. The shift to ESSA in 2015 introduced new requirements around evidence-based interventions, needs assessments with data-driven narratives, and consolidated planning across multiple federal programs.
The ED STEPS initiative — Education Department's System of Tiered E-Plans and Supports — was conceived to modernize this process. However, the current implementation timeline and cost structure present an opportunity: districts need this tool now, not years from now, and Ohio taxpayers deserve a solution that delivers value quickly and transparently.
The interactive demo accompanying this proposal demonstrates that a modern, purpose-built platform can handle the core ED STEPS workflows — from needs assessment through cash requests — with an intuitive interface that districts will actually want to use.
Our Approach: Three 8-Week Phases
Each phase delivers production-ready functionality. Total timeline: 24 weeks (6 months) from kickoff to go-live.
Phase 1: Discovery + Core Platform
8 weeks- Stakeholder interviews and requirements validation
- One Needs Assessment module (data entry, narrative drafting, priority ranking)
- One Plan module (action steps, PDSA tracking, grant alignment)
- District dashboard with KPIs and notifications
- Role-based access (district, reviewer, admin)
Phase 2: One Funding Application + Grant Lifecycle
8 weeks- Unified grant application with budget builder
- Assurance management and compliance validation
- Reviewer portal with scoring and approval workflows
- Cross-district analytics and reporting
- Admin configuration for grant programs and cohorts
Phase 3: Cash Requests, Payments & Go-Live
8 weeks- Cash request submission with risk-based routing
- Payment processing and draw-down tracking
- Progress monitoring and compliance reporting
- Data migration from legacy CCIP system
- User training, documentation, and go-live support
What Makes Us Different
6 Months, Not 6 Years
Three focused 8-week phases deliver a production system in under 6 months. No multi-year timelines or scope creep.
Transparent Pricing
No payment until delivery. A fixed annual SaaS fee covers hosting, support, and ongoing enhancements after go-live.
User-Centric Design
Built around actual district workflows. Superintendents, treasurers, and DEW reviewers get interfaces designed for how they actually work.
Modern, Secure Architecture
Cloud-native platform with SOC 2 compliance, real-time collaboration, and mobile-responsive design from day one.
Commercial Terms
Development
- No payment until delivery. We build and deliver a working system before any payment is due.
- Fixed-scope phases with clear acceptance criteria and milestone reviews.
Ongoing
- Annual SaaS fee covering hosting, maintenance, support, and continuous improvements.
- Transparent pricing with no hidden costs or change-order surprises.
Next Steps
We'd love to schedule a 60-minute discovery session to better understand your specific requirements, discuss the questions below, and demonstrate how quickly we can move from conversation to working software.
Appendix: Discovery Questions
These questions would guide our Phase 1 discovery process to ensure we build exactly what Ohio needs.
Current State
- What specific pain points do districts report most frequently with the current CCIP system?
- What is the current timeline for the ED STEPS rollout, and which modules are live vs. planned?
- Which legacy systems does ED STEPS need to integrate with (EMIS, OEDS, financial systems)?
- How are districts currently submitting needs assessments and improvement plans outside ED STEPS?
Users & Stakeholders
- How many districts are in each planning cohort, and what is the rollout schedule?
- What are the primary user roles, and how many users per role per district?
- Which DEW departments are involved in the review and approval process?
- Are there external stakeholders (ESCs, community partners) who need system access?
Functional Requirements
- Which federal grant programs must be supported at launch (Title I, IDEA, Perkins, etc.)?
- What are the specific compliance rules for budget validation and maintenance of effort?
- How should the cash request workflow handle risk-based routing and approval thresholds?
- What reporting requirements exist for federal (ED, OSEP) and state (OBM, Auditor) entities?
Technical & Security
- What are the hosting requirements (StateRAMP, FedRAMP, Ohio DAS standards)?
- Is single sign-on required (SAFE, Ohio ID, or other identity provider)?
- What data residency and retention policies apply?
- Are there specific accessibility standards beyond WCAG 2.1 AA?
- What is the expected data migration scope from CCIP and any interim systems?