OBC Resources
The Center for OBC is committed to developing and providing resources to help districts, states, and providers execute successful outcomes based contracts.
The Center for
Outcomes Based Contracting
The Center for OBC is the leading authority in advancing outcomes based contracting.
What is Outcomes Based Contracting?
OBC is a transformative model that ensures educational investments are tied to measurable student success. It is a model in which a substantial part of payment to a service provider is contingent on meeting agreed upon student outcomes.
Making Public Funding Work for Students
With budgets more constrained than ever, outcomes based contracting helps ensure that every public dollar spent on edtech and tutoring drives results for students.
New Research: The Evidence Is In on Outcomes Based Contracting
A third-party study by WestEd — the most rigorous evaluation of OBC to date — found that outcomes based contracting drove positive student results, stronger district-provider partnerships, and lasting district capacity.
Impact In Action Vol. 3:
Is It Working? How Fresno Unified Redesigned an Existing EdTech Contract Around Student Results
When Fresno Unified School District took stock of its investments, it found 345 programs and only 14% with clear objectives and results. The district used outcomes based contracting to carve a focused contract out of its existing i-Ready agreement, serving about 1,750 first graders reading below grade level. Built into its literacy initiatives and supported by multi-tiered governance, the contract delivered nearly 2,000 student reading and growth outcomes.
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Guidance for State and Local Education Agencies
As State Educational Agencies (SEAs), Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), andeducation service providers work to accelerate student learning, many are exploringnew ways to ensure public investments translate into measurable results.The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has reinforced this focus through itsSupplemental Priority on Meaningful Learning Opportunities, including Priority (b)(v),which explicitly… Read More
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Evaluation of Outcomes Based Contracting (OBC): Final Report
What if a contract could drive and deliver the results that providers promise? A new evaluation from WestEd — the most rigorous study of outcomes based contracting (OBC) to date — found that OBC improved student outcomes, strengthened district-provider partnerships, and built lasting district capacity across early-adopter districts. … Read More
News & Press
Stay updated with our latest news and media releases! Click the links below to explore our recent announcements and developments.
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October 14, 2026 | Press Release
Center for Outcomes Based Contracting Becomes Independent Nonprofit
The Center enters next chapter after four years of incubation at Southern Education Foundation, amid national momentum behind outcomes based contracting as model for improving student outcomes
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September 11, 2026 | News
Outcomes Based Contracting Requires Not Just Accountability, but Partnership
Curriculum Associates CEO Kelly Sia on why outcomes based contracting depends on partnership, not just accountability.
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August 26, 2026 | News
Can a Letter From Washington Actually Change How Schools Buy Technology?
Dr. Brittany Miller joins EdSurge to unpack new federal edtech guidance urging schools to buy for outcomes, not screen time.
