News

October 30, 2026 | Press Release

Eight Arkansas School Districts Join Statewide Cohort to Advance Outcomes Based Contracts for Instructional Interventions

The Center for Outcomes Based Contracting to help districts design, implement, and evaluate agreements that connect provider payments to measurable student outcomes DENVER, Colo. (October 30, 2026)— Nonprofit organization the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting, in partnership with Forward Arkansas, announced eight school districts across Arkansas are joining…

October 26, 2026 | News

We Can’t Close the Literacy Gap Until We Close the Honesty Gap

October 26, 2026 Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan examines the “honesty gap” in American education, highlighting the disconnect between perceptions of student achievement and actual academic outcomes. He argues that this gap extends to education spending, where districts often lack clear evidence of whether their investments…

October 22, 2026 | Press Release

4 California School Districts Join Statewide Cohort to Advance Outcomes Based Contracts for High-Dosage Tutoring

The Center for Outcomes Based Contracting to help districts design, implement, and evaluate tutoring agreements that connect provider payments to measurable student outcomes DENVER, Colo. (October 22, 2026)— The Center for Outcomes Based Contracting, in partnership with the California Department of Education’s Expanded Learning Division, announced four school…

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

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.

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.

August 20, 2026 | Press Release

U.S. Department of Education Releases Guidance on Responsible Use of Education Technology in the Classroom

New federal edtech guidance cites WestEd's outcomes based contracting research as evidence for shared-accountability partnerships.

August 10, 2026 | News

Proof Points: Paying Vendors for Student Results

New WestEd research finds early promise for outcomes based contracting, but can't yet separate contract effects from coaching support.

August 6, 2026 | News

Should Districts Pay Vendors Based on Student Outcomes? What the Research Says

New WestEd research on outcomes based contracting weighs the promise and the pitfalls of paying providers for student results.

August 6, 2026 | News

Accountability Works. Outcomes-Based Contracting Makes It Work Better

Former Newark superintendent Chris Cerf argues outcomes based contracting gives accountability a more durable path forward.

August 4, 2026 | News

Early Evidence Finds Outcomes Based Contracting Boosts Student Performance

New WestEd research finds outcomes based contracting boosts student performance in early-adopter districts — at costs comparable to traditional contracts.

July 20, 2026 | News

Outcomes-based contracting is a big shift for the edtech world

Coursemojo co-CEO Dacia Toll makes the case in District Administration that outcomes based contracting is the answer to edtech's accountability problem, citing the Center's Standards and featuring insights from the Center's Jasmine Walker on cross-functional district collaboration.

June 4, 2026 | Articles

Follow the North Star: using data-informed implementation to drive better outcomes

There’s a difference between data that’s easy to dismiss and data that demands a response. Cara Jackson and Elise Lenthe attended the 2026 Strategic Data Project Convening and came back with that insight, alongside a clear case from Duval County Public Schools for why implementation doesn’t survive on goodwill…

May 26, 2026 | Articles

When the Contract Tells You What to Track

Outcomes based contracting promises that districts pay for results, not just services. But that promise only holds if districts and providers can see what's happening while there's still time to act. Brittany Miller, Executive Director of the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting, and Justin Serrano, CEO of Littera Education, examine what it takes to build data infrastructure that makes contract terms visible in real time—and what becomes possible when accountability is legible at the speed of implementation, not the speed of publication.

April 10, 2026 | News

Beyond the Buzz: What Outcomes Based Contracting Actually Changes in Edtech

In this Government Technology article, Julia Gilban-Cohen examines what outcomes based contracting for edtech actually changes in practice, drawing on findings from the Digital Promise report. Rather than framing OBC as a money-back guarantee, the piece explores how the model creates mutual accountability between districts and vendors, encourages…

April 7, 2026 | News

Schools Are Paying for Ed Tech That Students Never Use – Could A New Contract Model Change That?

In this article from The 74, senior writer Greg Toppo examines how outcomes based contracting is reshaping the way districts evaluate and purchase edtech. Drawing on findings from the recently released Digital Promise report, Toppo explores how the model drives higher implementation rates, greater instructional coherence, and…

March 19, 2026 | News

4 Key Ways To Improve Outcomes-Based Contracts For Intervention Products

In this EdWeek Market Brief article, Emma Kate Fittes examines findings from a new Digital Promise report on outcomes based contracting for edtech interventions. Drawing on site visits and interviews with OBC coaches, district leaders, and providers, the report identifies four key steps for providers navigating OBCs: allow more…

March 16, 2026 | News

How Districts Are Experimenting With Outcomes Based Contracts in Edtech

This K12 Dive article examines how outcomes based contracting is reshaping the way districts evaluate edtech investments, featuring findings from a new report by Digital Promise. Highlights include how Fresno USD’s outcomes based contract led to regular data-driven check-ins with the provider, stronger implementation, and the district paying only…

March 11, 2026 | Articles

What K12 Providers Get Wrong About Outcomes Based Contracting (And Four ‘Aha’ Moments That Change That)

"Too risky." "Payment depends on perfection." "Is the upside worth the coordination?" These are the concerns providers bring to the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting when they first encounter the model—and they're understandable. Jillian Evans unpacks four misconceptions that get in the way, and shows how strong outcomes based contracts are built to be fair, transparent, and designed so providers can earn more for delivering real results.

February 26, 2026 | Articles

3 Takeaways on Tutoring From the Accelerate Convening

Tutoring works best when implementation works. This blog shares three key takeaways from the recent Accelerate convening, connecting research on dosage, instructional alignment, and participation to the Standards of Excellence for Outcomes Based Contracting™: High-Dosage Tutoring. The takeaway is practical: districts can turn evidence into clear expectations, stronger partnerships, and more reliable student results.