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 districts to define who a tool is for before purchasing it, and builds the implementation infrastructure that makes edtech efficacy testable in the first place. The result: fewer tools, more intentional use, and classrooms where students can articulate exactly why they are using a product and what they are working to improve.

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