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The Center for
Outcomes Based Contracting

The Center for OBC is the leading authority in advancing outcomes based contracting.

Learn about The Center for OBC

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. 

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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. 

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New Research: OBC Delivers on the Promise of EdTech Procurement

Digital Promise studied the Center for OBC’s first edtech cohort and found dosage rates averaging 69%, almost 14 times the 5% industry baseline, along with deeper district-provider partnerships and meaningful shifts toward data-driven accountability. These results are powered by the Standards of Excellence for Outcomes Based Contracting™.

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Building Momentum in Santa Ana Unified School District

When Santa Ana Unified School District partnered with the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting, OBCs became a mechanism for directing resources toward students with the greatest needs while maintaining strong fiscal stewardship. What began as a small pilot evolved into a disciplined learning phase that informed thoughtful expansion, strengthened family engagement, and delivered measurable gains in reading growth, fluency, and proficiency at scale.

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OBC Resources

The Center for OBC is committed to developing and providing resources to help districts, states, and providers execute successful outcomes based contracts.

  • Research and Insights
    Digital Promise Research: OBC’s Impact on EdTech Procurement

    What if edtech payments were tied to student outcomes — not just licenses?This report examines the first cohort to use outcomes based contracting (OBC)for edtech, driving implementation rates 10x higher than the national average.By replacing buyer-seller dynamics with data-driven partnerships, OBCempowers district leaders to invest in what actually works for… Read More

  • OBC District Toolkit Provider Resources Standards of Excellence
    High-Dosage Tutoring RFP Template

    A customizable template for LEAs and SEAs to use in crafting a Request for Proposal (RFP) or other bid documents in service of an outcomes based contract (OBC) for high-dosage tutoring.

  • OBC District Toolkit
    EdTech RFP Template

    This template is a tool for districts to use in crafting a Request for Proposal (RFP) or other bid documents in service of an outcomes based contract (OBC) for education technology products/platforms and services.

News & Press

Stay updated with our latest news and media releases! Click the links below to explore our recent announcements and developments.

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

    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 alone,…

  • When the Contract Tells You What to Track

    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.

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

    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…

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