September 11, 2026
Writing in The 74, Kelly Sia, CEO of Curriculum Associates, makes the case that outcomes based contracting works best when districts and providers treat it as a shared-responsibility partnership rather than a pay-for-performance mechanism alone. Drawing on an outcomes based contract with Fresno Unified School District and a new independent WestEd evaluation, Sia outlines five lessons for the field, from setting ambitious but realistic targets to treating professional learning as essential. The piece credits the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting (OBC) with establishing the national framework that brings districts and providers together, a partnership model the Center anchors in the Standards of Excellence for Outcomes Based Contracting™ and its mutual accountability domain.
