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Educational programs built on research-based strategies are expected in today’s schools. School leaders need to know that they are spending precious budget dollars on materials with proven results. However, it’s still challenging to know if the materials will help their specific students, and providers typically aren’t beholden to anything.

A new direction called Outcomes-Based Contracts (OBC), though, is changing the provider-school relationship. Experts from the edLeader Panel “Our Accountability Era: How Outcomes-Based Contracts Drive Student Achievement” explained how OBC and high-impact tutoring can build stronger partnerships and improve student learning.

Why Use OBC?

According to The Center for Outcomes Based Contracting, “OBC is a transformative model that ensures educational investments are tied to measurable student success…in which a substantial part of payment to a service provider is contingent on meeting agreed-upon student outcomes.” In other words, the provider and the school include specific student benchmarks in the purchase agreement, and both sides are beholden to working towards them.

Districts are adopting OBC for several reasons. First, budget dollars are getting tight, and a lot of funding that schools received during the pandemic is now exhausted. Second, superintendents are getting demands from boards of education, communities, state legislatures, etc. to show the ROI. Finally, schools are increasingly focused on targeted interventions for discrete segments of students, making them more attuned to individual needs.

OBC in Practice: 5 Domains of Excellence

OBC is based on five domains of excellence centered around student learning:

1. Clearly defined population and program
2. Clearly defined outcomes and metrics
3. Continuous improvement
4. Contingent outcomes payments
5. Mutual accountability

Many focus on the contingent outcomes payments when they look at OBC, and that is a key component. Mutual accountability, however, is essential. When developing the contract, the provider and the school/district create a blueprint for not just what components they will buy, but how they will be implemented, how the school will collect data, and the learning goals for the students.

In fact, before developing the goals, the school leaders need to deeply know their own student population. That means that the schools must not only have robust data-collection systems that help identify students for interventions, but the staff in charge of interventions must understand what each student needs to reach their learning goals. One of the panelists stated that the key is that the goals are ambitious yet obtainable and, of course, measurable. Regarding the providers, they have to agree on the student goals and that their program can help them reach those goals.

What this creates is a relationship built on constant, consistent communication. Even after the provider and the school agree on the terms, with input from classroom teachers and tutoring facilitators, they must all talk regularly to share progress. In addition to meetings centered around intentional checkpoints, there’s frequent discussion about many topics like implementation, dosage, student commitment, and overall progress.

One big concern among administrators is that OBC will add to the already high loads of teachers and tutoring staff. That shouldn’t be the case, though. The most difficult part is figuring out the goals—defining the specific goals for each student and determining what growth and progress look like. Once those are defined, though, the regular work of teaching and learning continues. What the OBC provides is guardrails for fidelity, and the progress meetings now include the provider so that everyone can offer input as needed.

Where to Begin?

For schools looking into OBC, the panelists suggested that everyone involved get educated on OBC first. And then, like any other new program, they do a pilot and start with one cohort of students. OBC success relies on four elements, and none of them include adopting OBC schoolwide for every program:

1. Intentional planning
2. Data fidelity
3. Mutual buy-in
4. Transparent communication

Also, schools might want to focus on one key aspect of OBC before trying to work on all five.

Finally, although the panelists focused on high-impact tutoring, they could see OBC working in other areas, like professional development and edtech interventions. The goal is to shift from a transactional model to a continuous improvement cycle, centered around student growth.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Our Accountability Era: How Outcomes-Based Contracts Drive Student Achievement, sponsored by BookNook.

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BookNook is a leading, ESSA Level 1 provider of high-impact virtual tutoring solutions designed to accelerate K-8 student achievement in reading and math. Our synchronous learning model combines engaging evidence-based instruction with consistent learner-leader relationships for exceptional student outcomes. We deliver 1:1 and small-group virtual tutoring that integrates seamlessly with classroom instruction, ensuring that every session is targeted and effective. Our approach is grounded in decades of research, focusing on proven strategies that drive measurable improvements in student achievement.

Article by Stacey Pusey, based on this edLeader Panel