Department of Education details outcomes-based contracting for tutoring; providers invited to indicate interest by Oct. 10

Glenn Colvin, chief of staff for the Division of Literacy at the Department of Education, told webinar attendees that "Outcomes based contracting or OBC is a procurement strategy that shifts the focus from inputs like the number of hours delivered to actual outputs, such as student growth." He said the model splits payment into a base amount for stability and an outcome-based portion that rewards student achievement.

Colvin said typical payment splits are illustrative and negotiated locally: "Base payments are typically less than 60% of the total contract value, and the outcome based payment typically is around 40% of the contract value," and he noted outcome payments are capped to keep contracts within budget.

The department identified mutual responsibilities under OBC: schools must schedule tutoring and ensure student participation while vendors must deliver instruction and support…