Forward Arkansas is bringing a new education model to the state as part of its continued efforts to empower and equip pre-K-12 schools to drive student success. Arkadelphia Public Schools, eStem Public Charter Schools in Little Rock, Hamburg School District, Little Rock School District and Texarkana Arkansas School District will participate in a state-based outcomes-based contracting cohort focused on high-impact tutoring programs.
“No matter the district investment, achieving a strong return for students begins with building smart partnerships,” said Ben Kutylo, Forward’s president and CEO. “Our goal with this first-of-its-kind initiative is to enable participating districts to ensure innovative tutoring programs lead to measurable academic growth.”
Cohort participants will receive targeted and personalized coaching to design and initiate an outcomes-based contract for high-impact, evidence-based tutoring services in the 2025-2026 school year. If implemented coherently, studies consistently show these school-based interventions can have positive effects on both math and reading achievement and significantly increase students’ learning.
The five participating district teams will have exclusive access to workshops, peer networking and implementation resources, including the OBC playbook and templates. Forward will award each district a $12,000 flexible grant to support their work. It will lead the efforts in partnership with the Center for Outcomes-Based Contracting at the Southern Education Foundation.
OBC fosters collaboration and alignment between districts and providers to promote mutual accountability. As part of OBC, a substantial portion of the payment — at least 40 percent — is contingent on the service provider meeting agreed-upon and measurable student outcomes, such as improved literacy scores. In addition, districts often build in provider incentives for quality and innovation in pursuit of achieving the metrics.
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