The Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab (Colorado Lab) serves as the coordinating hub for Family First rigorous evaluation efforts on behalf of the Colorado Department of Human Services. In this role, we provide guidance and ensure strategic investments in evidence-building for promising programs, with the goal of informing selection and scaling of services that help […]
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New Reports: Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Prosecutorial Process
A series of new reports, developed through the Colorado Prosecutorial Dashboards project, provide Colorado District Attorneys’ Offices with a more in-depth understanding of racial and ethnic differences in their prosecution processes. The new reports, which build on data publicly available through data dashboards, offer a deeper dive into key points of prosecutorial discretion to understand […]
New Project: Cash for Coloradans
“Cash for Coloradans” is a program to provide direct cash support to people participating in nonprofit career-readiness programs. Funded by the Urban Institute’s WorkRise initiative, the cash support will flow through designated nonprofit organizations that serve low income individuals and underrepresented groups, including people of color and people returning to the community following incarceration. “Modest […]
External Research Partner Spotlight: Roger Low
Roger Low launched the nonprofit Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative in 2021 to create a more equitable economic ecosystem. As Founder and CEO, Low brings more than a decade of experience working on workforce development, economic mobility, and poverty alleviation. His public sector services include advising U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and launching the first three […]
Fostering Opportunities Now a Proven Practice
Share on twitter Twitter Share on linkedin LinkedIn Governor Polis signs the Foster Youth Success Act. Left to right: Elysia Clemens, Deputy Director/COO, Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab; Minna Castillo Cohen, Director, Office of Children, Youth and Families, Colorado Department of Human Services; Representative Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Chair, House Public Health Care and Human Services […]
More District Attorney’s office join Prosecutorial Dashboards project
A series of new reports provide Colorado District Attorneys’ Offices with a more in-depth understanding of racial and ethnic differences in their prosecution processes. Since the initial data dashboards launched in September 2022, five additional Judicial Districts have joined: the 3rd, 10th, 12th, 17th, and 21st. News Release: New reports, more District Attorneys’ Offices grow Colorado’s first-in-the-nation effort […]
Estimating Homelessness Among Young People
The lack of reliable data on the prevalence of young people experiencing homelessness makes it difficult to provide responsive services or develop prevention strategies. To bridge this critical knowledge gap, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funded the Center for Policy Research and the Colorado Lab to generate a more complete estimate […]
External Research Partner Spotlight: Lanae Davis
Lanae Davis has spent her career as a researcher at the Center for Policy Research, joining the team in 1997. Her research focuses broadly on addressing barriers to economic stability, including intensive studies of youth and young adult homelessness. Lanae’s familiarity of LINC and her understanding of the critical role data plays in identifying solutions […]
Essential Elements: Making Connections and Risk for Reward
The Colorado Lab was established with a fundamental commitment to using data to develop sustained solutions that benefit Coloradans. Our ability to fulfill this rests on a collective commitment of Colorado decision-makers to generate and use research to inform policy and practice change. That commitment is made visible in progress like the 2013 SMART Act […]
Perinatal Substance Use and Improving Family Health
Update on the Colorado SB21-137 Data Linkage ProjectThe Colorado Lab is working with the Center for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention to better understand and address the growing issue of perinatal substance use. The vision for this project is to routinely track incident rates of perinatal substance use in Colorado and inform state investments, programs, and […]