The Colorado Lab was honored to host Governor Polis and philanthropists at a convening on January 6th to discuss progress on Colorado’s RISE project. RISE—the Response, Innovation, and Student Equity fund—has awarded over $40 million to address the learning challenges in pre-K-12 through higher education related to the economic, social, and health impacts of COVID-19. […]
In Colorado, an estimated three out of four jobs require education or training beyond high school (Colorado Department of Education). Yet students in rural communities face an array of obstacles and disincentives to obtaining additional training, including: The result? Only 19% of students who attended high school in a rural community in the United States […]
In this periodic newsletter, we’re sharing information and updates about the newly launched Colorado Prosecutorial Dashboards Project. The goal of the project is to develop data dashboards to assist District Attorneys’ offices with tracking progress toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, and fairness. Increasingly, prosecutors are expected to take proactive, engaged responses to community problems, reduce disparities in justice […]
In April 2021, the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab released a report, Racial Disparities in Prosecutorial Outcomes, examining felony cases accepted for prosecution by the Denver District Attorney’s (DA) Office between July 2017 and June 2018. The study found that race and ethnicity were not associated with general plea offers extended. The study did find […]
Prosecutors are expected to take proactive, engaged responses to community problems, reduce disparities in justice outcomes, build greater trust through community engagement, and increase prosecutorial transparency and accountability. This requires robust data-driven prosecutorial work. The Colorado Lab, in partnership with the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators Project, is working with District Attorneys’ (DA) Offices from across the […]
Each year, Illuminate Colorado honors the contributions of an exceptional individual or organization who has made significant contributions to the field of child maltreatment prevention. This year’s award was presented to the Lab’s own Dr. Courtney Everson. Illuminate Colorado strengthens families, organizations, and communities statewide to prevent child maltreatment. They unite and lead the work […]
The Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families (Partnership) is made up of state and county human service, public health, health care, and early childhood systems that have the shared goal of significantly reducing child maltreatment and promoting family well-being in Colorado. Their work is critical with Colorado seeing a 12% increase in the number of children […]
A new study shows that medical costs decrease significantly when children in low-income families have improved access to food. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation and Health Care Cost & Utilization for Health First Colorado Members, was issued by the Eugene S. Farley, Jr. Health Policy Center at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, […]
A survey of school superintendents across Colorado at the end of 2020 showed a high level of concern about the loss of student reading and math skills due to the pandemic, as well as negative impacts on the mental health of both students and teachers. National data confirm these worries; a McKinsey study shows the […]
The Family First Prevention Services Act incentivizes state systems and local agencies to move intentionally toward child welfare approaches that prioritize keeping kids safe and families together. This legislation authorizes federal reimbursement to states for the delivery of evidence-based services aimed at preventing the need for foster care. Eligibility for these federal funds requires ensuring […]
