Project Summary
The Colorado School Counselor Corps Grant Program (SCCGP) is a four-year initiative designed to help local education providers offer effective school counseling. This program aims to boost high school graduation rates, increase enrollment in higher education institutions, and enhance postsecondary and workforce readiness.
The last formal assessment of its effectiveness was conducted in 2016, revealing positive impacts for participating schools compared to their counterparts that did not receive the grant. As the program expanded in geographic reach and to include elementary school grantees, the renewed need for a follow-up evaluation of its effectiveness became apparent.
The Lab has been monitoring the fidelity of the program’s implementation and tracking improvements in key outcomes related to postsecondary and workforce readiness. Annually, the Lab issues a Learning and Action Brief and a Legislative Report that analyzes data from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and the Colorado Department of Higher Education, in compliance with legal requirements. The SCCGP’s evaluation process will conclude with a detailed analysis of its effectiveness, employing a Quasi-Experimental Design (QED) with a matching methodology, expected to be finalized in spring 2025.
Steps to Building Evidence
A past evaluation indicated that the Colorado School Counselor Corps Grant Program (SCCGP) effectively enhances metrics related to postsecondary education and workforce readiness. The ongoing evaluation of the SCCGP encompasses several critical stages of evidence building: Step 2 on the Steps to Building Evidence (monitoring fidelity and implementation), Step 3 (pre-post outcomes analysis), and Step 4 (QED).
The Colorado Lab is tasked with summarizing and analyzing key metrics to aid CDE in refining the program’s implementation. Additionally, it plans to carry out a thorough QED analysis to account for the program’s expansion to include elementary schools, in addition to middle and high schools that were previously part of the grant program.
Actionability
Colorado law Title 22, Article 91, which established SCCGP, includes language on ensuring accountability and program efficacy. In alignment with this mandate, the Lab is generating Learning and Action Briefs and Legislative Reports. These documents serve two main purposes:
- To offer insights for enhancing program implementation, and
- To track progress against goals.
The culmination of these efforts is a QED study, which will be presented in the final Legislative Report. This report aims to augment the existing body of evidence regarding the program’s impact, showcasing the SCCGP’s value and supporting future decisions to sustain and potentially expand the initiative.
Get Involved
For more information about working with the Colorado Lab, see Government and Community Partnerships or Research Partnerships.