Research Briefs

This report highlights a partnership with Johns Hopkins University to work with five of Colorado’s school districts to help them understand both the behavioral patterns of recent dropouts in the years prior to leaving school, and who is currently at risk of dropping out of school.

This Policy Brief estimates the impact that eliminating the Colorado Preschool Program would have on the student achievement gap.

This report gives an objective look at the history and progress of Denver Public Schools (DPS) and examines three high-profile reforms underway.

This report projects the amount Colorado would need to spend to maintain state services at 2007 levels through fiscal year 2012-13 and the amount of revenues that will be generated to pay for them.

The current economic downturn will exacerbate what already are troubling trends in Colorado -- namely, that too many children in the state live in poverty and these numbers are growing rapidly.

While Colorado’s child care capacity is decreasing, the population of eligible children is increasing, creating a crisis that has implications for us all.

This report outlines why wellness is related to student success, and how Colorado can promote policies and practices that promote physical activity and nutrition for students.

"Moving the Needle on Poverty" is designed to provide Colorado leaders with an up-to-date picture of the diverse strategies that states across the nation are pursuing to lift individuals, families, and communities out of poverty.

This white paper examines the importance of alternative compensation reform, the state's role in compensation reform, issues to consider, and examples of alternative compensation systems in Colorado.

This publication explores the benefits of full-day kindergarten, need for program quality standards that ensure full-day kindergarten programs are effectively using additional time, and considerations for school boards and administrators.

"Childhood Obesity in Colorado: A Growing Problem" examines the impact of the childhood obesity epidemic in Colorado and offers recommendations for solutions. 

This paper provides a general explanation of Colorado's mill levy stabilization proposal but does not answer all related questions about school finance.

Like other economic impact studies, we find that early care and early childhood intervention plays a significant role in Colorado’s economy by generating additional state revenues and employment.

Colorado’s School Readiness Indicators Project focuses on young children birth through eight years old. The intent of the project is to create a set of indicators to measure the readiness of the children, their families, the communities in which they live, and the schools they will attend.