NORC in Colorado

Insights to help all Coloradans thrive.

Colorado represents a significant region of focus for NORC at the University of Chicago, with our work spanning health care, education, behavioral health, and data infrastructure. Through rigorous research, evaluation, NORC delivers actionable data, analysis, tools, and training that Colorado decision-makers trust to improve services, generate more effective programs and policies, and strengthen community support systems.

Get in Touch

We’d love to hear from you. Email us at:

colorado@norc.org

Tangible Benefits for Colorado

NORC’s partnerships with state agencies, academic institutions, and community organizations have improved lives and livelihoods across the state. Our impact includes:

Health Care Access: Our work on Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS) provides essential data for policymakers tracking insurance coverage trends and health care access disparities.
Data Infrastructure: The Colorado All-Payer Claims Database (CO APCD) serves as a critical resource for health care policy development and research across Colorado.
Substance Use Prevention: Our screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) training initiatives have expanded Colorado's capacity to address adolescent substance use and suicide prevention.

Early Childhood Education: Our workforce studies have informed policies to improve teacher retention and program quality, while preschool evaluations have demonstrated positive impacts on kindergarten readiness.
Academic Collaboration: Our frequent collaboration with the University of Colorado Denver facilitates knowledge transfer, strengthens Colorado’s research infrastructure and policymaking capacity, and informs locally relevant solutions.

Our Work in Colorado

Our growing portfolio of Colorado-based projects informs policymaking, program development, and community engagement in areas ranging from early education to workforce development.

Colorado Belonging Barometer

A bilingual survey of Colorado adults to inform planning and policymaking

Client:

Colorado Health Institute (CHI)

Informing Colorado ECE Policy

Analyzing administrative data to identify early care and education trends, challenges, and opportunities

Client:

Colorado Office of Early Childhood, Department of Human Services

Financing Early Care and Education Study

Exploring Head Start financing strategies and the landscape of state-level early care and education (ECE) financing policy

Client:

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) at the Administration for Children & Families (ACF)

More Colorado Projects

Our Capabilities & Approach

NORC supports the entire project lifecycle in Colorado, from initial needs assessments to sustained implementation and evaluation. Our approach includes:

Strategy and Conceptualization: We begin with theory- and evidence-based needs assessments and strategic planning processes to identify solutions that work within time and budget constraints.
Community Engagement: NORC designs solutions with communities, not for them, focusing first on community voice to ensure solutions are relevant, respectful, effective, and sustainable.

Design, Data Collection, and Analysis: We design rigorous methods and use innovative technologies to collect, manage, and analyze quantitative and qualitative data, building efficient workflows that span the data lifecycle.
Program Implementation and Evaluation: We conduct implementation science and outcome evaluations to identify opportunities for continuous quality improvement and measure effectiveness.