Projects

• The Mind of Colorado
  
  The Mind of Colorado is an annual survey of the Wells Fargo Public Opinion Research Program an affiliate of the Centers. It is a statewide survey of the values, attitudes, and opinions of Colorado registered voters. The Mind of Colorado strives to examine the components of public trust in the basic societal institutions of our state. It provides the baseline data for the compilation and interpretation of survey research on significant issues of public policy in Colorado.
  
  Click here for a copy of the 9th annual Mind of Colorado.pdf  report.
  
  If you need more information about the 2003 Mind of Colorado, contact Dr. Peggy Cuciti, Program Director or Tom McCoy, Program Assistant.
  
  
• School Performance and Education Policy
  
  The Sixth Annual Public Opinion Survey on Colorado Public education issues was conducted between November 7 and 18, 2002 using a random sample of registered voters. This research is designed to capture public views and perceptions regarding key educational issues in Colorado and is intended to assist those who care about education as they approach the upcoming legislative session and as individual districts consider policy and communications issues. This survey is done in cooperation with The Colorado Association of Schools Boards and sponsored by George K. Baum Investment Bankers.
  
  Click here for a copy of the 6th annual Public Opinion Survey on Colorado Public Education.pdf report.
  
  For more information on these projects, contact Dr. Peggy Cuciti, Program Director or Tom McCoy, Program Assistant.
  
  
• The Game Plan-Creating a Strategy for Our Future
  
  The Centers began working with the Denver Department of Parks and Recreation in the fall of 2001 to create a long term plan for the City's recreation amenities and services. Through open houses, surveys, focus groups, community forums and individual briefings over 5,000 comments have impacted the recommendations in the first draft of the plan. A major goal of the Centers has been not only to create a meaningful public public process for the planning effort, but also an ongoing model of how residents should be engaged in future decision making. Get a copy of the plan at http://www.denvergov.org/.

Other Project Links

• Alliance for Quality Teaching
  
  During the Summer of 2000, The Alliance for Quality Teaching broke into subcommittees to study the specific areas outlined in the report Teaching in Colorado: An Inventory of Policies and Practices in February 2000, published by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The subcommittees' work yielded both innovative ideas and action item that are included in this outline. The Alliance seeks to avoid additional unfunded mandates. Therefore the draft recommendations are organized into four specific areas that would lead to accomplishing the goal of ensuring quality teachers in Colorado classrooms. These four areas are: 1) How to attract good teachers 2) How to ensure good teaching 3) How to retain good teachers and 4) How to hold the system that supports teachers accountable.
  
  
• Water Quality Forum
  
  The Colorado Water Quality Forum was created in 1992 to provide an opportunity for an ongoing informal dialogue among diverse parties representing a broad spectrum of stakeholder interests in water quality management. Participants include water suppliers, industrial and municipal discharges, environmental groups, and federal, state, and local governmental agencies.
  
  Monthly Forum meetings are facilitated by The Centers, funded through participant contributions.