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Colorado Data Connections (COdata)

Purpose

Colorado Data Connections, or COdata for short, was created in HB24-1364 and is designed to bring together data from residents' educational and professional experiences. These data will help us better understand how to prepare students to succeed and meet Colorado's workforce needs.  

Vision

Coloradans have access to high-quality, trusted, and integrated information to confidently make data-informed decisions so our individuals and communities thrive.

Mission

Colorado Data Connections securely connects data across state agencies and time, and serves as the source of understandable information that supports decision makers in their efforts to improve education and workforce outcomes and address opportunity gaps.

Values

By being responsive to the needs of individuals and communities, the Colorado Data Connections program will build trust and develop shared solutions in a way that goes beyond the technical infrastructure. As a multi-agency partnership, we will work together to ensure that our actions are greater than the sum of our parts.

  • Trust: Transparency and integrity enable us to build trust with the public and with each other.
  • Privacy: We ensure that we are protecting the privacy of individuals whose information is in the data system, while ensuring appropriate ownership and access to information.
  • Community Engagement: We ensure the community is represented in the decision-making process so that the data system provides value to Coloradans.
  • Equity: Our work is focused on advancing equity. We continuously ask, “how can we design and focus our work to advance opportunities in small and big ways?”
  • Impact: We prioritize actionability and delivering ongoing value. Wherever possible, we build on existing systems and ensure that we have fully functional models before expanding to address new concepts.
  • Growth mindset: We are committed to doing the right thing and will keep moving forward toward our shared vision and mission, even when it is difficult, by changing practices to balance shared and independent agency priorities.

Calendar

Next Governing Board Meetings

Friday, July 17 |  2 to 3:30 p.m.

Zoom Link 

Next Sustainability Advisory Group Meetings

Thursday, July 2 | 11 a.m. to Noon

Zoom Link 

Next Build and Implementation Advisory Group Meetings

Tuesday, June 23  | 3 to 4 p.m.

Zoom Link | Agenda

Interim Report

As required by law, this interim report was submitted to the legislature in January of 2025.

Legal Framework

Communications Toolkit

The Communications Toolkit is a resource developed to help you share information and messaging with stakeholders about the state's efforts on COdata. It is intended as a starting point that can be modified to fit the specific needs of an audience.

Governing Board & Advisory Group Membership

HB24-1364 specified the creation and membership of the Governance Board as well as two advisory groups.

COdata Governing Board

Data Domain

Agency

 Member

Agency Title

Voting 

CDEC

Carsten Bauman

Director, Division of Data, Strategy and Impact

CDE

Susana Cordova

Commissioner of Education

CDHE

Michael Vente

Chief Performance Officer and Senior Director of Research and Data Governance

CDLE

Lee Wheeler-Berliner

Managing Director, Colorado Workforce Development Council

OITKatherine HochevarSenior Manager, Data Programs

Non-Voting

CTE

Victoria Crownover

Assistant State Director for Career Technical Education Accountability

GOV

Jess Kostelnik

Workforce Policy Advisor

AG

Katie Nelson

First Assistant Attorney General

OSPB

Soumanetra GhoshEconomist and Budget Analyst

Members of the Public

 

Brian Eschbacher

 

Whitney LeBoeuf

 

Katie Zaback

 

 

Build & Implementation Advisory Group

Agency

 Member

Agency Title

CDEC

Robert Barclay

Early Childhood Integrated Data System (ECIDS) Program Manager

CDE

Marvin ElizondoDirector of Platforms & Production

AG

Jud Cary

Sr. Assistant Attorney General

CDLE

Naim Razzak

FAMLI Director of Innovation and Technology

GOV

Lydia Rogers

Data Analyst

OSPB

Skyler SchuckPrincipal Economist & Budget Analyst

CDHE

Michael Vente

Chief Performance Officer and Senior Director of Research and Data Governance

OIT

Kourosh Alizadeh

Enterprise Data Architect

 

Sustainability Advisory Group

Agency

 Member

Agency Title

OSPB

Soumanetra Ghosh

Economist and Budget Analyst

OIT

Katherine Hochevar

Senior Manager of Data Strategy and Programs

GOV

Jess Kostelnik

Workforce Policy Advisor

CDLE

Amanda Neal

Director of Strategic Business Technology

CDE

Marina KokotovicSupervisor, Workforce Programs

CDEC

Stephanie Stout-Oswald

Data and Information Strategy Manager

CDHE

Michael Vente

Chief Performance Officer and Senior Director of Research and Data Governance

For help with file access or questions, please contact oit_codata@state.co.us