News & Events
Announcing Launch of Straight Talk on Evidence Website
In an effort to improve access to credible social program evaluation research, the Laura and John Arnold Foundation is launching a new website called “Straight Talk on Evidence.” The new website aims to clarify often exaggerated evaluation study results for policy and program officials, researchers, journalists, and philanthropic funders to aid in decision making and… Read More
Laws Promoting Evidence-Based Practice: Experiences from Three States
A brief from the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative highlights legal strategies employed by three states — Washington, Oregon, and Tennessee — to increase the use of evidence-based programs and practices. Though the laws and the policy domains they affect are diverse, the insights gained from these experiences converge to provide valuable considerations for future evidence-based… Read More
Seventeen Blueprints Programs Listed as Effective in the Surgeon General’s Report
Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health recently named seventeen Blueprints Programs as effective in preventing youth substance abuse. The Blueprints certified programs included four Model Programs and thirteen Promising Programs.
Five States Lead the Way in Evidence-Based Policymaking
A report from the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative found that although most states are doing some sort of evidence-based policymaking, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, Utah and Washington are leading the way. The report measured state engagement with evidence-based policymaking across 4 policy domains: behavioral health, child welfare, criminal justice, and juvenile justice.
Recent Survey Indicates Strong Support for Juvenile Rehabilitation over Incarceration
A national poll of 1,001 diverse American adults found strong agreement in favor of treatment and rehabilitation for juvenile offenders, and little support for incarceration.
School Improvement Grants Fail
Despite billions spent on School Improvement Grants (SIG) designed to help schools with the lowest academic achievement in their states to improve their outcomes, an evaluation by Mathematica Policy Associates found that the SIG grants made essentially no difference in the achievement of the students in schools that received them. Bob Slavin, Director of the… Read More
Center for Study and Prevention of Violence Featured in PBS Documentary
Research on social supports and violence prevention is featured in a new Rocky Mountain PBS documentary, A Sentenced Life. Black and Latino Coloradans are disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system, according to the documentary. Beverly Kingston, director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) at CU Boulder, contributed her research… Read More
Gilbert J. Botvin Letter on Preventing Opioid Abuse
The New York Times has published a letter to the editor by Dr. Gilbert J. Botvin, Life Skills Training Program Developer. Steps We Can Take to Prevent Opioid Abuse.
Blueprints Conference Offers Lessons in Evidence-Based Programming
The Juvenile Justice Information Exchange has published an article: Blueprints Conference Offers Lessons in Evidence-Based Programming