Coleridge will deliver a fully subsidized Applied Data Analytics training program focused on Prison Education Programs (PEPs) to investigate the impact of educational opportunities on employment outcomes and upward socioeconomic mobility for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. This training is being developed in partnership with the State of Arkansas, linking corrections records, postsecondary education data, and Unemployment Insurance wage data into a unified cross-agency data infrastructure. The effort is generously supported by Ascendium Education Group.

Application Deadline: April 24, 2026   Strengthening Prison Education Program Insights and Post-Release Outcomes Coleridge invites state agency staff, researchers, and cross-agency partners working in corrections, postsecondary education, and workforce development to apply for this fully funded, project-based training. Participants will build practical analytical skills, collaborate across agencies, and develop insights to evaluate Prison Education Programs using a newly developed data infrastructure. What You'll Do Work with Linked Administrative Data Access and analyze a newly developed data infrastructure linking corrections records, postsecondary education data, and UI wage data. You'll load, inspect, and join datasets across systems while maintaining analytic integrity and navigating real-world data quality challenges. Investigate PEP Access, Equity, and Effectiveness Construct standardized measures of PEP participation, educational attainment, employment, wage growth, and employment stability. You'll use these measures to formulate and answer a policy-relevant research question focused on how Prison Education Programs affect post-release outcomes across demographic groups. Design a Reproducible Dashboard Design and develop a dashboard that integrates narrative text, code, tables, and visualizations to communicate your team's findings clearly and responsibly to policymakers and agency leadership. Collaborate on a Team-Based Research Project Work within a small, cross-agency team to divide tasks, share and review code, and synthesize results. You'll receive ongoing guidance from Coleridge staff and subject matter experts in corrections, education, and labor economics throughout the process. Share Your Findings Present your team's findings to an external audience and produce a written summary documenting your research question, data sources, methods, findings, and limitations — all drawn directly from your dashboard workflow. Application Information You're welcome to apply as an individual or as part of a team, but priority will be given to team submissions, especially those representing cross-agency collaborations. Applying as a Team States benefit most when they send a team of 4–6 participants from multiple agencies or partner organizations, representing a balanced mix of policy, research, and technical expertise. Two or more team members should have programming skills in R, Python, and/or SQL to support the hands-on data work. Teams submit a single application. As part of the application, the following information will need to be provided for each applicant: A recent resume or CV, including current organization and job role information Work email address for each team member Apply for the Prison Education Programs (PEPs) Applied Data Analytics Training. Those applying as individuals will be placed with a team as space allows. Individuals or state teams with questions about requirements are encouraged to email pep-training@coleridge.us noting their interest. Live, Online Session Schedule Live, online sessions will be hosted weekly on Tuesdays from May 19 through Sep 22 (excluding 5/26, 7/7, 7/14, 9/8). Each of the 14 instructor-led sessions will be complemented with self-paced exercises and structured team collaboration between sessions. A detailed schedule of classes is available on the application website.

The TDC 2.0 ADA training is offered at no cost and will provide participating agency teams an opportunity to build their data analytic capacity through expert-led instruction, self-guided learning, and the completion of a data analysis project using TANF and other administrative data. The training is intended to increase teams’ capacity to routinely use data to inform policy and practice in order to improve outcomes for individuals and families. The training is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and will be led by Coleridge and its TDC 2.0 partners— MDRC, National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, and Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP) at the University of Pennsylvania.

Nomination Deadline: May 15, 2026   The TANF Data Collaborative 2.0 (TDC 2.0) is seeking nominations from interested state and local TANF agencies to participate in the TDC 2.0 Applied Data Analytics (ADA) training. The TDC 2.0 ADA training is offered at no cost and will provide participating agency teams an opportunity to build their data analytic capacity through expert-led instruction, self-guided learning, and the completion of a data analysis project using TANF and other administrative data. The training is intended to increase teams’ capacity to routinely use data to inform policy and practice in order to improve outcomes for individuals and families. The training is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and will be led by Coleridge and its TDC 2.0 partners— MDRC, National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, and Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP) at the University of Pennsylvania.  Course Details Teams will participate in the 23-week virtual training from June 17, 2026 to November 18, 2026, using a "learning by doing" approach. The ADA training equips public sector staff with practical analytical and coding skills using modern data tools to better inform policy and practice. Teams will work with real administrative data provided by the state of Arkansas inside Coleridge’s secure Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF). Participants will not be required to use or bring the data from their agency into the ADRF. The training will be delivered through a combination of self-guided learning, expert-led instruction, and team-based data analysis projects: First 4 weeks: Four self-paced units introducing concepts, each with a one-hour weekly support session. Next 12 weeks: Weekly two-hour virtual sessions, with the first hour for lectures and the second for guided project work. Sessions will be held on Wednesdays during work hours. The course includes breaks and dedicated time for collaboration and making progress on team-based project. Each team will be required to present their data analysis project and submit a final report at the end of the course. The final report will document the team’s analyses and findings. The report will be shared with Arkansas to offer insights on their TANF program. Lessons and findings may also be relevant to the team’s own TANF program. The course is designed for all skill levels. Whether the team is new to data or comfortable coding, the course is structured to be challenging, yet accessible. Participants will learn how to: Scope realistic projects based on available data Translate transactional records into meaningful analytic units Reconstruct participant experiences as they move on and of the TANF program Define, test, and refine measures that reflect program dynamics By the end of the course, participants will have: A better understanding of how to work with state’s administrative data Reusable code to generate analytical reports and support ongoing analysis Course Timeline Nomination Information     Interested agencies may self-nominate or, with their consent, be nominated by their research partners (such as a university or organization). Examples of relevant information to provide in the nomination statement (250-word limit) include, but are not limited to, the following: Names and roles of proposed team members Brief description of team members’ skills in areas such as policy, data analytics, and coding Short statement on why the team is interested in participating Current agency goals that align with and would benefit from the ADA training Coleridge and project partners intend to select up to five teams of 4-6 individuals who represent a balanced mix of policy, research, and technical expertise. Team members may include individuals from partner agencies or other organizations (such as university-based researchers or multi-agency data partners), but the team lead(s) must be TANF agency staff. At least two team members should have programming or analytic skills (R and/or SQL) to support hands-on data work. Nominations submitted to tdc-training@coleridge.us by May 15, 2026 will be considered.   Selection Announcement: June 1, 2026 Course Kick-off: June 8, 2026 Additional Information and Links Coleridge’s Applied Data Analytics Training TANF Data Collaborative Approach TANF Data Collaborative 2.0  Questions?  For questions about the TDC 2.0 projects, please email Melissa Wavelet at melissa.wavelet@mdrc.org. For questions about the ADA training, please email tdc-training@coleridge.us

Registration is open for the 6th Annual National Conference in Arlington, VA, on March 25–26, 2026. March 24 and 27 will be pre- and post-Conference elective programming for attendees.

About the Annual National Conference Coleridge's Annual National Conference is the country’s leading gathering for people working to make government and administrative data more impactful for public good. Each year the conference brings together leaders from across state agencies nationwide, federal policymakers and researchers, the C-Suite from partner organizations, and changemakers from philanthropic funders, all of whom attend to share their expertise in driving forward the use of data for better government decision making. Over three days, attendees exchange lessons from real-world collaborations, explore tools and governance models that work, and chart new partnerships that move data from silos to solutions. Virtual Pass For the first time, we are offering virtual tickets to this year's Annual National Conference. Select sessions will be livestreamed as tagged on the agenda page. To purchase a Virtual Pass, click "Register" in the top right corner of the conference site. Virtual Pass holders will receive an email invitation from our app company, Whova, with instructions and links to watch sessions. About This Year’s Theme: Data Beyond Borders Across the country, today’s most urgent public challenges of economic mobility, education pathways, health access, and workforce readiness cut across every border. Yet the data needed to understand and solve these issues is in many cases fragmented by agency, sector, and state. “Data Beyond Borders” reflects a simple truth: the data infrastructure we build has to be able to connect the dots to bring greater decision-making power to those shaping policy and the communities that policy effects. Data Beyond Borders captures Coleridge’s mission to develop data infrastructure for the future through shared, secure, and privacy-preserving approaches. It underscores our commitment to helping states and federal partners collaborate across systems, accelerate responsible data use, and strengthen public trust. At the same time, the theme speaks to the power of innovation, the drive to push new ideas, tools, and technologies into the policy space so leaders can act on evidence with more speed, clarity, and confidence. The future of evidence-based policy depends on a connected, trusted, and durable data infrastructure. To build it, we must think and act beyond borders. Conference Sponsorship Please refer to our Sponsorship Prospectus to learn more about opportunities at the National Annual Conference.

This interactive webinar is designed for ADRF users and will explore ways AI tools are being used to enhance their work.

Join the ADRF User Community from 12:00-1:00 pm ET on November 13 for an interactive webinar exploring how data professionals use AI tools to enhance their daily work. The event will be led by Ekaterina Levitskaya, Senior Data Scientist. The event will open with a live poll asking participants how they currently use AI, followed by a discussion on effective and responsible collaboration with these tools. What to Expect: Short demos of common AI use cases in data analysis and coding Insights from experienced practitioners on best practices and cautions for working with AI responsibly in data settings Overview of AI implementation at Coleridge Open discussion on participants’ experiences, challenges, and AI policies in their organizations Whether you’re an experienced AI user or just curious about integrating it into your workflow, this webinar offers an open and collaborative space to share ideas and learn from peers. Should you have questions about the webinar, please contact community@coleridgeinitiative.org  Register here: https://coleridgeinitiative-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/9cbLZxDhTfW-SpB8O6GMzA

The Coleridge Initiative will deliver a fully subsidized Applied Data Analytics training program focused on education-to-workforce transitions to investigate if students are graduating from high school on time and successfully transitioning into further education, training, or employment. This training is being developed in partnership with the State of New Jersey, and with Mathematica, developers of the Education-to-Workforce Indicator Framework (E-W Framework). The effort is generously supported by the Gates Foundation.

Application Deadline: November 7, 2025 Empowering States to Strengthen SLDS Insights and Workforce Pathways The Coleridge Initiative invites state agency staff, academic researchers, and other SLDS and integrated data system partners to apply for a fully funded applied data analytics training program focused on improving education-to-workforce outcomes. This project-based experience helps build practical skills, provides opportunities for cross-agency collaboration, and results in insights that build capacity to explore education-to-workforce transitions using your own state’s data infrastructure. This training is being developed in partnership with the State of New Jersey, and with Mathematica, developers of the Education-to-Workforce Indicator Framework (E-W Framework). The effort is generously supported by the Gates Foundation. What You’ll Do Conduct Research in a Secure, Supported Environment Collaborate on a team-based research project by accessing restricted-use, linked, multi-agency administrative data inside the FedRAMP-certified Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF) platform. You’ll investigate variations in outcomes and generate actionable insights through policy-relevant analysis grounded in education and workforce data. Use a Proven Framework to Guide Your Analysis Apply the Education-to-Workforce Indicator Framework to identify key indicators and metrics that matter for policy and practice. Bring Methods and Findings Back to Your Agency or System Leverage the methods and questions you explore during this training to data from your own state. Many teams use the training to prototype analyses, refine cross-agency workflows, and identify metrics they can replicate or adapt at home.   What It’s Like You’ll collaborate in a small team to design and complete a research project that explores a question aligned with the course themes and your professional interests. Teams will have access to New Jersey’s micro-data through Coleridge’s ADRF platform, using it to answer meaningful questions about education-to-workforce transitions. The training includes weekly lectures from subject matter experts and guided project work, with a total time commitment of 3–5 hours per week. Each session is structured to support the skills you want to build and apply directly in your day-to-day work. Application Information You’re welcome to apply as an individual or as part of a team, but priority will be given to team submissions, especially those representing cross-agency collaborations. Accommodations for individual participants or state teams unable to meet the requirements are encouraged to email training@coleridgeinitiative.org, noting their interest. Applying as a Team States benefit most when they send a team of 4–6 participants from multiple agencies or partner organizations, such as university-based researchers or others who support your state’s multi-agency data efforts. Your group should include a mix of policy, research, and technical expertise. Two or more team members should have programming or analytic skills, ideally in R and/or SQL, to support the hands-on data work. Teams are also encouraged to designate a team lead embedded within their state. The team lead plays a light-touch coordination role—helping guide the team’s project work and serving as the main point of contact with Coleridge Initiative staff. Team leads must submit a resume/CV. Teams submit a single application. As part of the application, the following information will need to be provided for each applicant: A recent resume or CV, a LinkedIn profile link is also acceptable Supervisor name and contact information (required for setting up any needed NDAs related to data access) Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Priority will be given to complete team submissions with a designated team lead. All other applications will be considered in the order they are received.   Key Dates November 7, 2025: Applications Due December 2, 2025: Kick-Off December 9, 2025: Tech Orientation January 6 - April 7, 2026: Live, Online Class Sessions on Tuesdays, 2-4 pm ET  April 14, 2026: Final Presentations   

This interactive webinar is designed for ADRF users and will highlight current and new PASS Portal features. It will also demonstrate how to share feedback via the portal and gather ideas for fixes and new features in real time.

We invite you to attend a webinar demo for PASS Portal: User Engagement and Feedback on September 18, from 12:00-1:00 pm ET. The webinar will allow you to: 1) Explore current PASS Portal features and preview the new Export Module  2) Learn how to submit feedback on suggested fixes and new features  3) Share your feedback to guide improvements and enhancements in real time PASS Portal Demonstration The PASS Portal allows users to launch and manage projects in one place. In this session, we’ll demonstrate features that simplify access, safety, and collaboration including:  Existing features Navigation overview (projects, users, agreements, datasets, tasks, and usage views) Project setup & provisioning Dataset tracking User access and management New feature Export Module Your Feedback Matters We are continuously working to enhance the PASS Portal. As users, you understand what fixes and features can help improve it. During the second half of the webinar, we will show how to submit feedback directly through the PASS Portal and listen to your suggestions for fixes and new features in real time. Come prepared to: Tell us what’s missing or confusing.  Share examples such as a great data dictionary. This is your chance to help shape a world-class system! Have questions about the webinar, contact community@coleridgeinitiative.org  Register here: https://coleridgeinitiative-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_e0H0bj8gSxSjJcQYnalw9w

The Coleridge Initiative will deliver four fully subsidized Applied Data Analytics training programs for state government employees and their partners focused on education pathways between high school, college, and the workforce, and evaluating the intermediate and long-term outcomes associated with these pathways. The classes will be developed in partnership with the State of New Jersey, using the New Jersey Statewide Data System, and are supported by the Walton Family Foundation and the Gates Foundation.

Application Deadline Extended to June 6, 2025 Watch the recording of the Introductory Webinar to learn more about the classes. Overview The Coleridge Initiative will deliver four fully subsidized Applied Data Analytics training programs for state government employees and their partners focused on education pathways between high school, college, and the workforce, and evaluating the intermediate and long-term outcomes associated with these pathways. The classes will be developed in partnership with the State of New Jersey, using the New Jersey Statewide Data System, and are sponsored by the Walton Family Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Accepted class participants will learn and apply data analytic approaches such as record linkage, measurement creation, and data visualization to restricted-use linked K-12, postsecondary, and workforce data provided by the State of New Jersey and accessed inside the Coleridge Initiative’s award-winning Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF). Prospective participants are expected to apply as project teams (more in the following section), and should not plan on providing their own data as part of the training. The first two programs will begin on June 10, 2025, and the latter two will begin on July 9, 2025. The courses are designed with the understanding that it is difficult for state agency staff to make time for professional development, and participants are expected to devote no more than 2 to 4 hours a week to the endeavor. More information on the schedule is available below. Application Information State teams should consist of four to six participants, with at least two having strong programming skills (ideally in R and/or SQL). Teams should feature participants from multiple state agencies or partners, and priority will be given to teams that apply with a designated team lead embedded within the work capable of facilitating team discussions and overseeing and guiding the project development—we believe this setup will contribute to further advancement of the work following the completion of the training. The team lead does not count as one of the 4-6 members of the participating team. Accommodations for individual participants or state teams unable to meet the requirements are encouraged to email training@coleridgeinitiative.org noting their interest. Teams only need to submit one application. As part of the application, the following information will need to be provided for each applicant: A recent resume or CV. A statement describing how their participation supports their professional development. A statement from their supervisor describing how participation will support their organization in the near and long-term future and confirming that they will be able to dedicate sufficient time to the training. Team leads will need to provide a recent resume or CV and a personal statement describing why they are well-suited to support the work as a team lead. All personal and supervisor statements should be no longer than one page. Teams will also be asked to indicate a preference for the class they would like the team to attend, and can respond with “no preference.” The deadline to submit applications is June 6, 2025. Schedule Class sessions will occur at most once a week, with breaks for federal holidays. Classes 1-4 will contain the same content. Please choose the class series that works best with your schedule. Classes 1 and 2: June 10 - November 18 Classes 1 and 2 Kickoff: June 10, 1:00 PM (1 hour) Module 1, Foundations of Data and Technical Literacy: June 17, 24 and July 1, 8 (1 hour each) at 1:00 PM. Module 2: July 15, 22, 29, August 5, 12, 19, 26, September 9, 16, 23, 30, and October 7 (2 hours each). Classes occur from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM or 2:00 PM-4:00 PM, depending on class selection 1 or 2. Self-Paced Project Work with Team: October 8-November 4 Final presentations: November 18 Classes 3 and 4: July 9 - December 3 Classes 3 and 4 Kickoff: July 9, 1:00 PM (1 hour) Module 1, Foundations of Data and Technical Literacy: July 16, 23, 30, and August 6 (1 hour each) at 1:00 PM. Module 2: August 13, 20, 27, September 10, 17, 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and November 5 (2 hours each). Classes occur from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM or 2:00 PM-4:00 PM, depending on class selection 3 or 4. Self-Paced Project Work with Team: November 6-December 2 Final presentations: December 3

Collaboration is essential to impactful research. Join Coleridge Initiative leaders for an interactive meeting on June 4, from 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET, to learn about tools available in the ADRF to accelerate working together and increase efficiency. This session is designed for current ADRF users and will highlight built-in collaboration tools available within the ADRF, share practical tips for working efficiently with partners across agencies and institutions, and offer guidance on maximizing research coordination in a secure environment.

A platform for users to collaborate, shape ADRF improvements, and foster a community of practice by: Sharing Knowledge – Building community events and a resource hub to support common best practices.  Problem-Solving – Identifying and resolving data or technology challenges. Enhancing ADRF – Providing user-driven feedback to improve features and services. About The Coding Best Practices Series: Effective data analysis requires both a strong understanding of the programming language needed to complete the analysis and adherence to coding best practices that ensure efficiency, scalability, and maintainability. In these series, we will delve into the essential best practices for coding in modern data analysis, with a specific focus on the Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF). The series will offer insights on how to optimize coding practices to make data accessible and understandable for policymakers. From code modernization efforts to enhancing the user experience for ADRF users, we will explore various strategies to improve the utilization of the platform. Materials from the previous online community events (Coding in R, RStudio, version control in Git and Coding in SQL, DBeaver, and memory management) are available inside the ADRF. Examples of coding best practices reference materials include: Video on creating database diagram in DBeaver Writing robust code and organizing code checklist Video on creating R package with functions, testing, automated documentation Video on using code snippets in RStudio OpenAI API code in Python Coding best practices for modern data analysis (recording, slide deck) Coding in R/RStudio and version control in Git (recording, slide deck, resources) Coding in SQL, DBeaver, and memory management (recording, slide deck, resources) Please reach out to community@coleridge.us for more information about accessing these materials.

The Coleridge Initiative will deliver four fully subsidized Applied Data Analytics training programs for state government employees and their partners focused on education pathways between high school, college, and the workforce, and evaluating the intermediate and long-term outcomes associated with these pathways.

The Coleridge Initiative will deliver four fully subsidized Applied Data Analytics training programs for state government employees and their partners focused on education pathways between high school, college, and the workforce, and evaluating the intermediate and long-term outcomes associated with these pathways. The classes, each of which will feature the same content on different days and time slots, will be developed in partnership with the State of New Jersey, using the New Jersey Statewide Data System, and will feature the state’s restricted-use linked K-12, postsecondary, and workforce data. In this webinar, attendees will learn more about this opportunity and the application process.

The R Programming: Basic course will provide participants with fundamental knowledge of the R programming language for working with multiple types of data, reproducible research, data manipulation, and reporting.

Participants in the course will have the opportunity to explore synthetic microdata, based on commonly used administrative data, using the Rstudio development environment and tools from the tidyverse suite of R packages within the ADRF secure data environment. Topics include R data types and their manipulation using the tidyverse, project usage, data management, and using R for reporting and constructing publication-quality output and reports. Upon completion of this short course, participants will have exposure and experience with core elements of the R programming language, and experience using R for fundamental data analysis and reporting tasks, preparing them for more advanced coursework in applied data analytics. Tuition for this course is $1,000. This course is only available to applicants in the United States. This course has no prerequisites and is offered 2-3 times per year. The next course will begin January 24, 2025, with classes meeting on Fridays from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST and optional office hours on Mondays from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST.