Recrafting Youth Risk Assessment: Developing the Modified Positive Achievement Change Tool for Iowa |
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| Authors: | Zachary Hamilton Melissa A. Kowalski Roger Schaefer Alex Kigerl |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Washington State University , Spokane, WA, USA zachary.hamilton@wsu.edu;3. The College at Brockport, SUNY , Brockport, NY, USA;4. Central Washington University , Ellensburg, WA, USA;5. Washington State University , Spokane, WA, USA |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACT Risk assessments have become prevalent in the juvenile justice field. Many of these tools are adopted off-the-shelf and not adapted to fit the characteristics of a jurisdiction’s justice-involved youth. We examined the Positive Achievement Change Tool (PACT) in Iowa. Although used widely, the PACT is relatively unmodified. We updated the tool via item selection and weighting, gender-specific models and multiple outcomes, developing the Modified Positive Achievement Change Tool (M-PACT) for Iowa. We identified an average predictive accuracy increase of 7%. Evidence of reduced racial disparity was also observed, and research implications outline the need to customize assessments to improve predictive accuracy. |
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