The Assessment Center Outcome and Reporting Network (ACORN) initiative was established to create a more consistent performance and outcome measures for Assessment Centers (AC) nationwide.  The National Assessment Center Association (NAC) in collaboration with the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) and Dr. Jeff Kretschmar, worked to support a cohort of six ACs (listed below) to assess data capacities and capabilities to identify opportunities to align AC performance and outcomes to the AC Framework.   The development of more consistent performance and outcome measures allows us to assess AC impact on prevention, diversion, and early intervention and is a necessary step prior to broad scale assessment of the AC Framework.

This project first conducted a wide-scale assessment of Assessment Center’s (AC) information systems and data capacity.  It then identified six ACs with varying capacities to participate in trainings and technical assistance, identify gaps in data collection, and create an “action plan” that identifies enhancement and improvement goals.  The TTA Team worked with the cohort to complete mock ACORN reports.  Following the completion of each section, the cohort convened to discuss challenges, successes, and actionable ways to improve data collection.  With the cohort ending September 2024, plans are being made to continue the use of ACORN and scale it’s use to other ACs across the country. 

 ACORN Cohort:

1. 1. The Harbor Juvenile Assessment Center (Clark County, Nevada)
2. 2. Multi-Agency Resource Center (Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana)
3. 3. Family Resource Center (Ashtabula County, Ohio)
4. 4. The Bridge (Ada County, Idaho)
5. 5. Juvenile Assessment Center (4^th Judicial District, Colorado)
6. 6. Assessment Center (Delaware County, Ohio)

“The most helpful for me was being able to look at what type of information was important for us to capture. It also was a great opportunity to be able to organize some things that we hadn’t organized before with data collection specifically. Being new to the Assessment Center, it gave me an opportunity to learn more about what other AC’s do which was very helpful.” – Sara Miller; Director, Delaware County Assessment Center, Ohio

“Sustaining support for the emerging peer network the SJI-funded demonstration assembled is a wise investment in juvenile justice system improvement, particularly as research supports the effectiveness of robust diversion and the national network of AC expands.” – Hunter Hurst, Director, National Center for Juvenile Justice