Science and Success, Second Edition: Sex Education and Other Programs that Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections

Full Study Report [HTML] [PDF]
Executive Summary [HTML] [PDF]

Program Components

• School-based teen pregnancy and school dropout prevention program, lasting nine months
• Supervised community volunteer service
• Classroom discussion of service experience
• Classroom discussion and activities related to key social and developmental tasks
• Educator training recommended

For Use With

• High school students
• Youth at high risk[*]
• Multi-ethnic populations – including white, black, and Hispanic youth
• Adolescent mothers
• Students with academic difficulties, such as previous suspension
• Urban, suburban, and rural youth

Evaluation Methodology

• Quasi-experimental design, including treatment and comparison conditions in 30 schools nationwide in 1986-1987
• Students in grades seven through 12 (n=1,487); average age 15.65
• Pretest and posttest at program end (nine months after pretest)

Evaluation Findings

• Long-term findings: Reduced rates of behavior-related problems (pregnancy, school suspension, class failure, and/or school dropout)

First Replication Evaluation Methodology (1991-1995) & Findings

• Experimental design, including treatment and control conditions at 25 sites nationwide
• High school students (n=695)
• Pretest and posttest at program exit (nine months after pretest)
• Long-term findings: Reduced rate of teen pregnancy

Second Replication Evaluation Methodology (1996-2000) & Findings

• Quasi-experimental design, including treatment and comparison conditions at 60 sites nationwide
• High school students (n=3,277)
• Pretest and posttest at program exit (nine months after pretest)
• Long-term findings: Reduced rate of teen pregnancy

Evaluators' comments: One of the more striking features of the Teen Outreach Program is that it does not explicitly focus upon the problem behaviors it seeks to prevent but rather seeks to enhance participants' competence in decision making, in interacting with peers and adults, and in recognizing and handling their own emotions. Particularly in the field of teen pregnancy prevention, this focus has important practical implications, because it means the program may be politically acceptable in communities where programs that explicitly focus upon sexual behavior may not be feasible to implement.
Source: Allen JP, Philliber S, Herrling S, et al. 1997

Evaluators' comments: The most striking finding was that Teen Outreach appeared most effective as a prevention program with youths who were most at-risk of the specific type of problem behaviors being assessed. The program had the greatest impact in reducing future pregnancies among the group at highest risk of such pregnancies (those who have already given birth to a child). For this group, the likelihood of an additional pregnancy was less than one-fifth as large in the Teen Outreach group as in the comparison group, even after accounting for other background factors that may have also affected pregnancy rates. For academic failure, Teen Outreach demonstrated greater efficacy for youths who had been previously suspended than for those who had not. The program was also found to be more effective for members of racial ethnic minority groups, who were also at greater risk for academic difficulty in this study.
Source: Allen JP, Philliber S, 2001

Program Description

The Teen Outreach Program is a program for high school-aged students, consisting of three interrelated components: supervised community service, classroom discussion of service experiences, and classroom discussion and activities related to key social and developmental tasks of adolescence. In class, participants work in small groups with a facilitator or mentor. The groups discuss:

• Values
• Human growth and development
• Relationships
• Dealing with family stress and
• Issues related to the social and emotional transitions from adolescence to adulthood.
  • Fewer problem behaviors—At entry, Teen Outreach participants reported significantly more problem behaviors (class failure, school suspension, school dropout, and involvement in a pregnancy) than did comparison students. At exit, Teen Outreach participants reported significantly fewer problem behaviors in the past nine months, than did comparison youth. Moreover, the program was significantly more effective with high school than with junior high school students.[25]
  • Reduced teen pregnancy rate—At program exit and after controlling for demographic factors and past problem behaviors, the risk of pregnancy was only 41 percent as large among Teen Outreach participants as was the risk among the control group.[26]
  • Reduced risk of school suspension—After controlling for demographic variables and prior problem behaviors, risk of school suspension in the Teen Outreach group was less than half (42 percent) that of the risk for school suspension for members of the control group.[24]
  • Reduced risk of course failure—After controlling for demographic variables and prior problem behaviors, the risk of course failure among Teen Outreach participants was 39 percent less than among the control group.[26]
  • Reduced rate of teen pregnancy and involvement in pregnancy—Students in Teen Outreach were at 53 percent the risk of pregnancy as those in the comparison group.[27]
  • Reduced repeat teen pregnancy outcomes—Teenage parents who participated in Teen Outreach Program were at one fifth the risk of repeat pregnancy (or of fathering another pregnancy) at the end of nine months relative to teen parents in the comparison group.[27]
  • Reduced risk of course failure—Participants in Teen Outreach were at 60 percent less the risk of course failure as comparison youth.[27]
  • Reduced risk of suspension from school—Participants in Teen Outreach were at 52 percent less the risk of suspension from school as the comparison youth.[27]
  • Reaching youth at highest risk—The program was most effective as a prevention program for youth most at risk of the specific types of problems the intervention sought to prevent (academic problems, school dropout, and teen pregnancy).[27]
  • Wyman Teen Outreach Program:
    Claire L. Wyneken
    Senior Vice President, Wyman Institute for Teen Development
    600 Kiwanis Drive, Eureka, MO 63025;
    Phone, 636-549-1236;
    E-mail, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ;
    Web, http://www.wymanteens.org.
/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1131&Itemid=177">23]

 

Service learning projects take students into their communities, creating a combination of education and community service that is intended to empower young people to succeed. In keeping with the program's broad developmental focus, the program places little direct emphasis upon its two target behaviors: 1) preventing pregnancy and 2) preventing school dropout. Sex education materials constitute only 10 to 15 percent of the overall curriculum and are incorporated within the general program emphasis on making good decisions about life options. Trained facilitators, usually teachers or guidance counselors, lead the classroom discussions, which also incorporate opportunities for youth to reflect on their volunteer activities in the community and to ratify the meaning of these activities for their own lives. Teen Outreach Program is based on the "helper-therapy" principle and the theory of empowerment.[25,26,27]

Evaluation Methodology

High school students (n=1,487) were randomly assigned to either an intervention or comparison group in each of 30 schools across the United States. Although programs varied widely, all involved both classroom and volunteer activities. Participating and comparison youth were in grades seven through 12, most in grades nine or 10. Over 70 percent of intervention participants were female; 67 percent of comparison youth were female. Among all youth, about one-third were black, about 50 percent were white, less than 10 percent were Hispanic. Program effects were assessed by students' self-reports of pregnancy or pregnancy involvement, course failure, and suspension at baseline and nine months later at program exit.[25]

At entry, nearly 54 percent of intervention participants and 44 percent of comparison youth reported course failure in the prior year. Rates of suspension in the prior year were also relatively high (22 and 17 percent, respectively). About five percent in each group reported a previous pregnancy. Because each problem behavior had a low base rate, problem behaviors were combined into an overall problem behavior syndrome scale.[25]

Long-Term Findings

The evaluation did not provide information about specific knowledge, attitudes, or behavior changes. Rather, the evaluation focused on specific health and academic indicators.[25]

First Replication Evaluation Methodology (1991-1995)

Teen Outreach Program was re-evaluated, using data collected during 1991-1995 at 25 sites nationwide. Students (n=695) were randomly assigned to either the Teen Outreach Program or the control condition, either at the individual level or at the classroom level. Participants and control youth were in grades nine through 12; 69 percent were in ninth or 10th grade. Average age of intervention participants was 15.8; that of control youth, 15.9. Less than 85 percent were female. About 67 percent were black. Students were surveyed regarding school suspension, course failure, and pregnancy at pretest and nine months later, at the program's end.[26]

First Replication Outcomes

Second Replication, Evaluation Methodology (1996-2000)

Another evaluation of Teen Outreach Program (conducted in 1996-2000) was designed to assess the program's impact on youth at highest risk for teen pregnancy and school dropout. Data were collected from 3,277 participants and comparison youth at 60 sites nationwide. Youth's average age was 15.9 to 16.0; youth were in ninth through 12th grade; and about three-quarters were male. About 45 percent were black. Nearly 37 percent were white. Nearly 13 percent Hispanic. Once again, youth were surveyed at baseline and at program exit, nine months later.[27]

Second Replication Outcomes

For More Information or to Order, Contact

Claire L. Wyneken
Senior Vice President, Wyman Institute for Teen Development

600 Kiwanis Drive Eureka, MO  63025

(T) (636) 549-1236
(F) (636) 938-5289
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

www.wymancenter.org

 

* High risk youth are defined in this program as youth with a history of class failure, school dropout, school suspension, or involvement in pregnancy.