The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #48950

Michelle Barenbaum, MPH¹, Nancy Berglas, MHS¹, Claire Brindis, DrPH¹, Helen Cagampang, PhD¹, Sara Peterson, MPH², and Norma Munroe, MS³. (1) Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 265, San Francisco, CA 94143-0936, (2) Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy, University of California at San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 265, San Francisco, CA 94143-0936, (3) School Health Connections, California Department of Education, 721 Capitol Mall, 3rd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814

In 1996, the California Department of Education (CDE) launched the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Grant Program (TPPGP). This initiative funded local education agencies for five years to support students in delaying the onset of sexual activity and reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancy. CDE expected schools to build upon the breadth of school, home, and community resources and to use these Learning Support Systems (LSS) to address the emotional, physical, and cultural needs of youth. Strong LSS assists youth in achieving high-quality learning and reaching their academic potential. During the final year of funding, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) staff, hired to conduct the TPPGP statewide evaluation, conducted on-site interviews with program staff, students, and local evaluators of nearly one-third of the grantees to assess, in part, whether grantees had addressed the nine components, including positive youth development, school-staff collaboration, and family-school partnerships, which comprise a LSS. Results demonstrated that 70% of the grantees addressed at least seven of the nine components in their program activities. In addition, having strong a LSS was associated with other positive outcomes including improvements in educational outcomes (89%), sexual behaviors (67%), and protective factors (89%) among youth participating in TPPGP. UCSF staff also found that collaborative efforts among families, school, and communities to establish a strong LSS. In turn, strong LSS made schools effective intervention sites for addressing antecedents of teenage pregnancy: increasing academic outcomes and protective factors, and reducing sexual activity.

Learning Objectives:

• LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• 1. Define Learning Support Systems as it pertains to a school-based teen pregnancy prevention programming.
• 2. Describe the evaluation California’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grant Program and its implications for teen pregnancy prevention programming and outcomes.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.