High school completion among adolescent mothers participating in the Illinois Subsequent Pregnancy Program

In the United States, one in three young women who become teen mothers will not complete high school. Using data from the NLSY, Child Trends reports that 34% of women who were teen mothers do not receive a high school diploma or GED by the age of 22, compared to only 6% who were not teen mothers (Research Update, 2010). A recent ten-year evaluation (1998-2008) found that among teen mothers participating in the Illinois Subsequent Pregnancy Program (ISPP), 70% of those aged 19 and older graduated from high school or received a GED, twice the national average among pregnant or parenting teens in the U.S. (Philliber Research Associates, 2009). ISPP is a community-based program designed to delay second pregnancies among adolescent mothers. Since 1993, 3,000 first-time adolescent mothers from 30 communities across the state of Illinois have participated in ISPP: only 3% had a second pregnancy and 84% remained in school or graduated each year. Over the past 13 years (1996-2008), year-end program data show that 25% of ISPP participants graduate from high school each year (range: 13% to 37%), and 77% of those not eligible to graduate remain in school (range: 69% to 88%). Overall, 84% (76% to 93%) of ISPP participants are either in school or graduated (diploma or GED) at the end of each program year. Using multivariate analysis, this paper examines factors (age, ethnicity, program exposure) associated with educational outcomes among ISPP participants. Results should inform efforts to increase high school completion among adolescent mothers.