Statistics and stories: Using different forms of evidence to mobilize school districts for sex education in Harris County, Texas

BACKGROUND: The teen birth rate in Texas is among the highest in the nation, yet sex education in public schools remains a contentious political issue for most school districts. The University of Texas Prevention Research Center (UTPRC) has embarked on a concerted effort to promote adolescent sexual health in public schools in Harris County following the principles of community-based participatory research. The We Can Do More (WCDM) campaign has used statistics and imagery to define the issue and to mobilize teachers, parents, and administrators to adopt evidence-based programs for sex education in local schools. METHOD: We employed a longitudinal case study research design to examine the dialogic processes through which school districts reached a decision about the development of a sex education policy and the adoption of specific curricula. Our methods included participant observation of school health advisory council and school board meetings in 2009 and 2010 (n = 42); we also conducted semi-structured interviews with administrators and parents from five districts (n = 10). Fieldnotes and interview transcripts were analyzed using narrative methods. RESULTS: WCDM has been very successful in forming community-academic partnerships and mobilizing school districts around adolescent sexual health. What has emerged from these partnerships is a common narrative that incorporates public health statistics with personal stories from community members who have observed the effects of teen pregnancy. Combining these forms of evidence through continuing dialogue has strengthened our partnerships, and created a powerful message to assuage community concerns.