"Using the most rigorous research methods available, national data reveals that the Teen Outreach Program is one of a very small number of U.S. programs found to reduce pregnancy and school failure rates," evaluator Joseph Allen said. COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM REDUCES TEEN PREGNANCY, SCHOOL FAILURE RATES, NATIONAL DATA SHOWS CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., June 13 -- A nationwide teen pregnancy prevention program reduces pregnancy and school failure by approximately 40 percent -- although the program does not focus on sex education, a soon-to-be-published study shows. The Teen Outreach Program (TOP), located in approximately 120 school- and community based sites nationwide, engages high-school-age students in volunteer community service and stimulates discussions that help teens appreciate the lessons they learn through volunteerism. About 6,000 students participated in the program this academic year. This major study, which examined the experiences of 695 students of diverse backgrounds at 25 sites, shows that TOP teens experienced fewer than half the number of course failures, school suspensions or pregnancies than control groups of students in the same schools. Results of the study will be published in the August issue of Child Development. The study constitutes one of the largest and most rigorous evaluations of a successful teen pregnancy prevention program to date. The results are particularly significant since so few teen pregnancy prevention programs have been evaluated using strong control group designs, and even fewer have yielded positive results, according to Joseph P. Allen, a University of Virginia psychologist who is lead author of the forthcoming journal article. "The striking feature of TOP is that it does not explicitly focus on the problem behaviors it seeks to prevent," said Allen, an associate professor of psychology at U.Va. Material about sexuality comprises less than 15 percent of TOP's written curriculum and is often not used at sites. Instead, the program's emphasis on volunteer activities and classroom discussions gives participants opportunities to gain competence in decision-making, in interacting with peers and adults, and in recognizing and handling their own emotions. "The program gives teens an opportunity to develop positive relationships with adults, learn valuable life skills and establish future goals in a non-threatening environment," said Sharon Lovick Edwards of the Houston-based Cornerstone Consulting Group, which administers TOP nationwide. "Because the program does not primarily focus on teaching about sexual behavior, it should appeal to a wide range of communities -- from liberal to conservative," said Allen, who began serving as an evaluation consultant for TOP in 1987. "The data not only shows the value of the Teen Outreach Program, but suggests that intervention programs that address the broad developmental tasks facing adolescents may be more effective than those focusing only on individual problem behaviors," said Allen, who is also conducting a study of 150 families with adolescents to determine the factors that prompt teenagers to behave differently. "TOP is one of the most continuously evaluated programs in the country, and it consistently yields positive results," said Susan Philliber, a co-author of the forthcoming article, at the New York-based Philliber Research Associates. Other co-authors include Scott Herrling of Philliber Research Associates and Gabriel P. Kuperminc at Yale University. Students Learn Life Issues The Teen Outreach Program, founded in 1987 in St. Louis, consists of three interrelated elements: supervised community volunteer service, classroom discussions of service experiences and classroom discussions related to the fundamental social/developmental tasks facing adolescents. Class sessions are held at least once weekly throughout the academic year that the program runs. Program participants include both males and females. The study examined the experiences of TOP students in grades 9 through 12 -- approximately half of whom lived in two-parent households -- from 1991 through 1995. The students were tracked as they participated in volunteer activities that matched their interests and needs. They chose a broad range of volunteer service, such as working as aides in hospitals and nursing homes, tutoring their peers and engaging in walkathons. Participants averaged about 45 hours of volunteer service during the nine months of the program. The program sites chosen for evaluation were in schools in 13 states. The study included 342 students selected at random to participate in TOP and 353 non-participating students, who served as the control group. Researchers assessed the students before and after the program. Program Cost Analysis of TOP shows that the program can be offered to a class of up to 25 students at a cost of roughly $600 per student. That figure includes costs for a facilitator and site coordinator. When schools or community service organizations donate staff time, the direct costs of the program fall to under $100 per student. Such costs are insignificant when compared to estimates of the long-term costs associated with teen pregnancy, Allen observes. Estimates of societal costs of supporting teen parenthood range from $9 to $29 billion annually. Because teen parents often fail in school and face a lifetime of underemployment, an estimated $260 billion is lost in income and taxes for each year's class of dropouts. Research evaluating the Teen Outreach Program has been supported by grants from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Fund. The Teen Outreach Program is supported by a wide range of sponsors nationwide, such as school districts, community-based youth organizations and local Junior Leagues. ### June 12, 1997 For more information on the evaluation, contact Joseph Allen at (804) 982 4727 or via allen@virginia.edu or Susan Philliber at (914) 626-2126 or via 73060.126@compuserve.com. For more information on TOP, contact the Cornerstone Consulting Group at (713) 627-2322 or via HN7602@handsnet.org. Television reporters should call U.Va.'s TV News Office at (804) 924-7550. Media notice: TOP students will participate in community service projects in early July in Roanoke, Va. To arrange coverage of their participation, contact Cheri Hartman, director of the Teen Outreach Program in Roanoke, at (540) 563 5316. At this time, nine minority students, seven girls and two boys, are expected to participate in Roanoke service projects. KEY FINDINGS OF NATIONAL STUDY OF TEEN OUTREACH PROGRAM (TOP): ¥ 47 percent, or 165, in the control group failed courses, compared to 27 percent, or 90, in TOP. ¥ 35 girls, or 10 percent of the control group, became pregnant, compared to 13, or 4.2 percent, in TOP. TEEN OUTREACH PROGRAM FACT SHEET The Teen Outreach Program served 6,000 students this school year at sites in the following cities: Antioch, Tennessee Atlanta, Georgia Bessemer City, North Carolina Boise, Idaho Bryan, Texas Elk Grove, California Flint, Michigan Gastonia, North Carolina Holland, Ohio Longview, Texas Los Angeles, California Madisonville, Kentucky Minneapolis, Minnesota Nashville, Tennessee New Orleans, Louisiana New York, New York North Hollywood, California Northridge, California Nortonville, Kentucky Putnam, Connecticut Reno, Nevada Reseda, California Roanoke, Virginia Sacramento, California Savannah, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri Sylmar, California Toledo, Ohio Van Nuys, California Woodland, California For assistance in reaching any of the above sites, contact the Cornerstone Consulting Group at (713) 627-2322.