In recent years, the federal government has launched a large and far-reaching effort to make government “work smarter” by developing and supporting evidence-based programs, including teen pregnancy and reproductive health programs for youth. As one part of this effort, the ongoing federal Evaluation of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Approaches (PPA) is documenting and rigorously testing innovative ways to reduce teen pregnancy and associated sexual risk behaviors among U.S. adolescents. The eight-year (2008-2016) study is being conducted in seven sites around the United States, with each site implementing a different program. The programs range from broad school-based curricula to more customized programs for particularly vulnerable and at-risk youth. Two programs are designed specifically to reduce rapid repeat pregnancies among teens who have already been pregnant, and one program is designed for use among youth in group foster care and other out-of-home group settings. The study is led by Mathematica Policy Research under contract with the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The study has two components: (1) rigorously designed impact studies of the selected programs and (2) an in-depth implementation analysis of each program. The impact studies use experimental designs and longitudinal survey data in all sites and focus on assessing the effectiveness of each selected program on its own, compared to a control group in the same site. For some of the sites, the impact studies use a cluster randomized design, whereby individuals are assigned in groups (schools, group homes, etc.) to the treatment and control groups. Other sites are based on individual-level random assignment. The research questions, survey instruments, and data collection schedules are all customized to the unique characteristics of each program and site. A total of more than 5,000 youth have been enrolled in the study across the participating sites.

This session will provide updated findings from the ongoing impact evaluations. Separate interim and final impact analyses are being conducted for each site. Based on the progress of data collection to date, interim impact reports for each site are expected to be released beginning in fall 2104. The reports will examine preliminary program impacts on youth sexual activity, contraceptive use, and other key outcomes. They will also provide detailed descriptions of the programs being tested, the study samples and settings, and the underlying research designs. The findings will be of interest to program operators, policymakers, and researchers interested in identifying innovative and evidence-based ways to further reduce rates of teen pregnancy and associated sexual risk behaviors among U.S. adolescents. Findings from the accompanying implementation analysis are provided in a separate series of reports available on the OAH website.