Contact Name
Barbara Dietsch
562-985-9488

Contact Email
bdietsc@WestEd.org

Jennifer Manlove, Ph.D.
Child Trends, Inc.

A recent research study examines the effects of school engagement and dropping out of school on the risk of a school-age pregnancy. The study finds that a strong attachment to school is associated with avoiding a school-age pregnancy among white, black, and Hispanic girls. White and Hispanic girls who dropped out of school, especially those who dropped out at a young age, were more likely to become teen mothers, even after controlling for other family and educational factors. While African American teens did not show a relationship between dropping out and the risk of pregnancy, other measures of school engagement were important predictors of having a school-age pregnancy for this group.

Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics, this study examines the experiences of a group of eighth grade students who were followed for four years to examine factors associated with the risk of a school-age pregnancy leading to a teen birth. Most prior research has looked at whether a school-age birth increases the likelihood that a girl will drop out of school. In contrast, this study examines whether dropping out increases the likelihood of a school-age pregnancy.

The study found that a substantial proportion of teen mothers who drop out of school were already disengaged from school and had dropped out prior to pregnancy. Almost 60 percent of teen mothers in the sample had dropped out at some point between eighth and twelfth grades. More than a quarter of these teen mothers (28 percent) dropped out before they were pregnant. Another 30 percent dropped out after becoming pregnant, and the remaining 42 percent stayed in school.

Hispanic teens were more likely than black or white teens to have dropped out prior to a pregnancy. Almost 41 percent of Hispanic teen mothers in the sample dropped out before pregnancy, compared to 31 percent of white and 11 percent of black teen mothers.

Initial bivariate analyses indicate that 38 percent of all teens who dropped out between eighth and twelfth grade had a subsequent pregnancy and a teen birth, compared to only 11% of teens who did not drop out of school. After controlling for family background characteristics, white and Hispanic teens who dropped out of school, especially those who dropped out at a young age, were more likely than girls who stayed in school to have a subsequent teen birth. Among black teens, similarly high proportions of both dropouts and continuously enrolled students had a teen birth, and there was no relationship between dropping out of school and teenage motherhood.

These findings inform the debate about the educational consequences of teen motherhood by showing that a sizable proportion of teens who experienced a school-age pregnancy had dropped out of school prior to pregnancy. Thus, part of the reason that teen mothers ultimately have lower educational levels than others may be due to a disengagement from school that began well before they became pregnant. One promising teen pregnancy prevention strategy may therefore be to focus early on engaging girls in learning.

This article supports the finding that students who receive support from their families, attend schools with greater resources, and are engaged in school have a reduced risk of teen motherhood.

Strong performance in school and high levels of school involvement are associated with a reduced risk of pregnancy for black, white, and Hispanic girls. For example, high grades (among black and white teens), high test scores (for blacks, whites, and Hispanics), and high expectations for postsecondary education (for blacks and Hispanics) were associated with a reduced risk of a school-age pregnancy, after controlling for family background characteristics.

High levels of parental involvement with their daughters' school were also associated with a reduced risk of school-age pregnancy among white and black teens, but not among Hispanic teens. Parents of Hispanic teens had, on average, lower levels of involvement. This may be due partly to language differences, but may also reflect the fact that some schools may not be equipped to meet the needs of parents from different ethnicities.

Among black students, attending sex education classes in the eighth grade was associated with an increased risk of a school-age pregnancy. This may reflect a tendency to focus sex education programs on high risk populations. For example, black students who attended sex education classes were more likely to be in schools with a high percentage of low-income students. There was no association found between sex education classes and the risk of a teen birth among Hispanics. For whites, this association was only marginally significant.

Other school and classroom characteristics were also associated with the risk of a teen birth. Among black students, attending a Catholic or independent school was associated with a reduced risk of a school-age birth. This finding corresponds with research showing added benefits for minority students who attend programs that emphasize academic outcomes. Among white students, attending schools with more resources was associated with a reduced risk of a school-age pregnancy.

Finally, family background characteristics were also associated with the risk of a school-age pregnancy. For example, higher birth order white and Hispanic teens were at a greater risk of a school-age pregnancy, even after controlling for family size. White teens whose mothers were younger at their own first birth were more likely to have a school-age pregnancy. Among Hispanic teens, living in a larger family was associated with an increased risk of school-age pregnancy, and among Hispanic and white teens, living in an intact family with two biological parents was associated with a reduced risk of pregnancy.

Based on the article, "The influence of high school dropout and school disengagement on the risk of school-age pregnancy," by Jennifer Manlove, Ph.D., of Child Trends, in the Journal of Research on Adolescence (1998, Volume 8, pp. 187-220).