Event One: Strengthening Our Practice: Refining Our Aim __________________________________________________________________________ Ask Us About - 1.1 San Francisco __________________________________________________________________________
Massachusetts HIV Prevention
Six Sex Education Successes
Through a partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy, six districts with high teen birth rates were funded to go through an intensive TA process studying the causes of teen pregnancy in their community, creating a BDI Logic model to address it in schools, and choosing a science-informed curriculum. At the end of the funding all six had plans to implement a proven curriculum. Three of the districts have extremely high teen birth rates and had not had policies that permitted comprehensive approaches. All three are implementing proven curricula.
The problem:
While Massachusetts has a low teen birth rate compared to other states ( 22 per 1000) there are communities and racial/ethnic groups that have birth rates that far surpass national averages. According to Massachusetts Department of Public Health 2006 data, several municipalities have had alarming one-year increases in teen births and communities of color bear a far higher burden of early parenting and STIs
Schools report a steady decline in comprehensive sexuality education since the loss of health protection funds in 2002. According to the 2006 School Health Profiles data, only 77% of middle schools and 88 % of high schools have a required health class. Only 22.3% of middle schools and 65.2% of high schools teach how to use different birth control methods in a required health class Additionally, in 2007 the AIDS Advisory panel organized focus groups with sexuality education teachers from around the state recommended 1) supporting quality, science-based comprehensive sexuality education; 2) providing teachers with updated resources, information, and skill development and 3) informing communities of the issues and responses in their schools.
The Activity:
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) collaborated with the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy (MATP) to work intensively with districts in communities that have 2006 teen birth rates two to three times the state average, and /or more than 40% of their teen births were to Latina mothers, and/or have STI rates above the state average. Using supplemental funding from CDC DASH, ESE was able to provide six districts with approximately $9000 each to join MATP and community partners to study the causes of teen pregnancy in their community and choose an appropriate science based approach to address it in schools. MATP used supplemental funding from CDC Adolescent Reproductive Health to provide intensive TA in six communities to go through the 10 Steps to Promoting Science-Based Approaches (PSBA) to Teen Pregnancy Prevention using Getting To Outcomes (GTO).
There were fourteen applications and six districts were funded. Funded districts joined community partners to attend four day-long professional development events:
1) Getting to Outcomes for Adolescent Health, a one-day training institute to promote science-based approaches
2) What’s New in HIV/STD/ Teen Pregnancy Prevention, A one-day workshop for teachers on best practices in the classroom.
3) Working Together for Latino Youth: Mobilizing communities to Address Teen Pregnancy
4) Sustaining Teen Pregnancy Prevention Partnerships :Learning the Skills of Cooperation
MATP provided assistance to schools to go through the GTO process. ESE provided the funding to permit school staff to get stipends or substitutes in order to engage in all events.
Outcomes:
All six districts used GTO to study local issues and chose an approach that is designed to address those needs. The teams worked with community partners, parents, health agencies, school based clinics and civic leaders to examine issues and endorse responses. At the end of the funding cycle all six had chosen a science informed curriculum to implement in their district. Prior to this grant, three of the districts had had little or no sexuality education lessons in their health classes and restricted information on prevention. The school committees approved the chosen curricula. This resulted in institutional changes. Over 6500 students will receive effective prevention education.
Springfield: Institutional, sustainable change resulting in FLASH curriculum in every Springfield middle and high school reaching 3720 youth. Formation of Mayor’s Advisory Council on Teen Pregnancy. Potential for youth to get school credit for involvement in community-based science based program (SBP). Community and family support for SBPs in schools.
Holyoke: Selection of Cuidate and FLASH curriculum for all Holyoke 9th graders reaching 463 youth. Gained support of key district administrator, positioning Holyoke for institutional, sustainable change.
Framingham: Institutional, sustainable change resulting in Making Proud Choices in every Framingham 8th grade class, reaching 591 youth. Framingham Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition initiated condom availability through the city health department.
Chelsea: Institutional, sustainable change resulting in Phoenix Charter Academy implementing Cuidate and Power through Choices with 25 youth. Mass Alliance convened a group of 15 key stakeholder organization to initiate a community response to teen pregnancy prevention.
Lowell: Institutional, sustainable change resulting in FLASH and Safer Choices in 9th and 10th grade reaching 1800 youth.
Leominster: Selection of Focus on Youth in 9th Grade and the recommendation that the district offer a science based teen pregnancy prevention curriculum to grades 6th through 8th.
ESE and MATP have committed to assisting the districts implement the chosen curricula by providing teacher trainings and additional TA.
