Evaluation Of The

Teen-Aid Abstinence-Education Program

“I’ve Got Connections”

2003-2004

Prepared For Teen-Aid, Inc.

723 E. Jackson Avenue, Spokane, WA 99207

Prepared by

Raja S. Tanas, Ph.D.

Department of Sociology

Whitworth College

Spokane, WA  99251-1105

e-mail:  rtanas@whitworth.edu

(July 2004)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 During the 2003-2004 school year, 1251 students participated in a research project to evaluate the effectiveness of the Teen-Aid sex education curricula in helping teens support and affirm abstinence until marriage. Students who participated in the study attended eighteen schools in California, Montana, and Washington and were in grades 6 through 12. Two-thirds of the respondents were white and one-third consisted of minorities.

 The research project was conducted in compliance with a federal grant requirement contracted under SPRANS (Special Project with Regional and National Significance) entitled I’ve Got Connections.

 The purpose of the research project was to assess the impact of the Teen-Aid program on student knowledge, attitudes, values, norms, and behavioral intentions relative to teen sex. An online evaluation instrument was developed for this purpose. It included federal performance measures and abstinence education content consistent with welfare reform requirements and funding. The instrument was pre-tested during the 2001-2002 school year and was fully operational beginning in the 2002-2003 school year.

 The one-group pretest-posttest experimental design was the method of research.   The t-test for independent samples was the statistical technique employed for analysis.

 Results from the study are praiseworthy. Based on the pretest-posttest analysis of variables that typically motivate teens to abstain from sex and wait until marriage, the Teen-Aid program has done well on at least twelve constructs. Specifically, after completing the program, students were more likely to agree that:

  · They would like to avoid situations that put them at risk of sexual advances

 · If a person tried to pressure them to have sex, now they would say no

 · Having sex as teenagers would make it harder for them to have a good marriage and

   family life in the future

 · Abstinence until marriage would help them accomplish their goals in life

 · Having sex as young persons could mess up their future

 · A baby became a human life at conception

 · Abstinence was the only sure way to prevent pregnancy

 · Sexual urges could be controlled

 · The only certain way for teens to avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted

   disease was to wait until they were married before having sex

 · Use of condoms would not make sex safe

 · There were physical health advantages in waiting until marriage for sexual activity

 · Even if there were no pregnancy, having sex could cause a lot of problems for

   unmarried teens

 The overall impact of the program was further analyzed by grade level, gender, race, and virginity status. The results showed that the program did not have an equal impact on these sub-groups.  In particular, the program had the greatest impact on white students.  After that, the program had an equal impact on virgins, males, and students in senior high. Among students in junior high and students who were non-virgin the program had average impact while for non-white students, the program had the least impact.

 The percentage of students who had premarital sex was lower than the national averages. No gender differences in virginity status were found suggesting a single standard governing sexual behavior among teens. However, non-white were more likely than white students to have had premarital sex. Alcohol consumption and smoking were found to be strong predictors of non-virginity status.

 A greater degree of cooperation between teachers/school officers and the Teen-Aid staff in obtaining the necessary student data for evaluation in the future cannot be stressed enough.