Center For Supportive Schools Inc

TEEN PREVENTION PROGRAM - TIER 2

ANNOUNCEMENT OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR RIGOROUS EVALUATION OF NEW OR INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO PREVENT TEEN PREGNANCY (TIER 2B)

IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES IN HIGH NEED,LOW-INCOME RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES THROUGH A HIGH SCHOOL MENTORING MODEL

IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES IN HIGH NEED,LOW-INCOME RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES THROUGH A MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSITION AND CROSS-AGE PEER MENTORING MODEL

RIGOROUS EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSITION AND CROSS-AGE PEER MENTORING MODEL ON ADOLESCENT HEALTH OUTCOMES - THE CENTER FOR SUPPORTIVE SCHOOLS (CSS) IS APPLYING FOR A TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION TIER 2 RIGOROUS EVALUATION COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT. WE PROPOSE TO RIGOROUSLY EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL-BASED, POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (PYD), AND PEER LEADERSHIP MODEL KNOWN AS PEER GROUP CONNECTION – MIDDLE SCHOOL (PGC-MS) ON IMPROVING PROTECTIVE FACTORS AND REDUCING RISK BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH TEEN PREGNANCY AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH AND WELLBEING. PGC-MS IS A SCHOOL-BASED PYD PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS ENTERING MIDDLE SCHOOL (6TH OR 7TH GRADERS). PGC-MS IS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE SCHOOL ATTACHMENT AND SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) SKILLS THAT SUPPORT ADOLESCENT HEALTH AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES BY IMMERSING YOUNGER STUDENTS IN SAFE, SUPPORTIVE GROUPS LED BY OLDER PEER LEADERS (8TH, 9TH, OR 10TH GRADERS DEPENDING ON GRADES SERVED BY EACH SCHOOL). PGC-MS IS A MAJOR ADAPTATION OF PEER GROUP CONNECTION – HIGH SCHOOL (PGC-HS), WHICH IS ANOTHER CSS PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS EFFECTIVE BY THE TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION EVIDENCE REVIEW (TPPER). CHANGES TO CORE COMPONENTS INCLUDE CHANGES TO THE SETTING (MIDDLE SCHOOLS VS. HIGH SCHOOLS), THE TARGET POPULATION (6TH OR 7TH GRADERS VS. 9TH GRADERS, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING THE TRANSITION INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL INSTEAD OF THE TRANSITION INTO HIGH SCHOOL), AND THE CURRICULUM (PGC-MS HAS A DISTINCTLY SEPARATE CURRICULUM THAT IS ALIGNED WITH THE DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF 6TH AND 7TH GRADERS). THE TARGETED OUTREACH POPULATION FOR PGC-MS IS MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, WITH A GOAL OF REACHING STUDENTS WITH EFFECTIVE PROGRAMMING BEFORE THEY BECOME SEXUALLY ACTIVE. SINCE PGC-MS IS A UNIVERSAL PROGRAM, ALL STUDENTS ENTERING MIDDLE SCHOOL (6TH OR 7TH GRADERS DEPENDING ON GRADE LEVELS SERVED) ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE. PGC-MS IS A UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE SCHOOL-BASED PYD MODEL WITH DISTINCTIVE FEATURES, INCLUDING THAT IT CAPITALIZES ON EXISTING RESOURCES SUCH AS STAFF, STUDENTS, AND TIME IN THE SCHOOL DAY. PGC-MS ALSO ADDRESSES GAP S IN THE ADOLESCENT SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH (ASRH)/TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION (TPP) FIELDS BECAUSE IT IS UNIQUE FROM OTHER PYD PROGRAMS FOR THIS AGE GROUP IDENTIFIED BY TPPER AS HAVING EVIDENCE OF EFFECTIVENESS. OVER 5 YEARS, THE PROPOSED STUDY WILL ENROLL A TOTAL OF 1,400 6TH AND 7TH GRADERS IN 22 MIDDLE SCHOOLS THAT SERVE LARGE POPULATIONS OF STUDENTS AT DISPROPORTIONATE RISK FOR TEEN PREGNANCY AND BIRTH, INCLUDING LOW-INCOME, BLACK, LATINX, AND RURAL STUDENTS IN COMMUNITIES WITH HIGH TEEN PREGNANCY AND/OR TEEN BIRTH RATES IN 5 STATES (MD, MA, NJ, NC, SC) + DC. CSS AND THE POLICY & RESEARCH GROUP (PRG) WILL PARTNER TO CONDUCT AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF PGC-MS PROGRAM IMPACTS ON OUTCOMES RELATED TO ASRH. PRG WILL EXAMINE PROGRAM IMPACTS ON ASRH OUTCOMES (DELAYED SEXUAL TOUCHING, DELAYED SEXUAL INITIATION) AND WILL EXPLORE IMPACTS ON MORE PROXIMAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS HYPOTHESIZED TO LEAD TO THESE OUTCOMES, SUCH AS PEER/SCHOOL CONNECTION, BELIEF IN THE FUTURE, SELF-DETERMINATION, AND SEL SKILLS. IN EACH OF 22 SCHOOLS, INCOMING 6TH OR 7TH GRADE STUDENTS WILL BE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A TREATMENT (PGC-MS) OR CONTROL GROUP. APPROXIMATELY 64 STUDENTS IN EACH SCHOOL WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THESE 2 GROUPS, WITH A TOTAL SAMPLE OF APPROXIMATELY 1,400 STUDENTS. COHORT 1 WILL INCLUDE 10 SCHOOLS FROM 3 STATES (MA, NJ, NC) + DC THAT WILL IMPLEMENT PGC-MS AND PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY DURING THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR.

INVESTING IN INNOVATION - DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

THE CENTER FOR SUPPORTIVE SCHOOLS (CSS) IS APPLYING FOR A MULTI-STATE MENTORING GRANT (CATEGORY 2) FOR A 36-MONTH COMBINED PEER GROUP AND ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING PROJECT IN 38 HIGH SCHOOLS IN 25 HIGH-NEED COMMUNITIES ACROSS 10 STATES (DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, MN, NJ, NY, NC, PA)REACHING 12,040 STUDENTS AND TRAINING 2,024 PEER AND ADULT MENTORS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE PROBLEM BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROFOUND WEAKNESS IN THE SUPPORT PROVIDED TO STUDENTS DURING THE TRANSITION INTO HIGH SCHOOL. THIS TRANSITION PERIOD IS OFTEN MARKED BY INCREASES IN ABSENTEEISM, TRUANCY, AND DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS AND DECLINES IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND SCHOOL ATTACHMENT. WE PROPOSE TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND AN EVIDENCE-BASED HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITION AND PEER GROUP MENTORING PROGRAM, KNOWN AS PEER GROUP CONNECTION-HIGH SCHOOL (PGC-HS). PGC-HS IMMERSES 9TH GRADE STUDENTS IN SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE GROUPS LED BY OLDER STUDENT PEER MENTORS, THEREBY CONTRIBUTING TO A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT THAT: ENABLES AND INSPIRES STUDENTS TO COME TO SCHOOL READY TO LEARN, ACHIEVE, AND GRADUATE; HELPS PREVENT AND ADDRESS BULLYING; AND PROMOTES FAMILY ENGAGEMENT. EVALUATION RESULTS CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATE THAT PGC-HS IMPROVES SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT AS WELL AS STUDENTS ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS, RESULTING IN: SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER DROPOUT RATES; IMPROVED GRADES; INCREASED SCHOOL ATTENDANCE; FEWER DISCIPLINE REFERRALS; AND AVOIDANCE OF HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL ENHANCE THE MENTORING SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH PGC-HS BY: ASSESSING MENTEE RISK AND PROVIDING STRUCTURED 1:1, ADULT-STUDENT MENTORING ACTIVITIES TO HIGH-RISK 10TH GRADERS; INTEGRATING ADDITIONAL BEST PRACTICES IN EACH OF THE 6 CORE STANDARDS OF PRACTICE; AND ENHANCING PRACTICES FOR ADULT MENTOR RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND MATCHING. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL PROMOTE RACIAL EQUITY WITH THE FOLLOWING GOALS: BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF 38 HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS 10 STATES TO PROVIDE GROUP MENTORING SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED YOUTH; ENHANCING MENTORING SERVICES PROVIDED TO UNDERSERVED YOUTH BY LAYERING A 1:1 MENTORING COMPONENT WITH A GROUP MENTORING PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WHO ARE AT SUBSTANTIALLY ELEVATED RISK FOR PROBLEM BEHAVIORS AND SCHOOL DROPOUT; REDUCING PROBLEM BEHAVIOR AND IMPROVING YOUTH OUTCOMES THROUGH A SCHOOL-BASED TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL MENTORING INITIATIVE FOR UNDERSERVED YOUTH. WE WILL PARTNER WITH SCHOOL AND DISTRICT LEADERSHIP IN EACH TARGET COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT THE PROPOSED PROJECT.

MULTISTATE PEER GROUP AND ONE-TO-ONE MENTORING AND HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITION PROGRAM TO SERVE AT-RISK YOUTH

PEER GROUP CONNECTION:ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT

PEER GROUP CONNECTION: EXPANDING AND ENHANCING A PEER GROUP MENTORING AND HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITION PROGRAM

PEER GROUP CONNECTION: EXPANDING AND ENHANCING A PEER GROUP MENTORING AND HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITION PROGRAM TO SERVE AT-RISK YOUTH

PEER GROUP CONNECTION: EXPANDING AND ENHANCING A PEER GROUP MENTORING AND HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITION PROGRAM TO SERVE AT-RISK YOUTH