A comparative study of the adolescent pregnancy programs in Texas and their relationships to the public school administrator

Abstract

This study was designed to survey the difference of persistence in continuance of education between pregnant girls who enter various homebound programs and pregnant girls who enter various in-school programs in the state of Texas. The study focused on schools in Texas which reported having specific programs for pregnant students. The Special Education Division of the Texas Education Agency provided a major source of data by making available to the investigator the Annual Special Education Statistical Report for 1972-73 of the schools involved and also the Annual Superintendent Report. Further data were collected by a 30-item questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to 86 school district superintendents in the state of Texas. Seventy-one or 82.5 percent of the recipients returned the questionnaire. The data were tabulated and analyzed for statistical significance at the Texas A&M Computer Center, using the Chi-square formula applied to thirteen null hypotheses. The .01 level of significance was used as an indicator of degree of confidence that differences were substantial. The results showed that seven of the thirteen null hypotheses were rejected and there was a significant difference between the variables involved. There was a significant difference in the number of girls who dropped from school on both the homebound and in-school programs with the homebound program possessing the highest dropout rate. A significant difference was also found in the number of girls who were enrolled in the different programs due to a second pregnancy, the homebound program having twice as many second pregnancies. Two of the hypotheses for the study entailed pre-natal and post-natal counseling for the homebound and in-school programs, and the results showed the homebound program to be very inadequate relative to this aspect, because of the number of counselors available. There was also a significant difference in the number of girls at each age level between the two programs. Results of the data also revealed that there was a significant difference in the number of girls at each grade level between the two programs investigated. The number of girls as to ethnic groups also differed significantly between the homebound and in-school programs for pregnant girls. Implications for further research are discussed, with specific recommendations for improvements of both programs.