EQUAL ACCESS:
Overview
Education for Pregnant and Parenting
Students
Kathy Putnam, Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of NC
Donna Williams, Orange County Schools

Facts about Pregnant and Parenting Teens

Challenges and Opportunities

WHAT‟S MANDATED:
– Federal & State Laws - Title IX; G.S. 115C-375.5
Local Board Policies & School Procedures
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
WHAT „S WORKING:
– School; Support Services; Community Partnerships
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EDUCATION
is the single most powerful means to improve the
quality of life…the single most powerful weapon
against poverty and intolerance.
Education builds a culture of peace…it empowers
human beings, both youth and adult, to be
effective in their chosen sphere of activity and
opens doors to both personal and social
development.
Frederico Mayor
Action Planning
2009 North Carolina Facts
Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents (15-19)
51 teenagers get pregnant each day in NC
56% teen pregnancy rate (18,142)
*
28.6% repeat pregnancy rate (5,192)
14,000+ live births to teens
 North Carolina ranks 14th in USA in teen pregnancies
1 Teen Pregnancy and Birth Rates in US, Dec. 2007, www.thenationalcampaign.org
*2009 NC teen pregnancy rate nearly 50% less than it‟s highest point in 1990
(105.4) - 2010 Annual Report APPCNC
1
Costs of Teen Pregnancy and
Childbearing
US has higher teen birth rates than
over 20 industrial countries 2
The birth rate for U.S. teenagers
15-19 fell 2% in 2008, to 41.5 per
1,000, reversing a brief 2-year increase 3
US teen birth rate is 10 times higher
than Japan‟s rate
1

Teen‟s unrealized dreams and potential

Future trained workforce jeopardized

$312 Million–teen pregnancy costs in NC

$9.2 Billion a year - total US public cost of
teen childbearing:
($2.9-loss of taxes; $1.9-medical
care; $2.3 child welfare; $2.1 incarceration rates) 2
2 Ten Reasons to Still Keep the Focus on Teen Childbearing; Holcombe, Peterson and
Manlove; Child Trends Research Brief, March 2009
3 National Vital Statistics Reports, Vo;. 59, Nol. 1 Dec. 2010
www.cdc.gov/nchs/data
Typical Adolescent Behavior
 Experiment
behavior
with risk-taking
 Impulsive
- don‟t think about
consequences of behavior
 Form
their sense of identity from
their peer group

Ten Reasons to Still Keep the Focus on Teen Childbearing; Holcombe, Peterson and
Manlove; Child Trends Research Brief, March 2009
2
Causes of Teen Pregnancy
 Feels
limited choices/options in life
 Need
for love/intimacy/belonging
 Lack
of ability to plan, predict
consequences
 Lack
of information from home and
school about sexuality (in a very
sexualized culture)
Working with Adolescents, Melissa R. Johnson, APPCNC Training, 2008
2
Teens Who Give Birth
Perceived Benefits of Parenting

Predominantly socially and economically
disadvantaged
Create a family and a source of unconditional
love

Live in unsafe neighborhoods
Motivate them to become more responsible

Are more likely to have experienced sexual
abuse(2/3)
Teens may want to have a baby to…



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Provide stability and a sustainable relationship
4
Be a better parent to their own child than their
parent

4
National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
Have lower self esteem and self efficacy
Childhood Sexual Abuse and Teen Pregnancy, Logan, Holcombe, Ryan, Manlove, Moore;
Child Trends, Inc. Sept. 2007
Susan Cupito
Teens Who Give Birth

Have few successful role models

Have lower aspirations for themselves

Are at greater risk for interpersonal violence

Strengths of Teen Parents
5
May believe that pregnancy and birth may
lead to a stable relationship
5
Interpersonal Violence and Adolescent Pregnancy: Prevalence and Implications
for Practice and Policy, Leiderman, S., CAPD
Susan Cupito

“Invent future from impoverished past”

Overcome barriers to reach goals
– Daily routine, limited financial resources
– Determined to attend school despite negative attitudes
Have assumed family responsibilities younger
Work and contribute economically to family
Teen parents want to do well by their child
Understanding Teenage Mothering: Conventional and Unconventional Wisdom,
Lee SmithBattle, The Prevention Researcher, vol. 10, no. 3, 2003
3
The Dropout Connection
Systemic Factors
More U.S. teens are disadvantaged, have little access to
post-sec. Education and job training

Disadvantaged teens in U.S. grow up in neighborhoods with
poor schools, early mortality, high unemployment rates

 Poor
socioeconomic status
grades (3-4 years)
 Absenteeism
Lack of community resources to improve life course

 Low
– Stagnant economy, low-wage jobs, inadequate health care
 Feeling
unsafe at school
Demeaning stereotypes that stigmatize teen parents
 Becoming
pregnant or taking on
parental responsibilities (33% of
females; 19% of males- 2007)
“Public policies & programs that recognize that teen
parents depend on family support, community resources,
and public institutions for their children to thrive”
2, 6
When Girls Don’t Graduate We All Fail: A Call to Improve High School Graduate Rates for Girls,
National Women‟s Law Center, 2007 www.nwlc.org
6
Understanding Teenage Mothering
The Dropout Connection
2008-09 Adolescent Parenting Program Outcomes



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APP teen parents dropout rate -- 5.99% (NC 4.97%)
Over 3/4 of 155 APP graduates reported enrollment in postsecondary education, vocational training, or the military.
APP teen parent repeat pregnancy rate –
1.6% (10 of 618)
Compared with
Other NC teen parents repeat pregnancy rate
- 29.4%
The Dropout Connection and
The Gates Foundation Study
Findings:
Students who left school because of parenthood
were among the study participants who were
the “most likely to report they would have
worked harder if their teachers demanded
more of them and provided the necessary
supports.”
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives, NC Div. of Public Health
„www.teenpregnancy.ncdhhs.gov
7
8
The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts,
Bridgeland et al., The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (2006)
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4
Windows of Opportunity
EDUCATIONAL
CHALLENGES
1. What can schools do to help students meet
those challenges? What‟s working?
Home
Community
Work
Ensuring Access to Education
School
What do you wish you/your school could do to help
pregnant and parenting students in their efforts
to succeed in school?
Day
Care
Laws that Ensure Access to Education
for
Pregnant and Parenting Students
NC (2006): G.S. 115C-375.5
Education for Pregnant & Parenting
Students
FEDERAL: Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972
Bars discrimination on the basis of
pregnancy and parental status in any
school that receives federal funds
Ensures that pregnant and parenting
students in North Carolina are not
discriminated against or excluded from
school.
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www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation
5
§ 115C-375.5. Education for pregnant and parenting students.


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

(a)
Pregnant and parenting students shall receive the same educational
instruction or its equivalent as other students. A local school administrative unit
may provide programs to meet the special scheduling and curriculum needs of
pregnant and parenting students. However, student participation in these programs
shall be voluntary, and the instruction and curriculum must be comparable to that
provided other students.
(b)
Local boards of education shall adopt a policy to ensure that pregnant and
parenting students are not discriminated against or excluded from school or any
program, class, or extracurricular activity because they are pregnant or parenting
students and to provide assistance and support to encourage pregnant and
parenting students to remain enrolled in school and graduate. The policy shall
include, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1)
Local school administrative units shall use, as needed, supplemental funds
from the At-Risk Student Services allotment to support programs for pregnant and
parenting students.
(2)
Notwithstanding Part 1 of Article 26 of this Chapter, pregnant and parenting
students shall be given excused absences from school for pregnancy and related
conditions for the length of time the student's physician finds medically necessary.
This includes absences due to the illness or medical appointment during school
hours of a child of whom the student is the custodial parent.
(3)
Homework and make-up work shall be made available to pregnant and
parenting students to ensure that they have the opportunity to keep current with
assignments and avoid losing course credit because of their absence from school
and, to the extent necessary, a homebound teacher shall be assigned.
State Statute Requirement
Access & Non-Discrimination
Schools cannot discriminate
against pregnant or parenting
students or exclude them from
school, or any program, class
or extra-curricular activity.
State Statute Requirement
State Statute Requirement
Access & Non-Discrimination
board of education shall
adopt a policy to ensure that
pregnant and parenting students are
not discriminated against or excluded
from any school or program or
extracurricular activity because
pregnant or a parenting.
Equivalent Educational Program/Instruction
Voluntary Enrollment in Alternative Program
 Local

A school may offer special programs or
schools for pregnant and parenting
students, but such programs must be
completely VOLUNTARY.
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State Statute Requirement
State Statute Requirement
Attendance
Equivalent Educational Program/Instruction
Voluntary Enrollment in Alternative Program



Pregnant and parenting students shall receive the
same educational instruction or its equivalent as
other students.
An alternative program must be comparable in
quality and academic offerings to the regular
curriculum.
An LEA may provide programs to meet the special
scheduling and curriculum needs of pregnant and
parenting students.
State Statute Requirement
Post-Pregnancy
Academic/Extracurricular Status
After a medically necessary absence,
a student must be restored to the
academic and extracurricular status
she held when the leave began.


Pregnant and parenting students shall be
given excused absences from school for
pregnancy and related conditions for the
length of time the student‟s physician finds
medically necessary.
This includes absences due to the illness or
medical appointment during school hours of
a child of whom the student is the custodial
parent.
State Statute Requirement
Homebound Instruction
 “Homework
and make-up work shall be
made available to pregnant and
parenting students to ensure that they
have the opportunity to keep current
with assignments and avoid losing
course credit because of their absence
from school.”
 “To
the extent necessary, a
homebound teacher shall be assigned.”
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State Statute Requirement
At-Risk Student Funds
Use of At-Risk Student Funds

“Local school administrative units shall use,
as needed, supplemental funds from the
At-risk Student Services allotment to
support programs for pregnant and
parenting students.” (G.S. 115C-375.5)

Possible uses of At-Risk Student Funds:
Has your district used At-Risk Funds
for support services for pregnant or
parenting students?
What kinds of services have At-Risk
Student funds been used for?
tutoring, graduation coaches,
transportation for students and other
support services.
Orange County Schools (OCS)
Policy, Practices & Procedures

Board Policy 4023 Overview

MOU/Teen Parent Social Worker


Case Management (Pregnant and Parenting
Adolescents (PAPA) Interagency Team
OCS Board Policy 4023
“Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students”
The Orange County Board of Education ensures that pregnant and parenting
students are not discriminated against or excluded from school or any program,
class, or extracurricular activity….Therefore, the Board supports the following
rights of its pregnant and parenting students in the school district.

Pregnant and parenting students shall have the right to attend school.

Pregnant and parenting students shall receive homework and make-up work
to remain current with assignments and to avoid losing course credit due to
Annual Back-to-School Meeting for Pregnant
and Parenting Students (Handbook)
excused absences.


Homebound Education Services
Pregnant and parenting students shall have access to a homebound instructor
when medically necessary.

The attendance status of pregnant students shall be determined by the
student and her physician. Homebound instruction services shall be made
Donna Williams, Director of Student Support Services
and Healthful Living, Orange County Schools
available to pregnant students up to two (2) weeks prior to due date and up
to six (6) weeks after delivery. Exceptions to these timelines will be
considered ONLY when the student‟s physician has placed her on “bed rest.”
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OCS Board Policy 4023
“Education for Pregnant and Parenting
Students”




At the conclusion of the medical absence for pregnancy, the student shall be
reinstated to the status she held when the medical leave began.
All documented absences incurred by parenting students due to their child‟s
illnesses and medical appointments shall be excused absences.
No student shall bring his/her child or the child of anyone else to school for
a visit during regular instructional time, except as a specific part of an
instructional program, i.e., Parent and Child Development.
School officials may limit the activities of a pregnant student if her physician
states that an activity might be potentially hazardous to the health of the
pregnant student or the unborn child. The limitation of these school
activities shall not impact the academic status of the pregnant student.
Legal Reference:
SUPPORTING OCS
PREGNANT AND PARENTING STUDENTS
MOU/Dedicated Position
PAPA Interagency Team and APP
Community Advisory Council
Annual Back-to-School Meeting
(Handbook included)
G.S. 115C-375.5
Homebound Education Services
Annual Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU)
 Between
Orange County DSS and OCS
 Outlines
individual/joint
responsibilities to provide services
for pregnant and parenting
adolescents in the Orange County
Adolescent Parenting Program (APP)
 MOU
Homebound Instruction
 What
is OCS district‟s homebound
instruction policy and how is it being
implemented and monitored?
.
signatures
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Attendance Practices

How many weeks is student allowed for
birth and maternity leave?
Homebound Education Services
What is Homebound Education Service?


What documentation is needed and what is
process to get an absence excused?
Is student allowed to complete
assignments, tests missed during the
absence and receive full credit if the tasks
are completed in reasonable time?

OCS Compulsory Attendance
Policy 4400

How long can I receive Homebound
Instruction?
Homebound service is available to pregnant students up to two
(2) weeks prior to delivery and up to six (6) weeks after
delivery. Exceptions to these timelines will be considered ONLY
when the student has been placed on “bed rest”.

Other questions?
See or call your Teen Parent Social Worker at (919) 732-6133,
extension 20023 or e-mail beth.creech@orange.k12.nc.us.
How is Homebound Instruction obtained?
Contact the Teen Parent Social Worker at least 4 weeks prior
to maternity leave to complete the Homebound Referral Form
and to obtain a medical documentation form for approval by the
Orange County Schools‟ Exceptional Children‟s Director.
Homebound Education Services

If a student is unable to attend school due to a medical problem
for duration of at least four (4) weeks, he/she is eligible to receive
the services of a homebound teacher. Student must work with
the homebound teacher to remain current with academic
assignments.


For all absences, the student shall make up all work
in a timely manner at the convenience of the teacher.
School work will be made up for all absences under
the following conditions:
For absences of one (1) to three (3) days, the
student will have one day for each day absent to
make up work.
For absences exceeding three (3) days, the student
may have two (2) days for each day absent to make
up work. Special consideration should be given in
the case of extended absences due to injury or
chronic illness.
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Seat Time vs. Grades
Compulsory Attendance Policy 4400
1.
At the high school level, students in a block
semester class who are absent more than six (6)
days per semester and students in a year-long
class who are absent more than twelve (12) days
will receive a failing grade unless the absences are
successfully appealed or made up by the date
specified in the student handbook.
Students who fail due to excessive absences will
receive a grade of 65 for the grading
period. Students with excessive absences whose
averages are below 65 will receive their actual
grade.
2. Each teacher should enter the number of absences from his/her class to
get baseline data.
3. The number of absences will be compared with the number of excuses on
file.
4. Apply the common sense rule (Student was in the hospital but parent has
been slack on notes)
5. Look at the remaining excuses w/o notes to generate letters and
attendance information to send home.
6.
7.
What Pregnant and Parenting Students Need
to Stay in School?



Administrative Support and Climate of
Support
Clear, Enforced Policies
Homebound Instruction for Birth and
Postpartum Period

Flexible Scheduling

School Community Partnerships
Enter grades in NCWISE, enter the real grade, regardless of absences, no
shifting anyone to 65 because of absences.
If more detail is needed, teacher will be contacted.
For Data Manager: If a grade needs to be changed, change it, add the
comment about attendance to the report card, and contact teacher.
School Community Agency
Collaborations
DSS- TANF, Child care subsidies, financial,
transportation assistance
Health Dept.- Prenatal, family planning, childbirth
education, child health, doctor appointments, WIC,
Smart Start, Child Care Resources – child care
/subsidies for infant and toddlers
Adolescent Parenting Programs (30 in NC)
Case management, mentors, doulas, support groups,
parent education
Communities in Schools – strategies to reduce # of
dropouts & increase high school graduation rates
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Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, Women‟s & Children‟s Branch, NC Division of Public Health
http://www.teenpregnancy.ncdhhs.gov/projects.
www.teenpregnancy.ncdhhs.gov
htm
Support Services for Pregnant Teens
and Young Parents

Child care/Daycare vouchers – accessible, affordable,
quality AND transportation to and from day care & school

School-based /access to health center

Support – parent support groups, referral to communitybased parenting programs; home visiting services

Child development and parenting education classes

Outreach and support for teen fathers

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Access to comprehensive sex education classes
(NC Healthy Youth Act 2009)
www.teenpregnancy.ncdhhs.gov/projects.htm
Specialized Services
School & District Resources for
Pregnant and Parenting Students
:

 Advocates
who help them navigate school
and balance family and work responsibilities:






Director of Student Support Services
School counselor, social worker, nurse,
dropout coordinator
Homebound teacher, Graduation coach
Attentive teachers
Tutors, mentors
Involved family member or friend

Outreach efforts to re-enroll students

Roadmap to graduation
– Advising for core classes
– Innovative credit accumulation options

Evening or Saturday classes

Middle Colleges

Virtual High School

Nova Net
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Whose job is it…
Who in the district or school is in
charge of pregnant and parenting
students?
Who carries out Dropout Prevention
initiatives in you district?
ACTION PLANNING
 Write
on the 3x5 card
I plan to do the following:



1.
2.
3.
 Get
together with 4-5 others and share
2 or 3 of these action steps
 We
plan to contact you to hear updates
 on your actions
Resources

DPI website: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/

NC School Board Association –www.ncsba.org

DPI Title IX contact - Carolyn Guthrie, cguthrie@dpi.state.nc.us,,






Each LEA has contact info for Title IX Coordinator, etc. on their website
DPI webpage for Title IX –
www.ncpublicschools.org/federalprograms/titleIX
Working together, we can help pregnant students
and young parents attend school, achieve their
academic potential, graduate from high school
and go on to post-secondary education. , job
training, and good jobs. Let‟s help them achieve
their goals for a healthy, stable family life.
NC General Assembly – www.ncleg.net
When Girls Don’t Graduate We All Fail: A Call to Improve High
School Graduation Rates for Girls (2007) National women‟s Law
Center www.nwlc.org
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies
www.thenationalcampaign.org
Healthy Teen Network www.healthyteennetwork.org/
Advocates for Youth - www.advocatesforyouth.org
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Thank You
For more information, contact
Kathy Putnam, MSW
Donna Williams, MEd
kputnam@appcnc.org
donna.williams@orange.k12.nc.us
(919) 226-1880 (x 106)
(919) 732-8126 (x 19500)
www.appcnc.org
www.orange.k12.nc.us.org
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