The WestEd Justice & Research Prevention Center is the external evaluation partner for a six-year randomized field trial of More Than a Dream, a teen pregnancy prevention program for 6th-8th graders.
More Than a Dream is an innovative combination of two evidence-based programs:
- ¡Cuídate!, a culturally based youth curriculum consisting of six 60-minute modules delivered to small (6–10) mixed-gender groups
- Salud y Éxito, a gender-based parent education program delivered through audio CDs designed specifically for parents
The study, led by the Education Development Center (EDC), is testing whether the two programs, both as independent and as an integrated model, are reducing sexual and related risk behaviors among youth participants.
The study is a multi-site randomized field trial being undertaken in Albuquerque, NM; Colorado Springs, CO; Kansas City, MO; and Miami, FL. Recruited parents and youth complete baseline surveys and are randomized to four conditions to examine the impact of variations of treatment services. The study aims to recruit and randomize 1,500 youth across the four sites.
Outcome data are being collected at 6, 12, and 18 months to examine both the combined impact of ¡Cuídate! and Salud y Éxito, and each program separately on sexual activities and a variety of risky behaviors. The study is expected to be completed in 2016.