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Teen Pregnancy Prevention Teen pregnancy rates in the U.S. are the highest in the Western world, but they have been dropping as of late. Why? Dr. Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, National Center for Children and Families, Teachers College, Columbia University, speculates that it is partly due to public opinion and partly due to increased access to information regarding contraceptive use. In her work she has found that the best predictor of teen pregnancy is disengagement from school. Therefore, she emphasizes the need to focus on keeping girls in school as well as engaged after school. (Most girls get pregnant, she states, between 3pm and 7pm.) She goes on to describe programs that are currently used in schools and communities to prevent teen pregnancy.

1			Dr. Brooks-Gunn's findings illustrate the importance of social science research. Without studies such as hers, we might not know that keeping girls in school could lower teen pregnancy rates. To learn more about research on teen pregnancy, visit the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy site (www.teenpregnancy.org). Click on "Research, Resources & Information," and then "Research, Polling, and Data." Now click on "Teen Pregnancy and Birth Data" and then "General Facts and Stats." Which research design was most likely used to collect this data? Suppose you have been asked to conduct a study of teen pregnancy in a local high school. Which research design would you choose? Explain.