Raising the Bar: Impacts and Implementation of the New Heights Program for Expectant and Parenting Teens in Washington, dc

Impact of New Heights on parenting females 
As noted previously, we control for district- and school-wide changes that affected all 
students over the study period by comparing the post-pre difference among nonparenting females 
to the post-pre difference among parenting females. Among nonparenting females, the post-pre 
difference is close to zero for unexcused absences per semester, days attended per semester, and 
for the semester graduation rate (Table IV.1). This suggests that the expansion of New Heights 
occurred when school- and district-wide policies were not having an effect on those outcomes. 
However, excused absences did increase among nonparenting females after New Heights 
expanded, as did credits earned per year. Through conversations with DCPS staff we learned that 
after the expansion DCPS changed the definition of an excused absence. DCPS staff also 
reported that the number of credits required for graduation increased and that the district 
improved scheduling to enable students to acquire more credits. These changes highlight the 
benefit of using a comparison group of nonparenting females to control for other policy changes 
taking place in DCPS and the effect those could have on nonparenting females. 
New Heights had positive impacts on all domains examined. 
New Heights improved 
school engagement through reduced unexcused absences per semester, increased excused 
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RAISING THE BAR: IMPACTS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW HEIGHTS PROGRAM
 
absences per semester, and increased days in attendance per semester among parenting females 
(Table IV.1). New Heights increased the number of credits earned per year. New Heights might 
have also increased the semester graduation rate of parenting females, though this finding is of 
marginal statistical significance and is less certain than the others based on the results of 
sensitivity tests.