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

Coordinators fostered collaboration within schools 
Given the program’s emphasis on collaboration between school staff and the coordinators, 
developing visibility in the school and building credibility with the staff was critical to its 
success. Coordinators were central office staff, placed within a school. Recognizing this 
dynamic, New Heights’ coordinators worked hard to develop relationships with and access to 
teachers, administrators, support staff, and students, which were important for getting buy-in for 
the program. 
To integrate into the school team and secure program support, coordinators reported that 
they highlighted program benefits and the ways in which the program could relieve teachers’ and 
administrators’ burdens. When the relationships developed, teachers and coordinators often 
worked together to connect with and engage hard-to-reach students. For example, one 
coordinator said she often sat with students who exhibited disruptive behaviors in class to let the 
teacher and the student know she was there as a resource. For students on leave, coordinators 
worked closely with teachers to offer assistance (such as making copies) in preparing homework 
packets, and ensuring those packets got to students and that the assignments made it back to the 
teacher. Coordinators also volunteered their time for school events, committees, and meetings. 
One coordinator indicated that she was on the attendance committee and could provide input on 
policies that supported New Heights’ goals, such as excused absences. Another attended the 
Academic Leadership Team meetings, at which the progress of individual students was 
discussed. As Vignette 2 demonstrates, integrating the coordinator within the school aided 
successful collaboration with teachers and showed students that their challenges were recognized 
and supported. 
By and large, New Heights coordinators 
and program leadership reported that school 
administrators and teachers had been supportive 
of New Heights; they perceived the program as 
a valuable and free resource that required 
limited involvement of school staff. They 
welcomed the chance to improve students’ 
outcomes and reduce the stigma associated with 
teen pregnancy in schools. However, in a small 
number of schools, coordinators reported that 
teachers perceived New Heights as encouraging 
or coddling uncooperative or troublesome 
students, and school administrators felt threatened by a central office program
. 
Although this 
situation was an exception and not the norm, coordinators in these schools felt that the attitudes 
of the school staff made it much more difficult to advocate for their students: “There is a 
problem in DCPS around some schools that don’t want certain students in the building [and] they 
will find a way to get them out.” 
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RAISING THE BAR: IMPACTS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW HEIGHTS PROGRAM
 
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RAISING THE BAR: IMPACTS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW HEIGHTS PROGRAM