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Youth & Society
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"I Wanna Have a Good Future": Teen Mothers' Rise in Educational Aspirations, Competing Demands, and Limited School Support

Lee SmithBattle

Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri

This longitudinal study examined teen mothers' descriptions of being students before and after giving birth and the impact of mothering on their educational goals and school progress. Nineteen teens and at least one of their parents were interviewed six times from the third trimester of pregnancy to 10 months postpartum. Regardless of their school status prior to pregnancy, the anticipation of motherhood led teens to reevaluate their priorities and motivated them to remain in or return to school. The transformed meaning and significance of school in the lives of these teens was apparent in improved grades, in their resolve to graduate, and in their new interest in attending college. Their renewed commitment to school was often thwarted by competing work demands, family responsibilities, and school policies and practices. These findings suggest that professionals are missing a critical opportunity to promote teen mothers' educational goals and their long-term success.

Key Words: school-age mothers • adolescent mothers • educational policy • Title IX • high-risk students

Youth & Society, Vol. 38, No. 3, 348-371 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0044118X06287962
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