1 Evaluation of Choosing the Best Stan Weed, PhD., Nicole Anderson, M.S. Institute for Research and Evaluation Salt Lake City, Utah 10/1/05 Abstract Choosing the Best (CTB) is a set of new abstinence education curricula using a multi-year, sequential approach for students in the 6 th through 9 th grades. CTB was developed incorporating elements of social learning, cognitive learning and inductive learning theories and utilizes multi- dimensional learning methods including video vignettes, discussion groups, a student workbook, activities and homework assignments. Using a quasi-experimental design, 7 th , 8 th and 9 th grade students in one Georgia high school and its feeder middle school received either CTB or the health textbook abstinence education curriculum that complies with state guidelines. The students were administered a 58-item survey prior to the study, immediately after receiving CTB or the health textbook material, and twelve months later. Three hundred eighteen students who were virgin at pre test were able to be tracked and linked with a 12 month follow-up and had usable sexual activity status data. The comparison group and the treatment group did not differ on key demographics. After the interventions, the CTB students had more positive scores on the intervening variables associated with delaying sexual intercourse at the post-test and at the 12 month follow-up. Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in the initiation of sex of 47% (p=.03) between the groups at the 12 month follow-up, indicating that CTB does have a significant and positive effect on important mediators of, and on the initiation of, sexual activity. Introduction According to the YRBS in 2003, 46.7% of 9 th – 12 th graders have ever had sexual intercourse 1 . Since 1991, when the percent having had sexual intercourse was 54.1%, the results of the YRBS have consistently shown that fewer adolescents were reporting having ever had sexual intercourse. While the most recent studies of adolescent sexual behaviors are encouraging, the numbers are still too high for those who want adolescents to make wise choices and avoid negative health consequences. Consequently, program directors and curriculum developers are interested in determining the factors that will contribute to the continuation of this downward trend. In 1996 the federal government significantly increased funding for abstinence education. Since that time there has been a marked increase in the number and type of abstinence programs being implemented across the country 2 . The majority of programs were created in compliance with the A-H legislative requirements within Health Resources and Services Administration in the Department of Health and Human Services 3 . However, there is presently a dearth of evidence demonstrating whether these new abstinence programs are effective in decreasing the number of