ReportBack in 2008, births to teens who lived in counties and cities where 25 persistently low-achieving schools are located accounted for 16 percent of all teen births in the United States, according to a new report by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. These same 25 school districts also accounted for 20 percent of all high school drop outs in the United States and are home to many of the nation’s lowest-performing high schools, often referred to as “dropout factories,” where only 60 percent or fewer of students graduate on time.

The new report, produced in collaboration with America’s Promise Alliance, underscores the clear link between teen pregnancy and dropping out of school and highlights what a number of communities across the United States are doing to directly confront these issues. With the help of school districts, public agencies, and community-based organizations, these communities—from California to New York and Texas to Tennessee —are using innovative strategies and activities to help students avoid pregnancy and complete their high school education.

Because the relationship between academic achievement and teen pregnancy is strong, we need to focus the conversation on how to replicate models like these mentioned in the report in order to strengthen the prevention of teen pregnancy. However possible, we need to incentivize school-community partnerships that will provide the integrated services needed to raise academic achievement, attendance and involvement while reducing the risk of teen pregnancy. By tackling the issue more directly, we can help a greater number of young women become college and career ready and thus coming a little closer to achieving education equity for more students.