Strategy

Fast Track

What is it?

Fast Track is a comprehensive intervention program designed to promote academic, behavioral, and social outcomes for at-risk children in first through tenth grade. Fast Track focuses on enhancing supportive parent-child relationships and developing children’s emotional communication, social understanding, self-control, and problem-solving skills. The program is conducted through home visits, parent-child activities, tutoring sessions, peer learning sessions, and lessons.

What is the evidence base?

Children who participate in Fast Track have fewer conduct problems, lower rates of aggressive school behaviors, lower rates of identification for special education, higher levels of social cognition, and are less likely to engage in risky behavior during adolescence and young adulthood. Children who participate in Fast Track are also less likely to require professional general health, pediatric, and emergency department services. Parents who participate in the program interacted more warmly with children, demonstrated more positive school involvement, and used more appropriate discipline practices.

• Bierman et al_2005_The Effects of Fast Track on Serious Problem Outcomes at the end of Elementary School
• Jones et al_2010 Impact of the Fast Track prevention program on health services use by conduct-problem youth