After two and a half months of school Alicia's behavior has improved greatly, but she still stands out. She often yells, ignores or forgets directions, and leaves activities or the room when she feels like it. She makes big demands on Scarino's attention. Offered at two Portland schools through a federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools grant, the program is administered through the district's prevention office. If the child is having behavior problems at school, there's a good chance similar problems happen at home, notes Christina Newton, First Step consultant with Portland Public Schools.
Most parents are eager to have their child participate.
They love the idea. Parent Julie Patterson, whose son, Jacob, went through the program last year, admits that initially she felt embarrassed about her son's behavior. But the first meeting with Newton took that feeling away. It was just all out in the open, and plain and simple. Plain and simple also describes how First Step works in the classroom.