The purpose of Fast Track is to learn what children need in order to succeed in school. We know some children do well in school, but other children have problems in learning or behavior. Students enroll in Fast Track when they enter kindergarten, and project organizers continue working with the children through their transition into middle school. The students' parents are enlisted as project staff members and are paid to attend courses designed to improve their child-rearing skills. Transportation and child care are provided.
Students also attend workshops, in which they learn crucial social and cognitive skills.
Other components of the project include regular academic tutoring for students, home visits by Fast Track staff members, meetings between parents and teachers, a mentoring program, a middle-school transition program, and a curriculum to promote healthy social and emotional growth that teachers may use in classrooms with Fast Track students. Now in its sixth year, Fast Track is a joint project of Vanderbilt University, Duke University, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Washington. The project is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. For more information, please call 343-5823 or visit Fast Track's web site .