Families
And Schools Together (FAST) is a national, research-based
program that works toward four primary goals, to:
1) Enhance family functioning;
2) Promote child success in school;
3) Prevent substance abuse by the
child and family and
4) Reduce the stress that parents
and children experience in daily life.
To
achieve these goals, FAST brings together a team that includes
school personnel, human service professionals, and substance
abuse professionals with at-risk families (max. of 14 per
cycle) for 8 weeks of multi-family meetings with research-based
activities. FAST is reinforced through two years of monthly
group meetings in the follow-up program, FASTWORKS.
1,163 Families and 3,796 Children Served Since 2005
In
2006, the agency expanded FAST services to 762 families and
1,922 children – more than a 50% increase for services than
the year before. FAST
activities resulted in the following statistical improvements
for children during the 2006 school year:
MEASURABLE
RESULTS FOR CHILDREN
48%
Decrease in Suspensions
44%
Decrease in Below Average Academics
66%
Increase in Above Average Academic
24%
Decrease in Days Absent
49%
Decrease in Unsatisfactory Behavior
The
program has an 81% family retention rate in the present school
year. Services have been provided to approximately 75% of
the graduate families participating in FAST and FASTWORKS
at all the schools.
The
FAST program includes a mandatory and in-depth evaluation
for each FAST cycle, which demonstrates statistically significant
improvements in the children's behavior within the family
and the school environment, as well as the parents' involvement
with their children and the school community. The benefits
of the FAST program typically double after completion of the
follow-up program, FASTWORKS.
On
average, FAST parents spend 22 ½ hours at the school,
much of this time with at least one representative from the
school – often a teacher or counselor – who is participating
as a FAST team member. Principals are encouraged to stop by,
and many do.
In
addition to recruiting parents in becoming parent partners
in running FAST, the FAST program is also designed to strengthen
involvement at the schools and with the Home and School Association.
Parents, teachers, and school administrators report closer
relationships between the schools and participating parents.
FAST bridges gaps between the elementary schools and communities,
a philosophical shift that parents bring with them after FAST
ends and their children graduate from elementary school.
