FIRST STEP TO SUCCESS - AN EARLY INTERVENTION APPROACH FOR PREVENTINGSCHOOL ANTISOCIAL-BEHAVIOR

This article reports results of a 4-year study designed to develop and initially evaluate a combined home and school intervention approach t o preventing school antisocial behavior. The First Step to Success pro gram targets at-risk kindergartners who show the early signs of an ant isocial pattern of behavior (e.g., aggression, oppositional-defiant be havior, severe tantrumming, victimization of others). First Step to Su ccess consists of three interconnected modules: (a) proactive, univers al screening of all kindergartners; (b) school intervention involving the teacher, peers, and the target child; and (c) parent/caregiver tra ining and involvement to support the child's school adjustment. The ma jor goal of the program is to divert at-risk kindergartners from an an tisocial path in their subsequent school careers. Two cohorts of at-ri sk kindergartners, consisting of 24 and 22 students, were identified a nd exposed to the First Step to Success program during the 1993-1994 a nd 1994-1995 school years, respectively. A randomized. experimental, w ait-list control-group design was used to evaluate intervention effect s. Cohort 1 and 2 subjects were followed up through Grades 2 and 1, re spectively, with differing teachers and peer groups. Results indicated a measurable intervention effect for both cohorts and persistence of gains into the primary grades.