Confronting the School Dropout Crisis

Reach out before they drop out

Student dropout rates continue to soar, despite decades of funding, research, programs, and professional development initiatives. This is a wakeup call.

Written by a former school dropout, Confronting the School Dropout Crisis encourages educators and related professionals to discover and explore the sometimes unnoticed reasons that youth drop out of school. With fresh strategies for prevention and intervention, this critical resource includes:

• How to reach and recover students who are at risk of dropping out or who already have
• Clear, impactful strategies that better engage and positively impact students who are at risk
• Moving personal stories from teens and the author

Confronting the School Dropout Crisis invites you to rethink how you address real dropout issues with young people and how to incorporate fresh approaches to better reach and positively impact these students and their caregivers-before it's too late.

Susan Bowman′s expertise and insight are invaluable to those supporting students who have disengaged from school. The powerful stories and authentic voices of the students amplify the impact of her strategic approach. Her work promises to transform how we understand, support, and re-engage students who have lost their path in education, leaving a lasting impact for generations. -- Ed Orszulak, Ph.D.

Confronting the School Dropout Crisis is an insightful and hopeful exploration of one of K-12 education′s most pressing issues. Making the book particularly impactful is Bowman’s use of personal stories—both her own and those of individuals like Raynard from Excel Academy. These narratives bring the dropout problem to life, moving it beyond statistics to real people and their struggles. For example, Raynard’s journey highlights the challenges students face but also the potential for transformation with the right support and educational environment. Bowman balances sobering realities with optimism, underscoring that resources exist to help those at risk or who have already dropped out. Her book serves as both a call to action and a source of encouragement for educators, families, and communities committed to helping students succeed. An important read for anyone wanting to help ensure brighter futures for all of America’s young people.

Susan Bowman has an Ed.S. in Counselor Education from the University of South Carolina. She worked as a secondary school counselor, a licensed professional counselor, and social worker specializing in helping troubled teens and their families. She also worked as a Title I counselor for the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and started a non-profit organization to help incarcerated youth. She has conducted seminars throughout the U.S. and abroad for educators on creative strategies for working with troubled adolescents. In 2005, the GED Testing Service awarded Susan with its highest honor, the Cornelius P. Turner Award, named for the founder of the GED Testing Program. This award is presented annually to a GED graduate who has made outstanding contributions to society in education, justice, health, public service, and social welfare. Susan was co-founder of Developmental Resources, an educational consulting company that provided national and international seminars and conferences. She was also co-founder of YouthLight, Inc., an educational publishing company.Susan is currently co-owner of YouthHope Consulting, LLC and consults and publishes books on how to work with troubled children and adolescents. She has been interviewed by the Arizona Tribune and the Wall Street Journal and numerous radio stations across the country. Her book on self-injury was recognized in USA Today. She has authored and co-authored more than twenty books and programs. Her memoir, Breaking Free: A Teenage Runaway’s Story of Survival and Triumph, is about her personal journey, which started when she dropped out of eighth grade and ran away from home. By age nineteen, after having her third child, she finally broke free of the toxic relationship with her daughters’ father and had to depend on welfare as her only means of financial support. She struggled as a teen mom to complete her education and make a better life for her and her daughters. With the help of a mentor, she received her GED and then went on to pursue several college degrees. Susan can be reached at .

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