Bob Collins Elected Chairman of the Board of the National Dropout Prevention Network

CLEMSON, SC — Bob Collins, former Superintendent of the Grossmont Union High School District, and retired Chief Academic Officer and Regional Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified  School District, has been elected Chairman of the Board of the National Dropout Prevention Network, a national nonprofit agency located at Clemson University, Clemson, SC. Collins is a recognized national authority regarding dropout prevention program designs and implementation strategies. He is also a national and international expert on curriculum design, formative assessment, career tech education, and college preparation programs

Founded in 1986, the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N) is the nation’s oldest and most recognized dropout prevention resource. It is a clearinghouse for research, information, data, and solutions that address one of our nation’s most serious social and economic issues. NDPC/N supports the dropout prevention efforts of educators, schools, school districts, states, and the federal government through research, national and international publications, professional development events, conferences, and training.

Their Web site, www.dropoutprevention.org, is the world’s most utilized resource for dropout prevention information. NDPC/N’s Fifteen Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention are the foundation of national graduation rate improvement statutes in many states.

NDPC/N events include the annual National Dropout Prevention Network Conference, where practitioners from all states convene to learn from leaders in the field. The National Forum on Dropout Prevention for Native and Tribal Communities explores unique challenges of improving graduation rates among Native Americans, and specialty conferences such as Reaching the Wounded Student focus on strategies for serving our most-at-risk youth. NDPC/N’s work touches all 50 states and a number of foreign countries.

The NDPC/N also regularly publishes newsletters and journals on dropout prevention, maintains a Model Programs Database, and has a National Dropout Prevention Specialist Certification Program that provides job-embedded professional development and recognition for those who address this issue in their daily work. The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network is a significant resource in addressing the issue of dropout prevention and recovery in our country today.

The NDPC/N provides ongoing resources and state-of-the-art programs, both in school and outside of school, to change student behavior and reengage at-risk students in learning. This includes early in-class and in-school intervention curriculum, counseling and community support programs, career-tech programs, family engagement models and mentoring designs. All of these models are designed to bring about change in schools and districts in how we address at-risk students.

For more information on your school or district becoming a member of the National Dropout Prevention Network, or for more information regarding utilizing NDPC/N’s resources and professional services in addressing your school’s dropout issues, contact ndpc@clemson.edu, visit www.dropoutprevention.org, or call 864 656-2599.