According to the authors, attempts to decrease dropouts and burnouts have failed because reformers have approached them as two distinct problems. The root causes are the same in each and "mandate an immediate and drastic reappraisal".

Giving Up on School is the culmination of years of sociological and anthropolgical research in school settings. The authors offer a compelling portrait of those who "turn off, tune out, and drop out" and then propose changes - both modest and not-so-modest - to reverse the trend.