School Attendance Research Articles

The seeds of reform; the evolution of the alternative care system in the Maldives

This article will present the evolution of alternative care provision in the Maldives. The Maldives is a small island nation located in the Indian Ocean, with a population of around 530,000. Since the signing and ratification of the UNCRC in 1991, there have been many improvements in children’s lives; for example, progress has been made in school attendance, improved child literacy rates and infant mortality has been reduced significantly. However, the country still faces several challenges in terms of child welfare, including internal child trafficking, child abuse, neglect and child marriage. There are currently 187 children living apart from their families in alternative care, which accounts for 0.02% of children in the country. The predominant form of alternative care provision remains institutional, which is typified by large numbers of children cared for by relatively low numbers of care staff. The article will explain, how historically, when a child was unable to remain with their parents, informal kinship care was the predominant form of provision. Often this would result in grandmothers, aunts and the wider family/kinship groups looking after children. However, with the establishment of a large reformatory school Islaahiya in Male Atoll in 1979, residential care was created as an option for boys who were described as having behavioural issues. It remained a key alternative care provider in the country until it closed in 2013. In 2004, the state-run institution Kudakudhinge Hiya was established to care for 45 boys and girls from 0 to 9 years old. Then in 2016 with the support of the Qatar Foundation, the state built another institution Fiyavithi, which still cares for 80 children under 13 years of age. The article will conclude with an overview of the most recent developments in the Maldives’ alternative care system. It will highlight how the Child Rights Protection Act (2019) has sown the seeds of care reform with primary legislation enacting regulations for family-based provision. This has formalised the previously established foster care panel that was set up in 2012. There are now 18 registered formal foster carers across the Maldives who are caring for 16 children. Furthermore, in 2020 whilst waiting for the growth in foster care, the state government started to shift from large-scale institutions by establishing nine smaller institutions, located across the atoll, each caring for no more than 25 children. The ministry has also embarked on processes of family reunification. The article will critically discuss these developments, highlight the challenges experienced during these recent reforms and provide key messages for policy and practice going forward.

School attendance is everyone's business

School attendance is everyone's business

Investigating the factors associated with meaningful improvement on the SF-36-PFS and exploring the appropriateness of this measure for young people with ME/CFS accessing an NHS specialist service: a prospective cohort study

ObjectivesPaediatric myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is relatively common and disabling, but little is known about the factors associated with outcome. We aimed to describe the number and characteristics of...

Incentivizing School Attendance in the Presence of Parent-Child Information Frictions

Many countries use CCTs targeted to parents to promote schooling. Attendance conditions may work through two channels: incentivization and information. If children have private information, (i) providing attendance information to parents may increase attendance inexpensively relative to CCTs and (ii) it may be more effective to incentivize children, who have full information, than parents. Tackling both questions in a unified experimental setting, we find that information alone improves parental monitoring and has a large effect relative to our CCT. Incentivizing children is at least as effective as incentivizing parents––importantly, not because parents were able to appropriate transfers to children. (JEL D82, D83, I21, I22, I28, L31, O15)

Mapping the Expertise and Understanding of Menarche, Menstrual Hygiene, and Menstrual Health among Adolescent Ladies in Low- and Center-Profit Nations

Mapping the Expertise and Understanding of Menarche, Menstrual Hygiene, and Menstrual Health among Adolescent Ladies in Low- and Center-Profit Nations

A Description of School Refusal Behavior in Adolescents Prior to Acute Care Admission

This study uses a novel measure to describe school refusal (SR) behavior among 91 adolescents ages 13 to 18 years old in the month leading up to a partial hospitalization program (PHP) admission. Youth exhibit a range of SR behaviors. Three fourths (77%) reported missing at least two full days of school and nearly one third (29%) reported being absent from school the entire month before PHP admission. Among youth who reported attending school, 36% reported leaving school early, 55% reported leaving the classroom, and 59% reported arriving late to school at least “a little” or 2 days in the month prior to PHP admission. Youth rarely shared that they spend time with friends or doing homework while absent from school. In addition, agreement between caregivers and youth on the extent to which youth are struggling with school attendance and how youth spend their time while out of school was low to moderate ( r = .14–.52). Results suggest that the School Interference Questionnaire (SIQ) can complement existing SR instruments to offer descriptive information about the frequency and type of SR behavior, perceived impact, and targets of intervention by identifying potential positive and negative reinforcers.

The Influence of School Based Menstrual Hygiene Management Programs on School Attendance among Girls in Public Primary Schools in Kisumu West Sub-County, Kisumu County, Kenya

Most governments have prioritized Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) practices for safe schools. However, girls and women in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) still face significant challenges in managing their menstruation. This study examined the influence of school based MHM Programs on school attendance among girls in public Primary schools in Kisumu west sub-county, Kisumu County, Kenya. The study was anchored on the Sanitary Hardware theory. The study employed descriptive survey research design where both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Questionnaires were administered to a selected sample of 356 respondents drawn from a target population of 3233. The sample size was arrived at using the Yamane (1967) formula. The respondents consisted of class 6-8 girls, teachers, Head-Teachers, and MoE officials who were key informants for the study. The collected data was filtered, organized, coded and later analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 software. Analysis was done in form of descriptive and inferential statistics. From the findings, the F ratio is 111.855, which means that improvement due to fitting the model is much greater than the model inaccuracies (F (1, 336) = 111.855, p=0.001). This implies that Menstrual Hygiene Management school-based programs are useful predictor of school attendance. The researcher therefore recommends that schools should be able to ensure consistent availability of water for use by girls during menstruation. They should be empowered to involve themselves in making reusable pads to assist those who cannot afford disposable pads use locally available materials in menstrual management.

Influence of Menstrual Hygiene Management Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices and School Attendance among Girls in Public Primary Schools in Kisumu West Sub-County, Kisumu County, Kenya

School based comprehensive sexuality education that addresses Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) knowledge practices – including hygiene practices and management of menstrual pain may be an avenue for addressing both poor MHM practices and absenteeism, if they are locally adapted and practiced. Inadequate knowledge, lack of access to quality sanitary materials, cultural beliefs and taboos around menstruation and MHM, are common challenges that can negatively affect Education, Employment, Health and psychosocial outcomes. The study aimed at examining Menstrual Hygiene Management Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices in public primary schools in public Primary schools in Kisumu west sub-county. The respondents consisted of class 6-8 girls, teachers, Head teachers, and MoE officials who were key informants for the study. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and interview schedules. The data analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 software. Both quantitative and qualitative findings were presented in the study. The study revealed that there is high prevalence of poor MHM among adolescent girls, and there exist a strong association between poor MHM and low knowledge. The study concluded that menstrual hygiene management in public primary schools is greatly influenced by knowledge, attitudes and practices of school management and girls’ perceptions. The study recommends the need for comprehensive education interventions in school settings, delivered during early adolescence to reach pre-menarche girls, particularly in rural settings for improve menstrual hygiene practices. The government should have a clear monitoring tool to ensure pupils receive accurate and timely information on menstruation and menstrual hygiene management.

School-based caries prevention and the impact on acute and chronic student absenteeism

BackgroundPoor oral health is significantly associated with absenteeism, contributing to millions of lost school hours per year. The effect of school-based dental programs that address oral health care inequities on student attendance has not yet been explored. MethodsCariedAway was a longitudinal, cluster-randomized, noninferiority trial of minimally invasive medicines for caries used in a school-based program. We extracted data on school absenteeism and chronically absent students from publicly available data sets for years before, during, and after program onset (2016-2021). Total absences and the proportion of chronically absent students were modeled using multilevel mixed-effects linear and 2-limit tobit regression, respectively. ResultsIn years in which treatment was provided through a school-based caries prevention program, schools recorded approximately 944 fewer absences than in nontreatment years (95% CI, –1,739 to –149). Averaged across all study years, schools receiving either treatment had 1,500 fewer absences than comparator schools, but this was not statistically significant. In contrast, chronic absenteeism was found to significantly decrease in later years of the program (b, –.037; 95% CI, –.062 to –.011). Excluding data for years affected by COVID-19 removed significant associations. ConclusionsAlthough originally designed to obviate access barriers to critical oral health care, early integration of school-based dental programs may positively affect school attendance. However, the observed effects may be due to poor reliability of attendance records resulting from the closing of school facilities in response to COVID-19, and further study is needed. Practical ImplicationsSchool-based caries prevention may also improve educational outcomes, in addition to providing critical oral health care. This clinical trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. The registration number is NCT03442309.

The influence of depressive symptoms and school-going status on risky behaviors: a pooled analysis among adolescents in six sub-Saharan African countries.

Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regarding risky behaviors among adolescents remains scarce, despite the large population (approximately 249 million out of 1.2 billion globally in 2019) of adolescents in the region. We aimed to examine the potential influence of depressive symptoms and school-going status on risky behaviors among adolescents in six SSA countries. We used individual cross-sectional data from adolescents aged 10-19 based in eight communities across six SSA countries, participating in the ARISE Network Adolescent Health Study (N = 7,661). Outcomes of interest were cigarette or tobacco use, alcohol use, other substance use, getting into a physical fight, no condom use during last sexual intercourse, and suicidal behavior. We examined the proportion of adolescents reporting these behaviors, and examined potential effects of depressive symptoms [tertiles of 6-item Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale (KADS-6) score] and school-going status on these behaviors using mixed-effects Poisson regression models. We also assessed effect modification of associations by sex, age, and school-going status. The proportion of adolescents reporting risky behaviors was varied, from 2.2% for suicidal behaviors to 26.2% for getting into a physical fight. Being in the higher tertiles of KADS-6 score was associated with increased risk of almost all risky behaviors [adjusted risk ratio (RR) for highest KADS-6 tertile for alcohol use: 1.70, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.48-1.95, p < 0.001; for physical fight: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.36-1.70, p < 0.001; for suicidal behavior: 7.07, 95% CI: 2.69-18.57, p < 0.001]. Being in school was associated with reduced risk of substance use (RR for alcohol use: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.53-1.00, p = 0.047), and not using a condom (RR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.66-0.99, p = 0.040). There was evidence of modification of the effect of school-going status on risky behaviors by age and sex. Our findings reinforce the need for a greater focus on risky behaviors among adolescents in SSA. Addressing depressive symptoms among adolescents, facilitating school attendance and using schools as platforms to improve health may help reduce risky behaviors in this population. Further research is also required to better assess the potential bidirectionality of associations.

School Attendance Problems Among Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions One year Following the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The present study investigated school absence among 1,076 5-15 year-old children with neurodevelopmental conditions (intellectual disability and/or autism) approximately one year following the start of COVID-19 in the UK. Parents completed an online survey indicating whether their child was absent from school during May 2021 and the reason for each absence. Multi-variable regression models investigated child, family and school variables associated with absenteeism and types of absenteeism. Qualitative data were collected on barriers and facilitators of school attendance. During May 2021, 32% of children presented with persistent absence (missing ≥ 10% of school). School refusal and absence due to ill-health were the most frequent types of absence, accounting for 37% and 22% of days missed, respectively. COVID-19 related absence accounted for just 11% of days missed. Child anxiety was associated with overall absenteeism and with days missed because of school refusal. Parent pandemic anxiety and child conduct problems were not associated with school absenteeism. Hyperactivity was associated with lower levels of absenteeism and school refusal but higher levels of school exclusion. A positive parent-teacher relationship was associated with lower levels of absenteeism, school refusal and exclusion. Child unmet need in school was the most frequently reported barrier to attendance while COVID-19 was one of the least frequently reported barriers. COVID-19 had a limited impact on school attendance problems during this period. Findings highlighted the role of child mental health in different types of absence and the likely protective role of a positive parent-teacher relationship.

Statistical analysis plan for a cluster randomised trial in Madhya Pradesh, India: support to rural India’s public education system and impact on numeracy and literacy scores (STRIPES2)

BackgroundIndia has made steady progress in improving rates of primary school enrolment but levels of learning achievement remain low. The Support To Rural India’s Public Education System (STRIPES) trial provided evidence that an after-school para-teacher intervention improved numeracy and literacy levels in Telangana, India. The STRIPES2 trial investigates whether such an intervention will have a similar effect on the literacy and numeracy of primary school age children in the Satna District of Madhya Pradesh, India.Methods/designThe STRIPES2 trial forms one part of a cluster-randomised controlled trial with villages (clusters) randomised to receive either a health (CHAMPION2) or education (STRIPES2) intervention. Building on the design of the earlier CHAMPION/STRIPES trial, villages receiving the health intervention are controls for the education intervention and vice versa. The primary outcome is a combined literacy and numeracy score. Secondary outcomes include separate scores for literacy and numeracy; caregivers’ engagement with child’s learning; expenditure on education; enrolment in school; caregiver’s report of school attendance and the cost effectiveness of the intervention. Over 7000 primary school age children have been recruited and randomised in STRIPES2.DiscussionThis update to the published trial protocol gives a detailed plan for the statistical analysis of the STRIPES 2 trial.Trial registrationRegistry of India: CTRI/2019/05/019296. Registered on 23 May 2019. http://www.ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pdf_generate.php?trialid=31198&EncHid=&modid=&compid=%27,%2731198det%27

Bullying and victimization in schools: Causal relationship between adolescent disruptive behavior, sleep schedules, and extended school hours

AbstractVery few studies have identified the relationship between chronotype, sleep habits, and bullying/victimization in school and online contexts. The objective of this work is to identify predictors of frequency of bullying/cyberbullying in Portuguese pubescent and adolescent populations, such as chronotype and sleep aspects, controlling for gender, age, grade, and school attendance hours. One hundred and seventeen Portuguese students from the second and third grades of elementary school were considered, 41 (34.5%) of which were males and 76 (63.9%) were females. The measures used were the Children's Chronotype Questionnaire and the Bullying and Cyberbullying Behaviors Questionnaire: Short Form (BCBQ‐SF). Percentile analyses, multivariate analysis of variance, nonparametric tests, and hierarchical and nonhierarchical linear logistic regression analyses were performed to confirm the prediction models and to identify causal variables moderating the effect of bullying and victimization in adolescents of various ages and school grades, with different school and sleep schedules. Adolescents with more episodes of victimization had higher sleeping problems, especially in terms of sleep duration (late hours of awakening/rest times and falling asleep, especially on days off); the school grade, the average daily school attendance hours, and school entrance time were some predictors found. The model differed in the variable of hours of curricular enrichment activities. The higher the eveningness score, the more aggression was reported.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Prevalence of Head Lice Infestation among Children Attending Schools and Kindergartens in Poland.

Pediculosis capitis predominantly affects child populations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, various types of social limitations such as social isolation and limitations on educational facilities' functionalities were introduced worldwide, including in Poland. The impact of these pandemic restrictions on the prevalence of pediculosis capitis has not been extensively investigated so far. Existing data on this topic are limited mainly to indirect evaluation methods, such as online surveys or Internet analysis. In this study, we directly examined a cohort of over five thousand children to assess the influence of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on the prevalence of head lice infestation among school and kindergarten attendees in Poland. Our findings demonstrate that the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in the number of children infested with head lice compared to pre-pandemic data. These results confirm that head lice infestations remain an ongoing epidemiological concern and warrant continued monitoring.

Functional Family Therapy for families of youth (age 11-18) with behaviour problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a short-term family-based intervention for youth with behaviour problems. FFT has been widely implemented in the USA and other high-income countries. It is often described as an evidence-based program with consistent, positive effects. We aimed to synthesise the best available data to assess the effectiveness of FFT for families of youth with behaviour problems. Searches were performed in 2013-2014 and August 2020. We searched 22 bibliographic databases (including PsycINFO, ERIC, MEDLINE, Science Direct, Sociological Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, World CAT dissertations and theses, and the Web of Science Core Collection), as well as government policy databanks and professional websites. Reference lists of articles were examined, and experts were contacted to search for missing information. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental designs (QEDs) with parallel cohorts and statistical controls for between-group differences at baseline. Participants were families of young people aged 11-18 with behaviour problems. FFT programmes were compared with usual services, alternative treatment, and no treatment. There were no publication, geographic, or language restrictions. Two reviewers independently screened 1039 titles and abstracts, read all available study reports, assessed study eligibility, and extracted data onto structured electronic forms. We assessed risks of bias (ROB) using modified versions of the Cochrane ROB tool and the What Works Clearinghouse standards. Where possible, we used random effects models with inverse variance weights to pool results across studies. We used odds ratios for dichotomous outcomes and standardised mean differences for continuous outcomes. We used Hedges g to adjust for small sample sizes. We assessed the heterogeneity of effects with χ 2 and I 2. We produced separate forest plots for conceptually distinct outcomes and for different endpoints (<9, 9-14, 15-23, and 24-42 months after referral). We grouped studies by study design (RCT or QED), and then assessed differences between these two subgroups of studies with χ 2 tests. We generated robust variance estimates, using correlated effects (CE) models with small sample corrections to synthesise all available outcome data. Exploratory CE analyses assessed potential moderators of effects within these domains. We used GRADE guidelines to assess the certainty of evidence on six primary outcomes at 1 year after referral. Twenty studies (14 RCTs and 6 QEDs) met our inclusion criteria. Fifteen of these studies provided some valid data for meta-analysis; these studies included 10,980 families in relevant FFT and comparison groups. All included studies had high risks of bias on at least one indicator. Half of the studies had high risks of bias on baseline equivalence, support for intent-to-treat analysis, selective reporting, and conflicts of interest. Fifteen studies had incomplete reporting of outcomes and endpoints. Using the GRADE rubric, we found that the certainty of evidence for FFT was very low for all of our primary outcomes. Using pairwise meta-analysis, we found no evidence of effects of FFT compared with other active treatments on any primary or secondary outcomes. Primary outcomes were: recidivism, out-of-home placement, internalising behaviour problems, external behaviour problems, self-reported delinquency, and drug or alcohol use. Secondary outcomes were: peer relations and prosocial behaviour, youth self esteem, parent symptoms and behaviour, family functioning, school attendance, and school performance. There were few studies in the pairwise meta-analysis (k < 7) and little heterogeneity of effects across studies in most of these analyses. There were few differences between effect estimates obtained in RCTs versus QEDs. More comprehensive CE models showed positive results of FFT in some domains and negative results in others, but these effects were small (standardised mean difference [SMD] <|0.20|) and not significantly different from no effect with one exception: Two studies found positive effects of FFT on youth substance abuse and two studies found null results in this domain, and the overall effect estimate for this outcome was statistically different from zero. Over all outcomes (15 studies and 293 effect sizes), small positive effects were detected (SMD = 0.19, SE = 0.09), but these were not significantly different from zero effect. Prediction intervals showed that future FFT evaluations are likely to produce a wide range of results, including moderate negative effects and strong positive results (-0.37 to 0.75). Results of 10 RCTs and five QEDs show that FFT does not produce consistent benefits or harms for youth with behavioural problems and their families. The positive or negative direction of results is inconsistent within and across studies. Most outcomes are not fully reported, the quality of available evidence is suboptimal, and the certainty of this evidence is very low. Overall estimates of effects of FFT may be inflated, due to selective reporting and publication biases.

Children's lived experience and perceptions of community members' influence on their schooling: a study in Uganda.

Global and national initiatives have successfully increased access to public education in low- and middle-income countries. However, many students in rural regions in these countries have high rates of absenteeism and drop-out, and low levels of academic engagement. Together, these significantly limit children's academic performance and achievement. One strategy that addresses these barriers seeks to engage members of the wider local community in schools. Most previous research focuses on adults' perspectives even though the potential benefit of community engagement is greatest when learners perceive it to be positive. Past research has also focused on community members structured engagement in activities within schools. This research provides a wider exploration of children's lived experience and perceptions concerning community members' influence on their schooling and learning. The aim was to gain a rich picture of how primary school students in rural Uganda perceive that community members' behavior helps or hinders their education. Qualitative data from students 10 to 13 years of age were collected through individual interviews that used the draw-and-talk technique (n = 20) and four focus group discussions. Seven broad categories of community members' actions were perceived to be positive (conflict resolution; supporting students' physical well-being; encouraging learning and positive behavior; reducing truancy; providing food and financial support; collective community work; and political representation). Four categories of community members' actions were perceived to have a negative influence (creating barriers to attending school; noise and other distractions; insecurity; and theft and vandalism). We conclude that carefully structured community involvement in schooling may improve the emotional and material support that facilitates students' continued school attendance and their motivation for learning. However, we also identify some limits on the role that local communities may be able to play in overcoming the challenges facing education in low- and middle-income countries.

The Effect of the Primary Project Program on School Attendance in Early Childhood

Chronic absenteeism in early childhood is associated with numerous adverse outcomes throughout childhood and adolescence. Interventions are needed to prevent chronic absenteeism and support child development in early education. The present study investigated the effect of Primary Project, a school-based prevention program, on average school attendance among chronically absent students in kindergarten through second grade (N = 249). Results showed that students randomly selected to participate in Primary Project had a higher attendance percentage at the end of the year compared to the control group. This effect was not moderated by grade level nor by sex. Results show that Primary Project is a useful intervention for schools to improve student engagement via attendance.

Molecular Epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae Detected in Hospitalized Pediatric Acute Respiratory Infection Cases in Central Vietnam.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the major bacterial pathogen causing high pneumonia morbidity and mortality in children <5 years of age. This study aimed to determine the molecular epidemiology of S. pneumoniae detected among hospitalized pediatric ARI cases at Khanh Hoa General Hospital, Nha Trang, Vietnam, from October 2015 to September 2016 (pre-PCV). We performed semi-quantitative culture to isolate S. pneumoniae. Serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, resistance gene detection and multi-locus sequence typing were also performed. During the study period, 1300 cases were enrolled and 413 (31.8%) S. pneumoniae were isolated. School attendance, age <3 years old and prior antibiotic use before admission were positively associated with S. pneumoniae isolation. Major serotypes were 6A/B (35.9%), 19F (23.7%) and 23F (12.7%), which accounted for 80.3% of vaccine-type pneumococci. High resistance to Clarithromycin, Erythromycin and Clindamycin (86.7%, 85%, 78.2%) and the mutant drug-resistant genes pbp1A (98.1%), pbp2b (98.8%), pbp2x (99.6%) ermB (96.6%) and mefA (30.3%) were detected. MLST data showed high genetic diversity among the isolates with dominant ST 320 (21.2%) and ST 13223 (19.3%), which were mainly found in Vietnam. Non-typeables accounted for most of the new STs found in the study. Vaccine-type pneumococcus and macrolide resistance were commonly detected among hospitalized pediatric ARI cases.

Do family characteristics predict student absenteeism?

This study sought to examine the relationship between family characteristics and Junior High School students’ absenteeism in selected schools in the Asante Akyem Central Municipality of Ghana. A total of 408 students were included in this study. This study accentuates the instrumental role that family ties, parents’ economic status, mothers’ income and parents–teachers’ association meeting attendance play in influencing students’ absenteeism. For example, the study found that mothers’ level of income negatively predicted the number of times students absent themselves from school in a term. As mothers’ income increases, the number of times students absent themselves from school decreases. Understanding the significant role family characteristics play in student’s school attendance is vital for promoting students’ attendance and school engagement. Implications for policy and practices are discussed.

Data Access and the Study of Educational Equity: Implications from a National School Boundary Data Collection Effort

Abstract School attendance zone boundary (AZB) data remain relatively underdocumented and understudied within the field of education, despite their critical implications for educational (in)equity. AZBs shape student outcomes and residential sorting patterns both by determining the public schools a student is assigned to and by signaling neighborhood characteristics to prospective homebuyers. The limited access, regulation, and review of AZB data to date has left a gap in the knowledge base, having the potential to leave intact (and exacerbate) patterns of segregation that maintain inequities in educational opportunity. Lack of data also limits our ability to know whether and when AZBs may mitigate segregation. In this brief, we examine a novel data collection effort of current and historical AZB data—the Longitudinal School Attendance Boundary System—to explore the contextual and political factors associated with data access and data quality. We aim to show how factors that hinder access to quality AZB data affect the study of educational equity, and we advocate for more comprehensive, top–down governmental efforts to create, maintain, and collect these data.