Social Forces, Social Justice, and School Attendance Problems in Youth

School attendance and completion are significant indicators of health and positive psychosocial development in children and adolescents. School attendance and completion rates remain particularly stifled, however, for students of color, students in poverty, and students with disabilities, among other vulnerable groups. Researchers and educational agencies often focus on student and family mechanisms of school attendance problems with less attention to dominant systems that truly propel school absenteeism. To keep these themes "front and center" for stakeholders, this article summarizes key social forces and social justice issues that impact school attendance problems for marginalized students who are often excluded from many aspects of the educational process. These issues include education deprivation, migration and discrimination, school funding, school discipline, residential mobility and housing insecurity, adverse childhood experiences, school climate, school victimization, access to care, and other barriers to school attendance. Recommendations for research, policy, and intervention are presented as well. These recommendations partly include greater incorporation of various ecological levels, interaction effects, policies to promote school engagement, broader school accountability measures, proactive early warning systems, and culturally responsive multi-tiered system of support interventions.