In the domain of school-based tobacco control, there is a large gap between the research being performed and the type of research needed to inform school-based prevention activities. The tobacco module of the school health action planning and evaluation system is a data collection and feedback system designed to support school-based tobacco control planning and evaluation. Despite numerous opportunities to evaluate interventions and natural experiments that have been occurring within schools, school boards, provinces, and even nationally within the last few years, a lack of systematic data collection means that the impact of these initiatives has not been robustly evaluated. (Contains 2 figures.)