ERIC Number: ED528375
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Jan
Pages: 0
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Effect of Providing Breakfast on Student Performance: Evidence from an In-Class Breakfast Program. NBER Working Paper No. 17720
Imberman, Scott A.; Kugler, Adriana D.
National Bureau of Economic Research
In response to low take-up, many public schools have experimented with moving breakfast from the cafeteria to the classroom. We examine whether such a program increases performance as measured by standardized test scores, grades and attendance rates. We exploit quasi-random timing of program implementation that allows for a difference-in-differences identification strategy. Our main identification assumption is that schools where the program was introduced earlier would have evolved similarly to those where the program was introduced later. We find that in-class breakfast increases both math and reading achievement by about one-tenth of a standard deviation relative to providing breakfast in the cafeteria. Moreover, we find that these effects are most pronounced for low performing, free-lunch eligible, Hispanic, and low BMI students. We also find some improvements in attendance for high achieving students but no impact on grades.
Descriptors: Reading Achievement, Breakfast Programs, Standardized Tests, Academic Achievement, Identification, Program Implementation, Program Effectiveness, Dining Facilities, Grades (Scholastic), Attendance, Low Achievement, Hispanic American Students, Student Characteristics, Predictor Variables, Mathematics Achievement, Ancillary School Services, Nutrition, Low Income Groups
National Bureau of Economic Research. 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5398. Tel: 617-588-0343; Web site: http://www.nber.org
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: National Bureau of Economic Research
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A