Working Paper: NBER ID: w17720
Authors: Scott A. Imberman; Adriana D. Kugler
Abstract: 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.
Keywords: school breakfast program; student performance; difference-in-differences
JEL Codes: I10; I21
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| In-class breakfast program (I24) | increased math achievement (I24) |
| In-class breakfast program (I24) | increased reading achievement (I24) |
| In-class breakfast program (I24) | improvements in attendance rates for high-achieving students (I24) |
| In-class breakfast program (I24) | increased test scores (I24) |
| In-class breakfast program (I24) | no significant effect on overall grades (I24) |
| In-class breakfast program (I24) | increased test scores among low-performing students (I24) |
| In-class breakfast program (I24) | increased test scores among Hispanic students (I24) |
| In-class breakfast program (I24) | increased test scores among students eligible for free lunch (I24) |