Breakfast of Champions: Universal Free Breakfast and Student Conflict and Test Scores in Texas Schools

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between student test scores and discipline outcomes in Texas public schools and whether or not schools participated in the Universal Free Breakfast Program (UFB). Eating a routine breakfast leads to increased physical and mental performance, as well as test scores. Surprisingly, there has been little focus on how eating a routine breakfast affects disruptive behaviors including violence, truancy, and other classroom incidents. I compile a panel data set from two administrative sources in Texas, spanning school years 2011/2012-2016/2107. Using fixed effects models and a staggered difference in differences model, I find that schools that offer UFB do indeed have higher test scores, and also have reduced conflict outcomes such as fights, substance abuse, and truancy. I also employ a fuzzy regression discontinuity that shows strong results when the 80% free and reduced eligibility cutoff was passed in the Texas state legislation in 2015. These results suggest that the benefit schools receive from taking part in UFB help their students achieve better outcomes in both schooling, behavior, and general well-being, and increase funding from lower truancy rates.