Evaluation of Delivering Breakfast After the Bell and Academic Performance Among Third-Grade Children: An Application of the Synthetic Control Method.

Abstract

Breakfast after the bell (BAB), an alternative way to deliver breakfast after the school day begins, has been shown to increase participation in the School Breakfast Program. However, BAB occupies time that could otherwise be used for instruction and may affect academic performance. This study examined whether BAB affects math and literacy scores in third grade, an age not adequately studied in earlier literature. Using data on Arkansas students, we compared schools adopting BAB to corresponding "synthetic" control schools by minimizing preadoption differences in observables that can influence test scores. We found little evidence of positive or negative effects on test scores. We also found little evidence of meaningful program effects over subsamples of schools by district enrollment size and BAB delivery method. Schools that adopted grab-and-go delivery and schools in districts with small enrollments, less than 600 students, showed statistically negative effects on math after BAB adoption. However, these effects were transitory and no longer present by the time the first fully exposed cohort reached third grade. BAB can be incorporated into the school day without adversely impacting academic achievement, especially if adopting schools seek input from educators and nutrition personnel already experienced with BAB.