Between 2013 and 2015, Colorado and Nevada enacted legislation mandating that qualifying schools implement a “breakfast after the bell” program for students.

In a new study, researchers Jacob Kirksey (Texas Tech University) and Michael Gottfried (University of Pennsylvania) examined the impacts of those programs on student attendance, finding they led to a significant reduction in chronic absenteeism.

Kirksey joins CPRE Knowledge Hub managing editor Keith Heumiller to discuss those and other findings, and some potential national implications for districts and schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Featured Research: Kirksey, J. J., & Gottfried, M. A. (2021). “The Effect of Serving ‘Breakfast After-the-Bell’ Meals on School Absenteeism: Comparing Results From Regression Discontinuity Designs.” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.