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Food for Thought: The Effects of School Accountability Plans on School Nutrition

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  • David N. Figlio
  • Joshua Winicki

Abstract

School accountability systems based on high-stakes testing of students have become ubiquitous in the United States, and are now federal policy as well. This paper identifies a previously-unresearched method through which schools faced with potential sanctions may 'game the system' in order to have higher aggregate student test scores than might otherwise be warranted. There exists a well-established link between nutrition and short-term cognitive functioning. Hence, we investigate whether school districts exploit this relationship by strategically altering school nutrition menus during testing periods in an apparent attempt to artificially increase student test scores. Using detailed daily school nutrition data from a random sample of Virginia school districts, we find that school districts having schools faced with potential sanctions under Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) accountability system apparently respond by substantially increasing calories in their menus on testing days, while those without such immediate pressure do not change their menus. Suggestive evidence indicates that the school districts who do this the most experience the largest increases in pass rates.

Suggested Citation

  • David N. Figlio & Joshua Winicki, 2002. "Food for Thought: The Effects of School Accountability Plans on School Nutrition," NBER Working Papers 9319, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:9319
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    1. Freeman, H.E. & Klein, R.E. & Townsend, J.W. & Lechtig, A., 1980. "Nutrition and cognitive development among rural Guatemalan children," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 70(12), pages 1277-1285.
    2. Joshua Winicki & Kyle Jemison, 2003. "Food Insecurity and Hunger in the Kindergarten Classroom: Its Effect on Learning and Growth," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 21(2), pages 145-157, April.
    3. Randall Reback & Julie Berry Cullen, 2006. "Tinkering toward accolades: School gaming under a performance accountability system," Working Papers 0601, Barnard College, Department of Economics.
    4. Alaimo, K. & Olson, C.M. & Frongillo E.A., Jr. & Briefel, R.R., 2001. "Food insufficiency, family income, and health in US preschool and school-aged children," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(5), pages 781-786.
    5. Hicks, L.E. & Langham, R.A. & Takenaka, J., 1982. "Cognitive and health measures following early nutritional supplementation: a sibling study," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 72(10), pages 1110-1118.
    6. David N. Figlio & Lawrence S. Getzler, 2002. "Accountability , Ability and Disability: Gaming the System," NBER Working Papers 9307, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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