Do In-School Feeding Programs Have an Impact on Academic Performance? - The Case of Public Schools in Argentina

Oct 15, 2026

Argentina’s federal in-school feeding program is framed as a key nutritional intervention for children during critical growth periods amid persistent malnutrition problems. The study estimates program effects on academic performance using standardized test scores and a difference-in-differences approach exploiting overtime variation in program supply in the late 1990s. An original panel is built from ONEE data for 1997, 1999, and 2000. Results indicate successful targeting of disadvantaged schools, yet only partial improvements: language tests improve significantly, while math shows no noticeable effects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

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| education policy analysis archives
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aape | | --- | --- | | Arizona State University | | | Volume 21 Number 50 June 3rd, 2013 ISSN 1068-2341 | | Do In-School Feeding Programs Have an Impact on Academic Performance? The Case of Public Schools in Argentina Cecilia Adrogué and María Eugenia Orlicki Universidad de San Andrés-CONICET Argentina Citation: Adrogue, C. & Orlicki, M. E. (2013). Do in-school feeding programs have an impact on academic performance and dropouts? The case of public schools in Argentina. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 21(50) Retrieved [date], from [http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/1162](http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/1162) [Abstract](Abstract: As Argentina presents problems of malnutrition)[: As Argentina presents problems of malnutrition](Abstract: As Argentina presents problems of malnutrition), [the federal in-school feeding program](the federal in-school feeding program)[ ](the federal in-school feeding program)has become a key policy because it provides an important nutritional intervention during a relevant growth period. This paper estimates the effect of the program on academic performance-measured by standardized test scores-with a difference in difference model, which exploits the change overtime in the supply of the in-school feeding program during the end of the nineties. We build an original panel using the ONEE corresponding to the years 1997, 1999 and 2000. Our findings suggest that the program has successfully targeted the most disadvantaged schools. However, only partial improvement in school performance has been found. Language test scores were the only ones to show a statistically significant improvement, with no noticeable effects reported in math scores. These results are consistent with the characteristics of the federal in-school feeding program in Argentina, which do not compensate for the nutritional deficit the children bring from their homes. This implies that having an in-school feeding program –even that reaching the most needy populations-does not necessarily address the desired goals of compensating for nutritional deficitsand correlating to improved test results for students. Keywords: School Meals Program, fixed-effects, academic performance, Argentina ¿Impactan los comedores escolares en el rendimiento académico? El caso de las escuelaspúblicas en Argentina. Journal website: [http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ ](http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ Manuscript)[ Manuscript](http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ Manuscript) received: 7/7/2012 Facebook: /EPAAA Revisions received: 17/12/2012 Twitter: @epaa_aape Accepted: 17/1/2013 Education Policy Analysis Archives Vol. 21 No. 50 2 Resumen: El programa de comedores escolares provee una importante intervención nutricional en un período relevante del desarrollo y se ha convertido en una políticarelevante en Argentina ya que existen problemas de malnutrición. Este trabajo estima elefecto del programa de comedores escolares sobre el rendimiento académico –medido através de test estandarizados-con un modelo de diferencia en diferencia que explota el cambio en el tiempo de la oferta del programa durante los años finales de la década del noventa. Se utiliza un panel original construido en base a los Operativos Nacionales de Evaluación Educativa (ONEE) de los años 1997, 1999 y 2000. Los resultados muestran que el programa está satisfactoriamente focalizado en las escuelas más desfavorecidas. Sin embargo, los resultados muestran sólo una mejora parcial en el rendimiento académico, pues únicamente los de lengua muestran un incremento estadísticamente significativo, mientras que los de matemática no registran ningún efecto. Estos resultados son consistentes con las características del programa de comedores escolares en Argentina que no compensan el déficit nutricional que los niños traen de sus hogares, implic

FAQs

What policy does the paper analyze in Argentina?

It analyzes the federal in-school feeding program, designed as a nutritional intervention during children’s important growth periods.

How does the paper estimate the program’s impact?

It uses a difference-in-differences model based on changes over time in program supply, supported by an original panel from ONEE data for 1997, 1999, and 2000.

What effects are found on academic performance?

The program is well targeted to disadvantaged schools, but it yields only partial academic gains: language scores improve statistically, while math scores show no noticeable effects.

Oct 15, 2026

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