Millions of U.S. children participate in the National School Lunch Program each day, receiving free or reduced-price food that makes an important contribution to their overall nutrition. But concern has mounted that many approved as eligible may in fact be ineligible because their family income...

This report provides findings from the largest charter school study of its kind to date to use an experimental design. On average, charter middle schools that hold lotteries are neither more nor less successful than traditional public schools in improving student achievement, behavior, and...

Erroneous payments in the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs occur when school districts claim reimbursement at the free or reduced-price rate for meals served to students who are not eligible. They can also happen when schools don't claim reimbursement for children who have applied...

Using sibling data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics linked with U.S. Census data, the authors examine whether the quality of a person's childhood neighborhood influences where one resides as an adult. Descriptively, the study finds that childhood neighborhood conditions of black and white...

This paper looks at findings from the first national randomized study of the impacts of charter schools on student achievement.

Summarizes the largest federal study ever conducted of dropout prevention programs, finding three promising models: alternative middle and high schools for those at risk of dropping out, programs aimed at helping older students earn a GED, and whole-school restructuring efforts aimed at dropout...

This policy brief suggests that efforts by policymakers to lower children’s fat intakes appear to be succeeding, but that high intakes of dietary fat and added sugars remain a cause for concern. Other problem areas include an increase in soda consumption, especially low levels of vitamin and...

Although there is a large literature on the effects of U.S. transfer programs on labor supply, this is the first such study of the Food Stamp Program.