Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

This study will look at the role teacher’s perceptions play in creating barriers to implementing alternative universal school breakfast models. Alternative school breakfast models (including grab and go breakfast, breakfast after the bell, and breakfast in the classroom) have already been well researched and all have demonstrated increases in breakfast participation compared to the traditional before school breakfast model. Based on anecdotal experience from free breakfast advocates and K-12 teachers as well as preliminary piloting the various models it has shown that teachers often form the greatest resistance to implementing program alternatives. We look to answer the questions, how do teachers perceive alternative free breakfast programs, and if there is any resistance to the alternative models, is it caused by lack of knowledge about the programs (skill) or dissatisfaction with the programs (will).

This study will survey 1000 elementary teachers across three counties in southern California. The survey is scheduled to be in the field April 1^st -14^th. The survey will contain demographic data, general perception questions about free breakfast programs and contain a conjoint analysis. When asked about how supportive the teacher would be of their site adopting the different free breakfast models, we will randomize whether the teacher will receive one of two vignettes explaining the program or no text. The vignette will either be a technical explanation of program implementation (to identify if there is a deficit in skill) or a more emotion based appeal (to identify if the deficit is will). We predict that the data collected in the survey will demonstrate a low level of support for the alternative programs, most so for breakfast in the classroom, and that we will see that there is the greatest deficit is in willingness to adopt the program not a lack of knowledge.