An Action Research Study Investigating the Impact of Iron-Rich School Nutrition on Lexile Scores of Middle Grades Students

This action research study examined the feasibility of an iron-rich school nutrition program on student Lexile scores while controlling for gender, race, and socioeconomic status. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design in which independent intact groups served as either comparison group (students not exposed to the implementation of the iron-rich menu) or treatment group (students enrolled in the school in the 2016-2017 academic year during the implementation of the iron-rich menu). Four hundred and fifty middle-school students from southeast Georgia participated in the study (189 in the treatment group and 261 in the comparison group). The school developed, implemented, and promoted a new iron-rich menu for the students. Lexile data were collected from the Georgia End of Grade English Language Arts Assessment. A one-way ANCOVA was conducted while controlling for gender, race, and socioeconomic status. The findings resulted in a significant increase in Lexile score for students exposed to the iron-rich nutrition program compared to the comparison group of students not exposed to the iron-rich menu, even after controlling for the statistical effect of gender, race, and socioeconomic status. This study addressed gaps in the research connecting a school nutrition program that offers iron-rich food to academic growth as measured by Lexile scores on a middle grades reading assessment.