Effects of a School-Based Garden Program on Academic Performance: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Childhood Nutrition and Health
• Educational Interventions
• Public Health Research

Background:

• School gardening programs are known to improve children's dietary behaviors.
• Previous studies suggest potential academic benefits of school gardens, but lacked randomized controlled trials.
• This study addresses the need for rigorous evidence on the academic impact of such programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of the Texas Sprouts gardening, nutrition, and cooking program on academic performance.
• To assess outcomes in primarily low-income, Hispanic children through a randomized controlled trial.

Main Methods:

• A cluster randomized controlled trial involving 16 elementary schools in Austin, TX.
• Intervention group received 18 lessons on gardening, nutrition, and cooking.
• Academic performance was measured using State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) scores.

Main Results:

• A 6.5-percentage-point increase in fourth-grade reading STAAR scores in the intervention group compared to controls (P = .047).
• No significant differences were observed in fifth-grade reading or math scores for either grade level.
• The study focused on schools with a majority Hispanic population and high participation in free/reduced lunch programs.

Conclusions:

• School gardening programs may offer modest benefits for academic achievement.
• The Texas Sprouts intervention demonstrated a positive impact on fourth-grade reading scores.
• Further research may explore long-term effects and broader academic impacts.