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. 2017 Jul 3;2017(7):CD009467. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009467.pub2

Hinrichs 2011.

Methods Non‐randomized cross‐over trial
Participants Eligibility: public school students in grades 10 to 12 from 48 districts (73 schools) in the USA who took the ACT between 1993‐2002
Participants: 196,617 students
Interventions Delaying school start time in Minneapolis and its suburban districts from 07:30 to 08:40, and keeping start time at St. Paul and surrounding suburbs schools constant
Outcomes
  1. Test scores: Minnesota composite ACT test score data (1993 to 2002) for grade 10 to 12, statewide standardized test scores from Kansas and Virginia

  2. Average daily attendance rates


Outcome measurement:
  • Student survey data (demographic), school data (start time, length of school day, attendance rate, % of students on free lunch) obtained through direct contact with schools and the National Center for Education Statistics's Common Core of Data

  • ACT data

Notes Funding sources: Georgetown University
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) High risk Non‐randomized trial; high risk by definition
Allocation concealment (selection bias) High risk Non‐randomized trial; high risk by definition
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk ACT and standardized achievement data used
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk School‐level participation rate controlled
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk No evidence that some outcomes were not reported
Other bias Low risk No evidence of other biases
Similarity of baseline measures (RCT/CBA only) Low risk Matched school districts
Similarity of baseline characteristics (RCT/CBA only) Low risk Baseline characteristics listed; analyses done by subgroup to control for baseline differences in characteristics
Diffusion of treatment effects (RCT/CBA only) Low risk Students were assigned to different start times by school; start times are not subject to diffusion as a treatment