Recruitment Letters-Brochure-Consent Form

Appendix B: Recruitment Letters and Consent Forms

TEXT FOR E-MAIL MESSAGE. SEND TO CN DIRECTOR; CC FFVP CONTACT
Dear

:

Thank you for providing the data to allow us to select the schools in your State to participate in
the Food and Nutrition Service Evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).
Based on the list that you provided of all of the elementary schools that applied to participate in
the program in SY 2009-10 we have selected the following schools to be in the study sample:
Schools Participating in the FFVP
School Name

District Name

School Name 1

SFA 1 Name

School Name n

SFA n Name
Schools Not Participating in the FFVP

School Name

District Name

School Name 1

SFA 1 Name

School Name n

SFA n Name

As we discussed, we will be recruiting schools to participate in the study between October 2009
and February 2010. We would greatly appreciate it if you would now:
 Provide us with information about the grade range and student enrollment in the selected
schools. We need to make sure that the school has sufficient enrollment in grades 4-6
for the study sample. If you could e-mail this as soon as is convenient, we would
appreciate it.
 Notify the SFA director of the sampled schools in their district, once we confirm that all
schools are eligible for the study
 Encourage district participation in the study. The attachments to this letter include
additional details about the study to assist you in notifying the SFAs.
 Let us know when you have contacted the SFA Directors so that we can send them
information about the study and call them to secure their cooperation.
 Send us contact information for the SFA Director and, if possible, the school principal of
the selected schools.
We appreciate how busy school schedules are and have worked to minimize the burden on
participating schools and districts. Data collection in the schools will begin in March 2010 and
be completed by the end of the school year. In each school and district included in the study, we
will:
 Select a sample of 30 children in each school across grades 4, 5, and 6. We will have
these students complete a 24-hour food diary with the assistance of a trained data
collector.

 Ask the school food service manager, and selected teachers and parents to complete brief
surveys.
 Ask SFA directors and school principals to complete web surveys about how the FFVP
operates in their schools.
Finally, we will be randomly selecting an additional sample of schools and SFAs to complete the
web surveys on FFVP operations. We will get back in touch with you sometime after the first of
the year to let you know which schools/SFAs were selected.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Susan Bartlett can be reached at (617)
349-2799 or via email at [email protected]. Pat McKinney can be reached at (540)
868-9977 or via e-mail at [email protected]
Again, thanks for your help in making this a successful study.
Susan Bartlett
Project Director

Pat McKinney
State Liaison

DATE, 2009

SFA Director
[Address here]
Dear

:

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has recently contracted with Abt Associates Inc. to
conduct an Evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). This evaluation
was mandated by Congress with the objectives of:


Estimating program impacts on participating students, including whether children
experience increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreased consumption of
less nutritious foods; and



Examining how the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is currently being implemented.

To accomplish this, we randomly selected a national sample of 16 States to participate in the
evaluation. Within States, we selected some schools that are participating in the FFVP and some
schools that are not participating in the program. Selected schools are comparable and will allow
us to examine the effectiveness of the FFVP. After reviewing all of the schools that applied to
participate in the FFVP in SY 2009-2010, we have selected the following school(s) in your
district to be part of the study:
School Name 1
•
•
School Name n
The school(s) in your district are among only 256 schools across the country selected to be in the
FFVP study. As indicated in the enclosed brochure, we need your help in making this a
successful study. We hope that you will agree to participate in this study and help us secure the
necessary approvals from the school principal(s) and the district’s superintendent of schools.

55 Wheeler Street  Cambridge, Massachusetts USA  02138-1168  617 492-7100 telephone  617 492-5219 facsimile

Data collection in the schools will begin in March 2010 and be completed by the end of the
school year. In each school and district included in the study, we will:


Randomly select a sample of 30 children in each school across grades 4, 5, and 6. We
will have these students complete a 24-hour food diary with the assistance of a trained
data collector.



Ask the school food service manager, 3 classroom teachers, and selected parents to
complete brief surveys.



Ask you and the school principal(s) to complete web surveys about how the FFVP
operates in your schools.

Finally, we may be asking additional schools in your SFA to complete a web survey on FFVP
operations; we will let you know about this in a few months. The report on the study findings is
due to Congress on September 30, 2011.
A senior member of the Abt Associates project team will be contacting you in the coming weeks
to provide you with more information about the evaluation and answer your questions. Thank
you in advance for your assistance in this important study. In the meantime, if you have any
questions regarding the project, feel free to call me at (617) 349-2799 or via email at
[email protected]. You may also contact Tracy Palmer, the FNS Project Officer, at
(703) 305-2126 or via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,

Susan Bartlett
Abt Associates Inc.
Project Director
Evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

DATE, 2009

Principal’s Name
[Address here]
Dear

:

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has recently contracted with Abt Associates Inc. to
conduct an Evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). This evaluation
was mandated by Congress with the objectives of:




Estimating program impacts on participating students, including whether children
experience increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreased consumption of
less nutritious foods; and
Examining how the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is currently being implemented.

To accomplish this, we randomly selected a national sample of 16 States to participate in the
evaluation. Within States, we selected some schools that are participating in the FFVP and some
schools that are not participating in the program. Selected schools are comparable and will allow
us to examine the effectiveness of the FFVP. After reviewing all of the schools that applied to
participate in the FFVP in SY 2009-2010, [School Name] was selected to be part of the
evaluation.
[School Name] is among only 256 schools across the country selected to be in the study. As
indicated in the enclosed brochure, we need your help in making this a successful study. Both
[SFA Director’s Name], [School District’s Name] food service director, and [District
Superintendent], district superintendent, have agreed to be part of the FFVP study, but of course
we need your approval before we can move forward. We hope that you will agree to participate
in this important study.
The data collection will begin in March 2010 and be completed by the end of the school year. In
each school included in the study, we will:
 Randomly select a sample of 30 children across grades 4, 5, and 6. We will have these
students complete a 24-hour food diary with the assistance of a trained data collector.
 Ask the school food service manager, 3 classroom teachers, and selected parents to
complete brief surveys.
 Ask you to complete a web survey about how the FFVP operates in your school.
55 Wheeler Street  Cambridge, Massachusetts USA  02138-1168  617 492-7100 telephone  617 492-5219 facsimile

The report on the evaluation findings is due to Congress on September 30, 2011.
A senior member of the Abt Associates project team will be contacting you to provide you with
more information about the evaluation and answer your questions. Thank you in advance for your
assistance in this important study. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the
project, feel free to call me at (617) 349-2799 or via email at [email protected].
You may also contact Tracy Palmer, the FNS Project Officer, at (703) 305-2126 or via email at
[email protected].
Sincerely,

Susan Bartlett
Abt Associates Inc.
Project Director
Evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

USDA
Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Program
Congress wants to
know if the program
is working.
Abt Associates is conducting
an Evaluation of the Fresh
Fruit and Vegetable Program
for USDA to help answer
Congress’ questions.

Questions?
Interested?
Contact:
Susan Bartlett
Abt Associates Inc.
617-349-2799
[email protected]
or
Tracy Palmer
USDA
Food and Nutrition Service
703-305-2126
[email protected]
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to vary from 3 to 75
minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing
data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing
the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid
OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect
of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Research and Analysis,
3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302, ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx*).

Please Help Us to
Evaluate the Program

We need your help
to make this study a
success!
We would like to visit one or more
schools in your district to learn how
the program works and what children
are eating.

What’s involved?
In each school, we would:
■■

Ask 30 students across grades 4-6
to keep a food diary for one day
and then review the diary with a
trained data collector.

■■

Ask their parents to complete
a short survey about their
satisfaction with the program.

■■

Have 3 teachers complete a short
survey on program satisfaction.

■■

Conduct a brief interview with
the school food service manager
and observe the school food
environment.

■■

Ask School Food Authority
directors and school principals to
complete a web survey about how
the program operates.

About the project:
USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable
Program provides children with free
fresh fruits and vegetables while in
school. The program aims to create
healthier school environments and
increase children’s consumption
of fruits and vegetables in order to
improve their diets and health.
The Food and Nutrition Service wants
to understand how the program
operates in schools across the country.
They also want to understand the

program’s effect on children’s diets,
including the consumption of fresh
fruits and vegetables and other food
choices.

USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Evaluation

STUDY OVERVIEW

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has recently contracted with Abt Associates
Inc. to conduct an Evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). This
evaluation was mandated by Congress with the objectives of:
■■

Estimating program impacts on participating students, including whether
children experience increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and
decreased consumption of less nutritious foods; and

■■

Examining how the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is currently being
implemented.

To accomplish these objectives, Abt Associates randomly selected a national sample
of 16 States to participate in the evaluation. Within States, we selected some schools
that are participating in the FFVP and some schools that are not participating in
the program. Selected schools are comparable and will allow us to examine the
effectiveness of the FFVP.
Data collection will begin in March 2010 and be completed by the end of the school
year. We are working to minimize the burden on participating schools and districts.
In each school and district included in the study, we will:
■■

Randomly select a sample of 30 children in each school across grades 4, 5, and 6.
We will have these students complete a 24-hour food diary with the assistance of
a trained data collector.

■■

Ask the school food service manager, 3 classroom teachers, and selected parents
to complete brief surveys.

■■

Ask School Food Authority (SFA) directors and school principal(s) to complete
web surveys about how the FFVP operates in their schools.

Finally, we will be selecting an additional sample of schools and SFAs to complete
the web surveys on FFVP operations. These schools will be randomly selected from
lists States provided of all schools participating in the FFVP.
The report on the study findings is due to Congress on September 30, 2011.

.

Abt Associates Inc.
55 Wheeler Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Susan Bartlett
617-349-2799

USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Evaluation of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Frequently Asked Questions

How were school districts and schools selected?
In each State, we selected a sample of schools half
of whom are participating in the Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Program (FFVP) and half of whom are
not currently participating in the program. Schools
sampled for the study are similar along the measures
that each State used to select schools to participate
in the FFVP. In some States this means that the
sampled schools have a similar percentage of
students approved for free/reduced price meals. In
other States, this means that selected schools have
similar scores on their FFVP applications.
How will you select children to be in the study?
We will randomly select one classroom in each of
grades 4, 5, and 6 then select a random sample of 10
children in each of these classrooms, for a total of 30
children in the school. If the school does not include
5th or 6th grade, we will sample all students from
the 4th grade.
How will you collect information about what kids
are eating?
Kids will be taught how to complete a diary that
records what they eat both in and out of school.
They will keep the diary for one day, and the next
day a trained data collector will meet with them in
school to go over the diary entries. Two or three
children will be asked to keep a diary for a second
day during the following week.
Don’t you need parents’ permission before
talking to their children?
Yes. We will work out procedures for obtaining
parents’ permission. Typically, we follow procedures
that the school already has in place for getting
parents to sign consent forms. We will not include
any child in the study for whom we do not have a
signed consent form.

How can you expect very young children to keep
a food diary?
Very young children will be excluded from the study.
We will include only children in grades 4, 5, and 6.
Will teachers or school administrators have to do
anything?
Yes. However, we are working to minimize the
burden on school staff.
■■

We will conduct a brief interview with the school
food service manager to collect information on
the foods served during the day students are
keeping diaries. We will also ask managers a few
questions concerning their satisfaction with the
FFVP.

■■

Teachers in 3 classrooms will distribute and
collect parental consent forms and be asked to
complete a very brief questionnaire dealing with
satisfaction with the FFVP.

■■

Principals in each school will be asked to
complete a web survey that describes how the
FFVP operates in their schools.

■■

We anticipate that the principal will designate
someone in the school to coordinate the data
collection from students. We will provide a $100
honorarium for this person to help with these
activities.

How long will it take to collect data in each
school?
We will spend 20 hours in each school, over a three
day period, distributing the diaries and reviewing
them with students and conducting the other
surveys. In addition, we will spend 4 hours the
following week reviewing the diaries of the two or
three students who are asked to keep a diary for a
second day.
Continued

How much time will school food service
managers need to spend answering questions?
They will be asked to describe the foods served in
the school at lunch on one day, and at breakfast
on the following day, including portion sizes of the
foods served to students. They will also be asked
what fresh fruits and vegetables are served at the
FFVP program on the first day. Then they will
be asked a few questions about what they think
about the FFVP. The length of time will vary by the
complexity of the menu and the number of choices
available to students, but on average, we expect the
whole interview should take about 15 minutes.
Your brochure mentioned that you will be
observing the school food environment. What
does that involve? Will observers need to have
access to the kitchen?
On the day that the diaries are distributed data
collectors will observe the area where the FFVP
is served, and in schools without the FFVP, the
area where any free snack program is served. In all
schools the data collectors will also observe a lunch
service. Data collectors will need some access to the
serving area to conduct observations of the foods
available to students, and what students take. The
observers will be taking some photographs of the
food. No children will be photographed. They will
also observe the seating areas and take note of what
competitive foods are offered.

.

Abt Associates Inc.
55 Wheeler Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

What will be done with the information collected
from the schools and from the students and their
parents? Who will see the answers?
The information from the individual schools in
your district will be combined with information
from other schools in the study. No one at USDA
or any place else will see information from your
school(s) in a format that will allow your school(s)
to be identified. Only Abt Associates staff and their
partners will have access to this information and all
staff working on the project must sign an oath of
confidentiality.
How can I get results of the study? Where will the
results be presented?
The final study report is due to Congress in
September 2011. Once final, the report and
executive summary will be available on the FNS
website.
If I have questions, who can I contact?
Susan Bartlett
Abt Associates Inc.
617-349-2799
[email protected]
or
Tracy Palmer
USDA
Food and Nutrition Service
703-305-2126
[email protected]

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Study
Parent Permission Form

Dear Parent,
We would like you to allow your child to fill out a food diary and complete an interview to review
the food diary as part of a study at your school. The food diary will be brought home by your child
sometime in the next few weeks. You will be asked to help your child with this diary. You will
also be asked to fill out a few questions by yourself.


Please read the next page to learn about the study and the diary and survey that we would
like you and your child to complete.



Filling out the diary and survey are voluntary. There will not be any penalties for you or
your child if you decide not to allow your child to be in the study.



If you have any questions about the study, please call Susan Bartlett, the Abt Study
Director, at 617-349-2799 (toll call).



If you agree to allow you and your child to be in the study, please sign below. If you do not
agree, you do not need to sign the form.

Thank you.
Susan Bartlett
Study Director

By signing this form, I agree to allow my child to take part in this study being held at the school.

_________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature

__________________________
Print Parent/Guardian Name

_________________________
Print Child’s Name

____________________
Child’s Grade in School

_______________
Date

______________________
Gender (Male or Female)

Institutional Review Board
Approval Date: 9/11/09
Expiration Date: 9/10/10
IRB#: 0442

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Study
Information about the Study for Parents and Students

What is the Purpose of the Study?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is funding a study to learn how schools implement the Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Program and how the program impacts students’ diets compared to students at schools without
the program. Abt Associates Inc, a research company in Cambridge, Massachusetts was hired to conduct the
study.
What does it Mean to Participate in the Study?
There will be a drawing of all students (whose parents have given permission) to fill out a food record diary
to keep track of what they eat for one day. We will choose 24 to 36 students from the upper grade levels to
take home and fill out the food diary. If chosen, each student will be given instructions orally and in writing
by a member of the Abt study team on how to fill out the food diary. With parent help, students will be
asked to write down all the foods and beverages s/he consumes for one day. Each student will be given a
free set of measuring cups to take home to help estimate the amounts eaten. The measuring cups will be
yours to keep. The following day, each student will have an individual appointment with a trained data
collector. The list of foods and beverages will be reviewed and additional questions may be asked of
students to provide more details on what was consumed. Also, students will be asked to complete a brief
survey that will ask some questions about themselves and about how often they participate in the Fresh Fruit
and Vegetable Program and what they like or dislike about the program. The student interview will take
about 25 minutes to complete.
Parents will be asked to help students with the food diary as well as answer some brief questions themselves
about the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, such as what they like or dislike about the program. The
parent questionnaire will take a few minutes to complete.
Students that return completed diaries to school will receive a gift worth $5 as reimbursement for the time
associated with being in the study. A small number of students will be asked to record their food and
beverage intake for a second day and be given a gift worth $2.50 for returning a completed record.
What are the Risks and Benefits?
Completing the questionnaires is voluntary. There are no penalties for refusing to participate. Students are
not required to be in study in order to continue to be in any school program. Being part of this study will not
hurt students or parents in any way. If any parent or student feels uncomfortable at any time during the
study, they may decide not to participate.
Will it be Confidential?
Confidentiality will be protected to the extent provided by law. The names of students and parents will never
be written in any report or given to anyone other than the study team. Teachers, school staff, program staff
and parents will not be allowed to see any of the information from the questionnaires.
What if I Have Questions?
If you have any questions about the study, please contact Susan Bartlett, Abt Study Director, at 617-3492799 (toll call). For questions about your rights or your child’s rights, please call Teresa Doksum, IRB
Administrator, at Abt at 617-349-2896 (toll call). Thank you.
*****************************************
We would like your permission for your child and you to fill the study questionnaires and ask that you
complete and sign the attached Parent Permission Form to give your permission. Please have your child
sign the Student Assent Form agreeing to take part in the study.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Study
Formulario de Permiso de los Padres

Estimados Padres,
Nos gustaría que permitiera que su hijo llene un diario de comida y completa una entrevista para
revisar el diario de alimentos como parte de un estudio en su escuela. El diario de alimentos será
llevado a casa por su hijo en las próximas semanas. A usted se le pedirá ayudar a su hijo con este
diario. También se le pedirá que llene unas preguntas por si mismo.





Por favor, lea la página siguiente para aprender sobre el estudio, el diario, y la encuesta que
nos gustaría que usted y su niño completaran.
Llenar el diario y la encuesta es voluntario. No habrá sanciones para usted o su hijo si usted
decide no permitir que su hijo participe en el estudio.
Si usted tiene alguna pregunta sobre el estudio, por favor llame a Susan Bartlett, la directora
del estudio Abt, al 617-349-2799 (llamada al costo).
Si usted está de acuerdo de permitir que su hijo y usted participen en el estudio, por favor
firme abajo. Si usted no está de acuerdo, no es necesario firmar el formulario.

Gracias.
Susan Bartlett
Director de Estudio

Al firmar este formulario, estoy de acuerdo en permitir que mi hijo participe en este estudio, que
toma parte en la escuela.

_________________________
Firma de Padre/Tutor

__________________________
Escriba nombre de Padre/Tutor

_______________
Fecha

_________________________
Escriba nombre de hijo/a

____________________
______________________
Grado en la escuela de hijo/a Género (Hombre o Mujer)

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Study
Información sobre el estudio para padres y estudiantes
¿Cual es el propósito del estudio?
El Departamento de Agricultura de EE.UU. está financiando un estudio para saber cómo escuelas
aplican el programa Fresh Fruit and Vegetable y como el programa impacta la dieta de los
estudiantes en comparación con estudiantes de las escuelas sin el programa. Abt Associates Inc,
una compañía de investigación en Cambridge, Massachusetts, fue contratado para realizar el
estudio.
¿Que significa participar en el estudio?
Habrá un sorteo de todos los estudiantes (cuyos padres han dado su permiso) para llenar un diario
de alimentos para hacer un seguimiento de lo que comen durante un día. Vamos a elegir 24 a 36
estudiantes de los niveles de grado superior para llevar a casa y llenar el diario de comida. Si fueran
elegidos, cada estudiante se le dará las instrucciones verbalmente y por escrito por un miembro del
equipo de estudio Abt sobre cómo llenar el diario de comida. Con la ayuda de los padres, los
estudiantes se les pedirán que anote todos los alimentos y bebidas que consume durante un día.
Cada estudiante recibirá un conjunto gratuito de tazas de medir para llevar a casa para ayudar a
estimar las cantidades consumidas. Las tazas de medida será tuyo para siempre. Al día siguiente,
cada estudiante tendrá una cita individual con un colector de datos entrenado. La lista de alimentos
y bebidas se revisarán y otras preguntas se les pueden hacer de los estudiantes de proporciones más
detalladas sobre lo que se consumía. También, los estudiantes se les pedirá que completen una
breve encuesta que le hará algunas preguntas acerca de sí mismos y sobre la frecuencia con que
participan en el programa Fresh Fruit and Vegetable y/o que le gusta o disgusta sobre el programa.
La entrevista con el estudiante se llevará unos 25 minutos para completar.
A los padres se les pedirá ayudar a los estudiantes con el diario de los alimentos, así como
responder a algunas preguntas breves sobre el programa Fresh Fruit and Vegetable, como lo que le
gusta o disgusta sobre el programa. El cuestionario de los padres se toma unos minutos para
completar.
Los estudiantes que regresen completado el diario a la escuela recibirán un regalo valorado en $5
en concepto de reembolso por el tiempo asociado con estar en el estudio. Un pequeño número de
estudiantes se les pedirá grabar su comida de alimentos y bebidas por el segundo día y recibir un
regalo por valor de $2.50 por devolver un registro completado.
¿Cuales son los riesgos y los beneficios?
Completar los cuestionarios es voluntario. No hay sanciones por negarse a participar. Los
estudiantes no están obligados a estar en el estudio con el fin de seguir participando en cualquier
otro programa de la escuela. Ser parte de este estudio no afectará a los estudiantes o a los padres de
cualquier manera. Si algún padre o estudiante se siente incómodo en cualquier momento durante el
estudio, puede decidir no participar.
¿Será confidencial?
La confidencialidad será protegida en la medida prevista por la ley. Los nombres de los estudiantes
y los padres nunca se escribirán en cualquier informe o entregar a cualquier persona que no sea del

equipo de estudio. Los maestros, personal escolar, personal del programa y los padres no podrán
ver ninguna información de los cuestionarios.
¿Y si tengo preguntas?
Si usted tiene alguna pregunta sobre el estudio, por favor contacte a Susan Bartlett, Abt Director
del estudio, al 617-349-2799 (llamada al costo). Para preguntas acerca de sus derechos o los
derechos de su hijo, por favor llame a Teresa Doksum, IRB Administrador, en ABT al 617-3492896 (llamada al costo). Gracias.
*****************************************

Queremos su autorización para que usted y su hijo llene los cuestionarios del estudio y le pedimos
que complete y firme el formulario principal para dar su permiso. Por favor pídale a su hijo firmar
el formulario de dictamen conforme del estudiante de acuerdo a participar en el estudio.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Study
Parent Reminder Letter

Dear Parent,
We have not yet received your signed Parent Permission Form for your child’s
participation in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Study that we sent home with
your child [EARLIER THIS WEEK/LATE LAST WEEK]. We hope to be able to
include your child in the study but will not be able to do so without your signed
permission form.
We hope that you will take a few moments to read the Parent Permission Form, sign it,
and send it back to school with your child so your child can be included in the study. If
you do not agree to allow your child and yourself to be in the study, you do not need to
sign and return the form.
If you have any questions about the study, I will be happy to answer them. Please call
Susan Bartlett, the Abt Study Director at 617-349-2799 (toll call).
Thank you,
Susan Bartlett
Study Director

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Study
Carta de Recordatorio para los Padres

Estimado(s) Padre(s),
[(choose one)La semana pasada(last week)/ Al principio de esta semana(earlier this
week)] mandamos con su hijo(a) el Formulario de Permiso y todavía no hemos recibido
el formulario firmado. Nos gustaría incluir a su hijo(a) en el estudio pero no podemos
hacerlo sin el formulario firmado.
Nos gustaría que usted tome unos momentos para leer el Formulario de Permiso de
Padres, firmarlo, y devolverlo a la escuela con su hijo(a) para que podamos incluir a su
hijo(a) en el estudio. Si usted no está de acuerdo de permitir que usted y su hijo participen
en el estudio, no es necesario firmar el formulario ni devolverlo.
Si usted tiene alguna pregunta sobre el estudio, por favor llame a Susan Bartlett, la
directora del estudio Abt, al 617-349-2799 (llamada al costo).
Gracias,
Susan Bartlett
Director de Estudio

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Study
Student Assent Form

Dear Student,

We would like to learn more about the foods at your school, which ones you like and don’t like,
and how these foods might change what you eat when you are not at school.


Please read the next page to learn about the study that is happening at your school and the
diary that we would like you to fill out and the interview we would like you to complete.



Filling out the diary and completing the interview is voluntary. There will not be any
penalties for you if you decide not to take part.



If you have any questions about the study, please call Susan Bartlett, the Abt Study
Director, at 617-349-2799 (toll call).



If would like to take part in the study, please sign below. If you do not want to take part,
you do not need to sign this form.

Thank you.

Susan Bartlett
Study Director

By signing, I agree to take part in the study at my school and fill out the diary and complete the
interview.

_________________
Date

_______________________
Student’s Signature

______________________
Print Student’s Name

Institutional Review Board
Approval Date: 9/11/09
Expiration Date: 9/10/10
IRB#: 0442

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Study
Information about the Study for Parents and Students

What is the Purpose of the Study?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is funding a study to learn how schools implement the Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Program and how the program impacts students’ diets in comparison to students at schools
without the program. Abt Associates Inc, a research company in Cambridge, Massachusetts was hired to
conduct the study.
What does it Mean to Participate in the Study?
There will be a drawing of all students (whose parents have given permission) to fill out a food record diary
to keep track of what they eat for one day. We will choose 24 to 36 students from the upper grade levels to
take home and fill out the food diary. If chosen, each student will be given instructions orally and in writing
by a member of the Abt study team on how to fill out the food diary. With parent help, students will be
asked to write down all the foods and beverages s/he consumes for one day. Each student will be given a
free set of measuring cups to take home to help estimate the amounts eaten. The measuring cups will be
yours to keep. The following day, each student will have an individual appointment with a trained data
collector. The list of foods and beverages will be reviewed and additional questions may be asked of
students to provide more details on what was consumed. Also, students will be asked to complete a brief
survey that will ask some questions about themselves and about how often they participate in the Fresh Fruit
and Vegetable Program and what they like or dislike about the program. The student interview will take
about 25 minutes to complete.
Parents will be asked to help students with the food diary as well as answer some brief questions themselves
about the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, such as what they like or dislike about the program. The
parent questionnaire will take a few minutes to complete.
Students that return completed diaries to school will receive a gift worth $5 as reimbursement for the time
associated with being in the study. A small number of students will be asked to record their food and
beverage intake for a second day and be given a gift worth $2.50 for returning a completed record.
What are the Risks and Benefits?
Completing the questionnaires is voluntary. There are no penalties for refusing to participate. Students are
not required to be in study in order to continue to be in any school program. Being part of this study will not
hurt students or parents in any way. If any parent or student feels uncomfortable at any time during the
study, they may decide not to participate.
Will it be Confidential?
Confidentiality will be protected to the extent provided by law. The names of students and parents will never
be written in any report or given to anyone other than the study team. Teachers, school staff, program staff
and parents will not be allowed to see any of the information from the questionnaires.
What if I Have Questions?
If you have any questions about the study, please contact Susan Bartlett, Abt Study Director, at 617-3492799 (toll call). For questions about your rights or your child’s rights, please call Teresa Doksum, IRB
Administrator, at Abt at 617-349-2896 (toll call). Thank you.
*****************************************
We would like your permission for your child and you to fill the study questionnaires and ask that you
complete and sign the attached Parent Permission Form to give your permission. Please have your child
sign the Student Assent Form agreeing to take part in the study.