MyPlate

OMB Control # 0584-0524

Expiration Date: 04/30/2013

Attachment H - Moderator’s Guide for Food Service Staff

Prepared by

Research undertaken to inform the development of nutrition education materials for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service

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Section I. Getting to know each other. (5 minutes)

• Hello, my name is _____________ and I’m a researcher from the Michael Cohen Group. On behalf of the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrient Service, we are conducting an independent evaluation of the MyPlate lessons that have been implemented at your school. As part of that evaluation, I am interested in learning about your experience with the MyPlate lesson plans.

Before we begin, I want to assure you that the research will not be used in any advertising. All data will be identified only by an ID number, not by any name. The research may be audiotaped for research purposes only. Any audio collected as part of the research will be destroyed once the study analysis is complete. Your name will never be used in any documentation of our research findings. Your comments, voice, or image will never appear in public without your written consent.

Let’s start with some general questions:

• What is your role at the school? (Probe: What are your responsibilities?)

• How much of your job is involved in interacting with the students?

• How has your school provided nutrition education to students in the past? Have any of these efforts taken place in the classroom? In the cafeteria? How so?

Section II. MyPlate Lesson Plans (10 minutes)

I want to switch gears for a minute. We’re interested in learning about the MyPlate lesson plans and how those were implemented in your school.

• How were you involved in the teaching of the MyPlate lessons?

• How did you feel about what you were asked to do in relation to the MyPlate lessons?

• What was your experience working with the students?

• Overall, have you observed any changes in student’s attitudes about foods or food selections since the MyPlate lessons were taught? What were they?

• How do you think the MyPlate lessons could be changed to better support healthy food choices in the cafeteria?

• What effect has working with the MyPlate lessons had on your relationship with the teachers? (Probe: Parents? Students? Rest of the school?)

• The MyPlate lessons feature a character named Plate-O who shares information about healthy eating with kids (SHOW PLATE-O). Would Plate-O be useful for you to use in the cafeteria?

  • How could Plate-O be used?

• What sort of additional resources or information would be useful?

• What are some other activities that could be done with the children to encourage healthy eating?

Section VI. Wrap up (5 minutes)

• Do you feel that you were adequately involved with the MyPlate curriculum? Why?

• Did you find the MyPlate curriculum practical/realistic? Why do you fell that way?

• What other changes or modifications, if any, would you suggest to improve the MyPlate lesson plans? Why those? [Probe: on materials, training, additional etc.]

• What are some ways to create more interaction/dialogue between the students and food service staff?

You have been great and have helped me a lot. Thanks so much for talking with me today!