State, Local, and Tribal Government - State Child Nutrition Agency, SFA, and Schools

APPENDIX C1. SCHOOL PRE-VISIT INTERVIEW

OMB Number: 0584-0530

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

Third Access Participation Eligibility and Certification Study Series (APEC III)

SCHOOL PRE-VISIT INTERVIEW

SUMMARY:

A member of the data collection team will use this guide to conduct a pre-visit interview by phone or email with the school principal (or their designee) to obtain the details needed to prepare for the data collection site visit. This appendix includes both the phone introductory script (Section A1) and the email template (Section A2)

The data collector will record the information on hardcopy to later enter key information in the study management system (SMS), or he/she may enter the information directly into the SMS while on the call.

When conducted by phone, the text that should be read to the respondent by the data collector is presented in mixed case text. All instructions or notes to the data collector are in ALL CAPS. These are not read to the respondent, but are guidelines for the data collector.

When conducted by email, the text in ALL CAPS, will be replaced with customized school information, or deleted.

Differential text choices are presented in parenthesis while information obtained from the SMS report are in [bolded/bracketed] text.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0530. The time required for the school principal and/or cafeteria manager to provide this information collection is estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information.

SECTION A1: PHONE INTRODUCTORY SCRIPT

Hello, my name is [FULL NAME] with Westat and I am calling on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s(USDA), Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Third Access Participation Eligibility and Certification Study Series (APEC III). Thank you for agreeing to participate in APEC III. I am contacting you now to schedule your data collection visit, and prepare for your data collection visit. Our discussion may take about 20 minutes. Are you available to talk at this time?

DATA COLLECTOR: IFTHE CONTACT SAYS YES—CONTINUE

DATA COLLECTOR: IF CONTACT IS NOT ABLE TO TALK AT THIS TIME, ATTEMPT APPOINTMENT.

IF APPOINTMENT MADE—RECORD IN THE ELECTRONIC RECORD OF COMMUNICATION (EROC), POLITELY THANK CONTACT, AND TERMINATE CALL

IF RESPONDENT WANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE STUDY—CONTINUE (ALSO REFER TO STUDY FAQs)

As part of data collection at your school we will conduct the following:

1. Conduct breakfast and lunch observations.

2. Abstract data from meal count records your school submitted to your SFA.

3. [IF THE SCHOOL IS SELECTED FOR CAFETERIA MANAGER INTERVIEW] Complete a brief interview with the Cafeteria Manager.

I will provide more details about the data collection visit, but first I would like to schedule a date for the data collector to conduct the visit.

[SCHEDULE AND CONFIRM THE DATA COLLECTION VISIT. RECORD THE INFORMATION IN THE SMS]

You will receive an email reminder two weeks prior to the data collection visit. This email will include the name and contact information of the data collector.

Are there any special instructions or information about access to the building and parking that [he/she] may need to know about prior to the site visit (e.g., general information, a parking garage, an escort needed in the building or some other security requirement, hours of operation, special directions, etc.)?

SECTION A2: EMAIL INTRODUCTORY TEMPLATE

Dear [INSERT SCHOOL PRINCIPAL NAME],

My name is [FULL NAME] with Westat. I am contacting you on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA), Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Third Access Participation Eligibility and Certification Study Series (APEC III). Thank you for agreeing to participate in APEC III. As a reminder, data collection at your school will include the following:

1. Breakfast and lunch observations.

2. Abstraction of data from meal count records your school submitted to your SFA.

3. [IF THE SCHOOL IS SELECTED FOR CAFETERIA MANAGER INTERVIEW] A brief interview with the Cafeteria Manager.

I am contacting you now to schedule your data collection visit, and obtain key information to prepare for the visit (i.e. pre-visit interview questions). Please respond to this email to indicate which of the following dates are feasible for you and your school.

[INSERT FOUR OPTIONS FOR THE DATA COLLECTION VISIT]

Attached are the pre-visit interview questions. Please send your responses to these questions as soon as possible, no later than [INSERT TARGET DUE DATE].

Please also be sure to let me know if there are any special instructions or information about access to the building and parking that the data collector may need to know about prior to the site visit (e.g., general information, a parking garage, an escort needed in the building or some other security requirement, hours of operation, special directions, etc.).

Sincerely,

[INSERT NAME AND TITLE]

SECTION B: SCHOOL CONTACT INFORMATION

I have the following address and contact information for your school:

READ CONTACT INFORMATION FROM SMS.

Are there any updates?

RECORD UPDATES.

Is there another person other than you (or a backup person) that should be our Site Visit Contact?

RECORD INFORMATION PROVIDED.

Do you have any questions about the study that I can answer for you?

USE STUDY FAQs OR OTHER DATA COLLECTION MATERIALS TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS. IF YOU

ARE UNABLE TO ANSWER THEM, LET THE CONTACT KNOW THAT YOU WILL LOOK INTO THE

QUESTIONS AND FOLLOW UP WITH THEM.

SECTION C: SCHOOL INFORMATION

Our records show the following key information about your school. Is this accurate?

DURING THE DISCUSSION WITH THE CONTACT, REVIEW THE FOLLOWING FROM THE SMS AND CONFIRM.

• School type (public or private)?

• Grade levels

• Does the school serve both SBP and NSLP or just one?

• Is the meal service Offer versus Serve (OVS)?

• Is your school a Provision (P1, P2 or P3) school? (yes or no)

  • IF THEY ARE A PROVISION SCHOOL, are they in a base year or non-base year?

  • IF THE SCHOOL IS PROVISION IN A NON-BASE YEAR, what is their base year?

• Is this school a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school?

RECORD ALL INFORMATION/UPDATES OBTAINED IN SMS.

SECTION D: MEAL OBSERVATION INFORMATION

While we are onsite, we will conduct a meal observation of both breakfast and lunch meal service. To help us to be more efficient when we are there, could you tell me about your meal service?

DURING THE DISCUSSION WITH THE CONTACT, BE SURE TO CAPTURE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION. IF THE SCHOOL DOES NOT SERVE BREAKFAST, ONLY ASK ABOUT LUNCH.

BREAKFAST:

• Where do you serve breakfast (central cafeteria, classroom or other)?

• Are there any days that you are closed or not serving breakfast?

• How many meal periods are there?

• What are the start and end times of the meal periods?

• How many cashier/register lines are used per period?

LUNCH

• Where do you serve lunch (central cafeteria, classroom or other)?

• Are there any days that you are closed or not serving lunch?

• How many meal periods are there?

• What are the start and end times of the meal periods?

• How many cashier/register lines are used per period?

GENERAL QUESTIONS—APPLY TO BOTH BREAKFAST/LUNCH

• How are reimbursable meals recorded by the cashier at the register?

• Does this differ between breakfast and lunch?

• What is the method of accounting for individual students’ certification status (use of a pin #, roster system, check-off system or other)?

• What is the approximate number of transactions at every register and the total across all registers?

• Is there any school-specific information that we need to be aware of?

• Do you have a copy of the breakfast and/or lunch menu that you can email or fax to me?

RECORD ALL INFORMATION LEARNED WITHIN THE SMS.

SECTION E: MEAL COUNTS AND CLAIMS DATA

During our site visit, we will also need to gather any school meal count documentation that you submit to the SFA or State for a target month of data collection. The target month is the last calendar month in which meal count and claims were submitted by the school and SFA. This is usually the 1-2 calendar months prior to the site visit. IF NECESSARY: The target week is usually the week before the site visit and the target month is usually the month prior to the site visit.

What is your process for school meal counts?

DURING THE DISCUSSION WITH THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OR CAFETERIA MANAGER, BE SURE TO CAPTURE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION.

• Does your school generate separate counts of reimbursement meals at each cash register or point of sale, or just a single total count across all cash registers?

• When are meal counts taken (daily, after each meal occasion; daily, at the end of the serving day; weekly; monthly; or in some other way)?

• Does the school use a form to record meal counts (explain)? If you use an electronic system, are you able to print out copies?

• Does the school submit meal counts to a secondary office before it goes to the SFA?

NOTE: IF YES, DATA COLLECTORS SHOULD USE THE SCHOOL MEAL COUNTS REPORTED

TO SFA FOR TARGET MONTH—SUPPLEMENTAL FORM

• Is there another staff member, other than you, that we should talk to at the school to obtain the meal count and claim records? If so, obtain name and contact information.

RECORD ALL INFORMATION LEARNED WITHIN THE SMS

SECTION F: THANK YOU/CLOSE

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. You will receive a confirmation email two weeks prior to the visit. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact the study directly at 1-855-820-6138 or [email protected]. We look forward to working with you to complete the APEC III.

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