Appendix E.4 FNS Response to NASS Comments

Appendix E.4

FNS Response to NASS Comments

In response to NASS comments, several adjustments were made to the supporting statements and appendices. The comments and FNS response to each are summarized below.

Supporting Statement Part A

• The reviewer noted inconsistencies in the timelines for survey follow-up in Sections A.2 and A.3.

  • FNS response: The inconsistencies were corrected. State Child Nutrition (CN) Directors will receive a reminder phone call after 7 weeks and School Food Authority (SFA) Directors will receive a reminder phone call after 8 weeks of data collection with no response.

• The reviewer questioned the calculation of electronic responses in Section A.3.

  • FNS response: No change was made. While all of the State Child Nutrition Director and School Food Authority Director surveys are expected to be submitted electronically, the number/percentage of electronic submissions that is shown in this paragraph is calculated based on the total number of responses for this collection, which also includes the non-respondent responses. There are a total of 55 State Child Nutrition Director Surveys and 1,750 School Food Authority Director Surveys. Combined, these total 1,805 responses, all of which FNS expects to receive electronically. The calculation is correct as shown.

• The reviewer questioned the calculation of average number of responses per non-respondent in Question 12A.

  • FNS response: No change was made. The average number of responses per respondent (or frequency) is a weighted average, which is calculated by dividing the total number of responses by the number of non-respondents. For the non-respondents, we have 6,860 total annual responses and 438 total non-respondents. When the 6,860 responses are divided by 438 non-respondents, the average number of responses comes to 15.66. The calculation is correct as shown.

Supporting Statement Part B

• In Section B.4, the reviewer asked for clarification regarding how the pretest participants completed the pretest surveys.

  • FNS response: We added clarification that the pretest participants completed hard copies of the surveys, scanned them, and emailed the scanned versions of their completed surveys back to the study team.

Appendix A. Research Issues and Research Questions

• The reviewer asked about several acronyms (PLE, ICN, FSMC, AR).

  • FNS response: The acronyms were adjusted so that they were all spelled out at first use.

• The reviewer also asked if SA in one research question should be SFA?

  • FNS response: SA is correct. No change was made.

Appendix B.4. CN Director Telephone Reminder

• The reviewer stated that the document was missing a statement where the caller asked the respondent if they want to complete the survey on the phone.

  • FNS response: The document was updated to include the offer for the respondent to complete the survey by phone.

Appendix B.6. Email Notification from States to SFAs

• The reviewer questioned whether the burden on the instrument was correct.

  • FNS response: The burden on the instrument was adjusted from 30 minutes to 5 minutes. The burden table (Appendix H and Supporting Statement, Part A, Question 12) was adjusted to reflect this change as well.

Appendix C.1. State Child Nutrition Director Survey

• The reviewer noted that the skip logic prior to Question 1.18 should say 1.17b rather than 1.27b

  • FNS response: This series of questions was reorganized. Question 1.18 is now Question 1.14 and there is no skip pattern.

• The reviewer noted that a “no” response to Question 2.1 should skip to 2.4 rather than 2.3

  • FNS response: Question 2.3 was deleted so the skip logic is now correct.

Appendix D.1. School Food Authority Director Survey

• The reviewer pointed out duplicate wording in Question 3.6 (now, Question 3.7).

  • FNS response: The duplicate wording has been removed.

• The reviewer questioned whether Question 5.30 (now, Question 5.17) should really only allow one response per row or if an SFA would ever offer a type of milk through both SBP and NSLP.

  • FNS response: The response options have been changed to “select all that apply”.

• The reviewer pointed out that the skip logic following Question 6.10 pointed to a question that did not exist.

  • FNS response: The skip pattern was updated to say “Skip to 7.1”.

• The reviewer pointed out that the name of the survey was incorrect in the survey submission paragraph at the end of the survey.

  • FNS response: The name of the survey was updated and is now correct.