CN Agency and SFA Directors, Business Managers, Superintendents, Menu Planners, School Nutrition Managers, School Liaisons, and Principals - SLT

C3. State Child Nutrition Director Study
Introduction and Data Request Email (Groups 1, 2, & 3)

This page has been left blank for double-sided copying.

OMB Control Number: 0584-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

TO BE SENT FROM PROJECT EMAIL ADDRESS: text from Mathematica to State Child Nutrition/School Nutrition directors including original email from FNS

Dear [DIRECTOR],

As [FNS NAME] noted below, Mathematica Policy Research is ready to begin contacting the SFA directors and district superintendents for the SFAs that have been identified for participation in the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study (SNMCS-II) for school year 2019–2020.

We wanted to make you aware of the sampled SFAs in your State. To help us with contacting the SFA directors and plan for data collection we are asking you to provide SFA directors’ contact information and indicate whether or not the district uses a food service management company (FSMC). Please also indicate the provision status for each SFA, and whether any unique situations at the SFA would make participation in the study difficult (for example, there is a new SFA director or the SFA is being audited). We have selected backup SFAs in case SFAs cannot participate because of these circumstances. We encourage you to provide the requested information in whatever format is easiest (such as an export from your own systems). Please see the attached Excel template example.

Cooperation of selected SFAs and schools is required under Section 28 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. Requested data are in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. We understand that research requests place an additional burden on SFA and school staff that can be difficult to balance with other responsibilities. We have done everything we can to minimize that burden.

We will start reaching out to the SFA directors and superintendents shortly. If it is your preference to reach out to the SFAs selected for the study first before we start recruitment, you can use the attached example SFA notification email. We are also glad to discuss the study with you anytime.

Thank you for your assistance,

[PROJECT DIRECTOR]

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-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 20 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. 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 Service, Office of Policy Support, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302, ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx). Do not return the completed form to this address.

Example fields included in the Excel spreadsheet:

• SFA Director Name

• SFA Director Email

• SFA Director Phone

• SY 2019-2020 Provision Status by SFA and school

• Does district use a food service management company?

  • Name of FSMC(s), if applicable

• Does the district present any special circumstances we should be aware of? (e.g., private school(s) only, charter school(s) only, doesn't serve meals, new SFA director, SFA is being audited, etc.)