C16a. (Recruitment 018) Household Survey Brochure v3_English

National School
Meals Study (NSMS)

Improving Lives Through Research®

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

NSMS

National
School Meals
Study

 Research Boulevard
Field Room Location TBD

The United States Department of Agriculture’s

Rockville, MD 

(USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)

Study Website: URL

funds the National School Lunch and School

Study Email: EMAIL

Breakfast programs. These programs help
schools provide nutritious meals to children.
USDA is conducting a study to gather

OMB Control No.: 0584-0530

A Study about School Lunch
and Breakfast Programs

QR Code

­information about these programs, including:
a) who they serve, b) how participants feel
about the meals they receive, and c) how well
the process works to transfer benefits to

United States
Department of
Agriculture

those who need them.
The NSMS includes a household survey. Your
household was randomly chosen to participate
in this survey. If you decide to be part of it,
the NSMS study team will ask you to complete
a survey with an interviewer using a video
internet (Zoom) call, at a time that is
­convenient for you.
The survey interviewer will ask you questions
about your child’s experience with the meals
provided by their school as well as your
­household size and income used to determine
eligibility for school meal benefits. A
worksheet will be provided to help you
prepare for the survey.
Your opinions and experience matter.

This information is being collected to provide the Food and
Nutrition Service with key information on the annual error
rates and improper payments for the school meal programs.
This is a voluntary collection and FNS will use the information
to examine school meal error rates and inform future APEC
studies. This collection requests personally identifiable
information under the Privacy Act of 1974. 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 to complete this
information collection is estimated to average .0835 hours
(5 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, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor,
Alexandria, VA 22306 ATTN: PRA (0584-0530).
Do not return the completed form to this address.

This study is sponsored by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Food and Nutrition Service

 F
A
Q

Frequently
Asked
Questions

Why is this study being done?
The United States Department of Agriculture’s
(USDA) Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) is
sponsoring this study to learn about the students
and their households who participate in the school
meal programs. FNS wants to know more about
who receives school meal benefits, whether
benefits are reaching those who need them, and
how the process works to transfer benefits from
the government to schools and households.
Who is conducting the study?
Westat, a private research company, has a
­contract with FNS to conduct this study.
Why did you choose my household?
Your school is participating in this study, and
your household was chosen randomly from a list
of households.
How long will the survey take?
The survey, which will be done over a video
internet (Zoom) call, usually takes 30-45 minutes
to complete, plus some time to prepare.
Will I be compensated for participating?
Yes. You can receive up to a $60 Visa gift
card for completing the survey as a thank you
for your time.

When and where will the survey take place?
We will conduct the survey via a video internet
(Zoom) call at a time that is convenient for you.
You are not required to have your camera on.

School Meals Study (NSMS). They are two names
for the same study.
Can I complete the survey in a language
other than English?

What questions will you ask?

You may complete the survey in English or Spanish.

The survey asks about:

What about my privacy?

• Participation in the school breakfast and
lunch programs
• Opinions about school meals
• Your household’s size and sources of income
Do I have to do this study?
No, participation in this research study is voluntary –
it is your choice if you want to participate or not.
If you participate, you can also skip any questions
you do not want to answer. However, your
­opinions and experience matter and help to
improve these programs.
Why are you asking about income?
Income information tells us a little about families
who quality for meal benefits. The information
you provide will be kept private and will be used
for research purposes only.
Can this impact any benefits my
household gets?
No. Your participation and answers will not affect
any benefits you may receive. Also, it will not
impact any benefits your school or school district
receives.
When I visit the study website, I see the
study is referred to as the “NSMS” and as
“APEC.” What is the difference?
Both acronyms are used to refer to this research
study. States and school districts know it as
“APEC,” and households know it as the National

We are very serious about protecting your privacy
to the full extent required by the law. The study
is reviewed and approved by an Institutional
Review Board that is focused on protecting your
rights and privacy as a study participant.
All survey interviewers are required to sign a
confidentiality agreement. This means they
are prohibited from sharing or talking about
your personal information to anyone other
than a
­ uthorized research staff.
Your answers will be combined with those of
other participants nationwide. The study results
and reports will be summarized in such a way
that no individual family or child can ever be
identified.
Have a Question?
Need Help Scheduling a Survey?
Call us toll-free at
or send an email to
You may also visit our study website at:

We are happy to assist you!