SNA Legislative Action Conference 2006

March 13, 2006

FNS Research UpdateAlberta Frost, Director

Office of Analysis, Nutrition, & Evaluation

Selected Ongoing or Recently Completed Studies

• Improve Program Access – Analysis of SFSP and Food Needs of

Nonparticipating Children– Pennsylvania SFSP Rural Eligibility

Pilot Project

• Build A HealthierUS/Obesity Prevention– School Nutrition Dietary Assessment

Study-III (SNDA-III)

Selected Ongoing or Recently Completed Studies

• Improve Program Integrity– Feasibility of Data Matching in NSLP– Regional Office Review of Applications

(RORA)– NSLP/SBP Access, Participation,

Eligibility and Certification Study (APEC) – School Lunch and Breakfast Meal Cost

Study – CACFP Sponsor Tiering Determination

Studies Being Presented Today

• School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study-III (SNDA-III)

• Regional Office Review of Applications (RORA)

• NSLP/SBP Access, Participation, Eligibility and Certification Study (APEC)

• School Lunch and Breakfast Cost Study -II

School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study-III (SNDA-III)

• Agency’s periodic assessment of the nutritional effects of school meals.

• SNDA-II (School Year 1998-1999) examined the nutritional quality of school meals (not intakes).

• This nationally representative study will examine:– SFA characteristics/operations– Nutritional quality of meals offered/served – Participant characteristics – Student dietary intakes and the contribution of

school meals to these intakes.

SNDA-III

• Sample includes about 135 public SFAs, 400 schools, and 2,400 students.

• Data collected in School Year 2004/05 is currently being analyzed.

• Final reports are expected in Fall 2006

Regional Office Review of Applications (RORA)

– Study Objective: Estimate the rate of administrative accuracy in:

• SFA eligibility determinations for f/rp meals• SFA meal ticket status

– Nationally representative sample of 56 SFAs– Random sample of about 50 applications per SFA

collected by Regional staff in SY 2004/05 and analyzed by FNS Headquarter staff

– Report Released in December 2005– Similar data collection to continue in future years

RORA 2005 Results

• SFAs made incorrect eligibility determinations on 3.5% of approved/denied applications at the time of certification.

• The percentage of applications in error was slightly higher (4.2%) for income-based applications only.

• 83 percent of the incorrectly certified applications resulted in students being certified for more benefits than were justified.

Accuracy of SFA Eligibility Certification Determinations Among Approved and Denied Applicants SY 2004/05

CorrectDecision96.5%

IncorrectDecision3.5%

More BenefitsThan Justified

2.9%

Less BenefitsThan Justified

0.6%

NSLP/SBP Access, Participation, Eligibility, and Certification Study (APEC)

• This study is being undertaken to meet the requirements of the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-300) for estimating the extent of overpayments, underpayments and overall erroneous payments made under NSLP and SBP.

• This study will examine erroneous payments attributable to misclassification of students (administrative error, household misreporting) and meal counting and claiming errors.

APEC

• Data is being collected in SY 2005-2006, from a nationally representative sample of:– About 240 schools in 80 SFAs– About 3,200 household.

• Data collection includes:– record abstractions (applications, meal count and

claiming forms)– telephone surveys of SFA staff– in-person interviews with households– on-site observation of cashier transactions.

• Final report is expected in 2007.

School Lunch and Breakfast Cost Study – II

• Study objective: Determine the average cost of producing reimbursable school meals

• This study will use a direct measurement approach similar to the methodology used in the last meal cost study completed in 1994.

School Lunch and Breakfast Cost Study – II

• On-site data collection will occur in about 3 schools in a nationally representative sample of 122 school districts during SY 2005/06.

• Review of final FY 2005/06 annual financial statements, review of indirect cost allocations and identification of unreported costs will occur in Fall 2006.

• A final report is expected in Fall 2007.

Questions or Comments