Notice2023-27763
Agency Information Collection Activities: 2024-2025 National School Foods Study
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 19, 2023
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentFood and Nutrition Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This collection is a new collection that combines the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study-II (SNMCS-II), School Food Purchase Study-IV (SFPS-IV), and a second Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Evaluation (FFVP-II) into one coordinated effort named the 2024-2025 National School Foods Study. The purpose of this combined effort is to reduce overall burden for respondents across the three studies and provide a comprehensive picture of the school- based child nutrition (CN) programs in the 2024-2025 school year.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 242 (Tuesday, December 19, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87736-87750]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27763]
[[Page 87736]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: 2024-2025 National
School Foods Study
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment
on this proposed information collection. This collection is a new
collection that combines the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study-II
(SNMCS-II), School Food Purchase Study-IV (SFPS-IV), and a second Fresh
Fruit and Vegetable Program Evaluation (FFVP-II) into one coordinated
effort named the 2024-2025 National School Foods Study. The purpose of
this combined effort is to reduce overall burden for respondents across
the three studies and provide a comprehensive picture of the school-
based child nutrition (CN) programs in the 2024-2025 school year.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before February 20,
2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be emailed to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#28695b40444d51066b4049414e4d5c52685d5b4c49064f475e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3372405b5f564a1d705b525a5556474973464057521d545c45">[email protected]</span></a>.
Comments will also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, and follow the online instructions
for submitting comments electronically.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will
be a matter of public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection should be directed to Ashley
Chaifetz at 470-528-7717.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions that were used; (c) ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Title: 2024-2025 National School Foods Study.
Form Number: N/A.
OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
Type of Request: New collection.
Abstract: The SNMCS-II component of the 2024-2025 National School
Foods Study will provide a comprehensive picture of the National School
Lunch and School Breakfast Programs (NSLP and SBP, respectively), and
will provide critical information about the nutritional quality, cost,
and acceptability of school meals twelve years after major reforms
began being phased in during the 2012-2013 school year (SY). SNMCS-II
will collect a broad range of data from nationally representative
samples of public school food authorities (SFAs); public, non-charter
schools; students; and parents/guardians during SY 2024-2025. These
data will provide Federal, State, and local policymakers with current
information about how federally sponsored school meal programs are
operating by updating the information that was collected in SY 2014-
2015 for SNMCS-I. In addition, findings from the SNMCS-II component
will be compared to those from SNMCS-I to explore trends in key domains
including the nutrient content of school meals, meal costs and
revenues, and student participation, plate waste, and dietary intakes.
SNMCS-II will also estimate the costs of producing reimbursable school
meals in five States and Territories outside of the 48 contiguous
States and the District of Columbia (DC) and examine the relationship
of costs to revenues in those five outlying areas.
The SFPS-IV component of the study will provide national estimates
of public SFA food acquisitions (commercial purchases and USDA Foods)
both in terms of cost and volume, in addition to a description and
analysis of food purchase practices in SY 2024-2025. In addition, the
study will assess changes in food acquisitions and purchase practices
since the previous study in SY 2009-2010 to provide important
information about the impact of the updated nutrition standards and
other changes. Information about food buying efficiencies will be
useful for SFAs as they strive to maximize available resources and
improve food service operations.
For SNMCS-II and SFPS-IV, these instruments were initially approved
as part of OMB Control No. 0584-0648 (SNMCS-II) and OMB Control No.
0584-0471 (SFPS-IV). Those data collections were postponed and
eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The instruments will
be updated and resubmitted.
The FFVP-II component of the study will compare student- and
school-level outcomes in participating and nonparticipating schools in
SY 2024-2025, including student consumption of and attitudes towards
fruits and vegetables, student energy intake and nutritional status,
and school provision of nutrition education. It will also examine
implementation components, such as school characteristics, program
delivery, student participation and characteristics of participating
and nonparticipating students.
Section 28(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act
authorizes this assessment of NSLP, SBP, and FFVP, including the cost
of producing meals and the nutrient profile of meals.
SFAs are sampled into different groups, which drive the data
collection activities they are asked to participate in. Samples in
Groups 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b, and 3 are limited to the contiguous 48
States and DC. The outlying areas sample includes SFAs and schools in
Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Data collected from the Group 1a, 1c, 2a, and 3 samples will
provide the precision required for national estimates of SFA-level
characteristics and food service operations.
Data collected from Groups 1a and 1b will be used to address study
objectives related to types, amounts, and costs of food purchases and
USDA Foods; changes in the mix of food acquired by schools since SFPS-
III and the extent to which the costs of food have changed; the mix of
foods acquired by various subgroups; school food purchase practices;
and relationships between costs of food, food purchase practices, and
SFA characteristics.
Data collected from the Group 2a sample will be used to address
study objectives related to the school nutrition environment and food
service operations; the food and nutrient content of school meals;
student participation in the NSLP and SBP; student/parent satisfaction
with the school meal programs; and students' characteristics and
dietary intakes.
Data collected from the Group 2b sample will be used to address
study objectives related to the characteristics of SFAs, schools, and
students participating in the FFVP; student/parent satisfaction with
the FFVP; and dietary intakes of students who do and do not participate
in the FFVP.
Data collected from the Group 3 sample will be used to address
study objectives related to the school nutrition
[[Page 87737]]
environment and food service operations; the food and nutrient content
of school meals; the costs to produce reimbursable school lunches and
breakfasts, including indirect and local administrative costs, and the
ratios of revenues to costs; and plate waste in the school meals
programs.
Data collected from the outlying areas sample will be used to
estimate the costs of producing reimbursable school meals and the
ratios of revenues to costs.
Affected Public: Individual/Household respondents include: (1)
Students (1st grade through high school) and (2) their parents/
guardians. Business or Other For Profit respondents include food
service management company (FSMC) managers, and school food
distributors. State, Local, and Tribal Governments respondent groups
include: (1) State Child Nutrition Agency (CN) directors; (2) State
Education Agency finance officers; (3) State Distributing Agency (SDA)
directors; (4) school district superintendents; (5) SFA directors; (6)
local educational agency business managers; (7) school nutrition
managers (SNMs); (8) principals; and (9) school study liaisons
appointed by principals.
Estimated Number of Respondents: A total of 26,547 members of the
public will be initially contacted to participate in the study. This
includes: 20,056 from Individuals/Households, 66 from Business or Other
For Profits, and 6,425 from State, Local, and Tribal Governments.
Initial contact will vary by type of respondent and may include study
notification, recruiting, or data collection. FNS anticipates that
approximately 16,537 of this sample will respond to initial contact and
10,010 will not respond. Some respondents who respond to the initial
contact may subsequently become non-respondents to one or more
components of the data collection. The number of unique respondents
expected to provide data for the study is 12,257.
The Group 1a completed sample includes 88 SFAs and no schools. SFA
directors will provide information for the SFA Quarterly Program Data
Form and Quarterly Food Purchase Data, and participate in the Food
Purchase Planning Interview; SFA Director Survey (SNMCS-II and SFPS-IV
components); and SFA Year-End Follow-Up Survey. The Group 1b completed
sample includes 276 SFAs and no schools. SFA directors will provide
information for the SFA Quarterly Program Data Form and Quarterly Food
Purchase Data, and participate in the Food Purchase Planning Interview;
SFA Director Survey (SFPS-IV component); and SFA Year-End Follow-Up
Survey. Forty-nine SDA directors will provide quarterly USDA Foods data
for Groups 1a and 1b. The Group 1c completed sample includes 48 SFAs
and no schools. SFA directors will participate in the SFA Director
Survey (SNMCS-II component).
The Group 2a completed sample comprises 133 SFAs, 265 schools, and
2,177 students and their parents/guardians. SFA and school staff will
participate in the SFA Director and School Planning Interviews; SFA
Director Survey (SNMCS-II component), SNM Survey, and Principal Survey;
the Menu Survey; and Observation Guide and Reimbursable Meal Sales Data
Form. Students and parents/guardians will complete the Student
Interview; 24-hour Dietary Recall; and Parent Interview.
The Group 2b completed sample comprises 100 SFAs, 200 schools, and
1,600 students and their parents/guardians. State CN directors will
participate in the FFVP State Agency Survey. SFA and school staff will
participate in the SFA Director and School Planning Interviews; SFA
Director Survey (FFVP-II component) and SNM Survey; the FFVP-II Menu
Survey; and Observation Guide and Reimbursable Meal Sales Data Form.
Students and parents/guardians will complete the Student Interview; In-
school Intake Dietary Recall; and Parent Interview. Forty-seven State
CN directors will complete the Follow-Up State Child Nutrition Agency
Survey.
The Group 3 completed sample includes 265 SFAs and 796 schools. SFA
and school staff will participate in the SFA Director and School
Planning Interviews; SFA On-Site Cost Interview and Food Cost
Worksheet; SFA Follow-Up Web Survey and Cost Interview; SNM Cost
Interview; Principal Cost Interview; SFA Director Survey (SNMCS-II
component), SNM Survey, and Principal Survey; the Menu Survey; and
Observation Guide. Forty State Education Agency finance officers will
complete the State Agency Indirect Cost Survey. Plate waste will be
observed for 4,140 reimbursable lunches and 2,120 reimbursable
breakfasts at a subsample of 138 schools among this Group 3 sample.
The outlying areas sample is divided into two groups: full outlying
areas and limited outlying areas. Alaska, Guam, and Hawaii will
participate in the full outlying areas data collection, which includes
SFA- and school-level data collection; Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands will participate in a limited outlying areas data collection,
which includes only SFA-level data collection. For the full outlying
areas collection, SFA and school staff in 31 SFAs and 138 schools will
complete the SFA Director and School Planning Interviews; SFA On-Site
Cost Interview and Food Cost Worksheet; SFA Follow-Up Web Survey and
Cost Interview; SNM Cost Interview; Principal Cost Interview; and the
Menu Survey. One State Education Agency finance officer will complete
the State Agency Indirect Cost Survey. For the limited outlying areas
collection, SFA staff in three SFAs will complete the SFA Director
Planning Interview, SFA On-Site Cost Interview and Food Cost Worksheet;
and SFA Follow-Up Web Survey and Cost Interview.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Respondents will be
asked to respond to each specific data collection activity once, except
for SDA directors who will be asked to respond four times. The overall
average number of responses per respondent across the entire collection
is 6.34.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 168,384 total annual responses.
Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time of response varies
from 1 minute (0.0167 hours) to 9 hours for respondents and 0 minutes
(0.0000 hours) to 17 minutes (0.2839 hours) for non-respondents, as
shown in the burden table below, with an average estimated time of 13
minutes (0.2219) hours for all respondents and non-respondents.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,241,600 minutes
(37,360 hours). See the table below for estimated total annual burden
for each type of respondent.
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
[[Page 87738]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.003
[[Page 87739]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.004
[[Page 87740]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.005
[[Page 87741]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.006
[[Page 87742]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.007
[[Page 87743]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.008
[[Page 87744]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.009
[[Page 87745]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.010
[[Page 87746]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.011
[[Page 87747]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.012
[[Page 87748]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.013
[[Page 87749]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN19DE23.014
[[Page 87750]]
Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-27763 Filed 12-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-C
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 19, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.