Assessment of the Administrative Review Process in School Meal Programs

The Administrative Review (AR) is the process state agencies use to assess compliance with Federal requirements of SFAs participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. The current AR process was implemented in school year (SY) 2013-2014. This study assesses the AR process by examining the results from a sample of Administrative Review forms selected and submitted by the 52 state agencies utilizing the AR process during school years 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2016-2017. The study also describes in-depth how nine selected state agencies conduct their ARs, and ways the process could be further improved.