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Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Summer Food Service Program Integrity Study

The Summer Food Service Program Integrity Study was designed to improve understanding of how state agencies provide oversight of the SFSP. To address the research objectives, the study examined such areas as sponsor and site selection, training and technical assistance, meal counting and claiming, and reviews. The findings, based on data collected in 2021, also offered some preliminary responses about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SFSP operations.

08/30/2023
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Child Nutrition Program Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic, March Through September 2020

This data collection fulfills states’ reporting requirements and describes trends in program participation during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is part of an ongoing study series examining CN program operations, repurposed to collect waiver reports from all states.

05/23/2023
Resource | Research and Data | Report to Congress Multi-Agency Task Force to Provide Coordination and Direction for USDA Foods Programs, July 2018 – December 2020

The Agricultural Act of 2014 required the establishment of a Multi-Agency Task Force to provide coordination and direction for USDA Foods administered by FNA. FNA submits this report to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture.

04/28/2023
Resource | Research and Data | Report to Congress Multi-Agency Task Force to Provide Coordination and Direction for USDA Foods Programs, January 2021 - July 2022

The Agricultural Act of 2014 required the establishment of a Multi-Agency Task Force to provide coordination and direction for USDA Foods administered by FNA. FNA submits this report covering the period of January 2021 through July 2022 to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture.

04/28/2023
Resource | Research and Data | General/Other State of Origin for USDA Foods

The State of Origin data report for each fiscal year includes information on states where USDA purchased foods in that year. Learn where your USDA Foods are likely to come from, and what the top food is in your state!

02/24/2022
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Study of School Food Authority Procurement Practices

The Study of School Food Authority (SFA) Procurement Practices is the first study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Administration to comprehensively describe and assess the decision-making process regarding school food procurement practices at the SFA level. The sample for this study was a subset of the 1,679 SFAs that participated in the Child Nutrition Operations Study II (CN-OPS-II), which included a module on SFA procurement practices in school year (SY) 2016–17. Findings are based on the perceptions and experiences of the SFA and they may not reflect actual regulations and policies; this study was not an audit. 

09/21/2021
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Third Access, Participation, Eligibility, And Certification Study (APEC-III), SY 2017-18

This is the third study in the Access, Participation, Eligibility, and Certification study series, conducted in school year 2017-18. FNA relies upon the APEC series to provide reliable, national estimates improper payments made to school districts operating the NSLP and SBP. APEC studies also help identify sources of error and inform FNA policy and technical assistance for state agencies and school food authorities to reduce error. FNA conducted previous iterations of the study in school years 2005-06 and 2012-13.

09/03/2021
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Study of Nonresponse to the School Meals Application Verification Process

FNA conducted the Study of Nonresponse to the School Meals Application Verification Process to examine (1) the accuracy of the current verification process, (2) district practices when verifying applications for cause, and (3) the ultimate results of the verification process, including the reasons why households do not respond to verification requests and how many households reapply. 

07/20/2021
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Direct Certification in the National School Lunch Program State Implementation Progress Report to Congress SY 2017-2018 and SY 2018-2019

This report presents information on direct certification with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for free school meals for SY 2017-2018 and SY 2018-2019.

06/22/2021
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Assessment of the Administrative Review Process in School Meal Programs

The Administrative Review 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. This study assesses the AR process by examining the results from a purposive sample of ARs. The study also describes in-depth how nine selected state agencies conduct their ARs, and ways the process could be further improved.

08/25/2020
Page updated: July 21, 2026