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Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Child Nutrition Program Operations Study II, SY 2015-16

The Child Nutrition Program Operations Study II (CN-OPS II) is a multiyear study that provides FNA with information on current state agency and school food authority policies, practices, and needs related to school nutrition service operations, financial management, meal counting, training and professional standards, food service equipment, and technology. 

12/18/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Study of Food Safety Needs of Adult Day Care Centers in the CACFP

The Study of Food Safety Needs of Adult Day Care Centers in the Child and Adult Care Food Program report identified and evaluated food safety knowledge gaps and education needs of adult day care center program operators. Overall, this study provides information on knowledge gaps related to food safety practices in adult day care centers and illuminates the best way for center staff to receive future food safety training and information support.

09/24/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Evaluation of the Direct Certification with Medicaid for Free and Reduced-Price Meals Demonstration - Year 1

FNA conducted a study of the first two years of this demonstration to describe the implementation process and explore the effects on certification, participation, federal reimbursements, and state administrative costs. This report presents the findings from the first year of the demonstration evaluation, school year 2016–17.

08/30/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Evaluation of the School Meal Data Collection Process

The Evaluation of the School Meal Data Collection Process study describes and evaluates the methodologies and processes used by schools, school food authorities and state agencies to collect and report data on three FNA forms used for the federal school meal programs.

08/07/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Report to Congress Child Nutrition Reporting Burden Analysis Study

The Child Nutrition Reporting Burden Analysis Study was commissioned by FNA in response to a legislative requirement of House Report 114-531. The study examined challenges faced by SAs and SFAs related to child nutrition program administrative and reporting requirements and identifying those that contribute most to the workload for SAs and SFAs that operate CN programs.

07/02/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Impacts/Evaluations Successful Approaches to Reduce Sodium in School Meals Study

This study was designed to provide information on (1) the market availability of foods that meet the sodium standards for school meal programs set by regulation in 2012, (2) the strategies most often used by schools that have met the sodium targets, and (3) the technical assistance needs of schools and districts working to develop lower sodium menus.

06/27/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Participation Characteristics SFSP Characteristics Study

This study collected data on SFSP operations and characteristics at the state, sponsor, and site levels. Survey data was collected in the summer of 2015 from a census of the 53 state agencies (all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico) and nationally representative samples of SFSP sponsors and sites. In lieu of a technical research report, study findings are included in a four-page infographic.

06/18/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Demonstrations Annual Reports on Summer Food for Children Demonstration Projects

These reports fulfill the directive contained in section 749(g) of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010 (PL 111-80) for USDA to submit an annual report to Congress detailing progress in developing and testing alternative methods of providing access to food for low-income children in urban and rural areas during the summer months when schools are not in regular session.

05/09/2019
Resource | Research and Data USDA Listening Session: TEFAP and CSFP Provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill

The Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) held a listening session regarding the provisions of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) on March 13, 2019.

03/13/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations CACFP Sponsor Tiering Determination Aging Study, 2015 - 2020

This report describes the feasibility of a modeling approach to forecast tiering error rates based on prior data, in lieu of annual assessments of misclassified FDCHs. It presents estimates for forecasted rates and associated improper payments for FDCHs for each fiscal year (FY) from 2016 to 2020. Due to data limitations, the report concludes that building a reliable model is not possible with the currently available data and estimates produced by the models cannot be used for IPERIA reporting.

02/26/2019
Page updated: July 21, 2026