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Resource | Research | Assessing/Improving Operations Direct Certification in the National School Lunch Program Report to Congress: State Implementation Progress, SY 2014-15

This report responds to the requirement of PL 110-246 to assess the effectiveness of state and local efforts to directly certify children for free school meals. Direct certification is a process conducted by the states and by local educational agencies to certify eligible children for free meals without the need for household applications. 

12/02/2016
Resource | Policy Memos Area Eligibility in Child Nutrition Programs

The purpose of this memorandum is to revise guidance on the use of school and census data to establish area eligibility in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the At-Risk Afterschool component of CACFP, the Summer Food Service Program, and the Seamless Summer Option of the National School Lunch Program.

SP08 CACFP04, SFSP03-2017
12/01/2016
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2016-0086 2017 Edition of Questions and Answers for the National School Lunch Program’s Seamless Summer Option

This memorandum consolidates the recent policy changes in the NSLP,  SBP, and SFSP that affect the implementation of the Seamless Summer Option. This memorandum and its attachment supersede SP 37-2015, 2015 Edition of Questions and Answers for the National School Lunch Program’s Seamless Summer Option, May 22, 2015.

SP09-2017
12/01/2016
Resource | Research | Assessing/Improving Operations Second Access, Participation, Eligibility, and Certification Study (APEC II): Estimating and Validating Statistical Models for Updating Estimates of Improper Payments in NSLP and SBP

Statistical models were designed to estimate national improper payments due to certification error on an annual basis using district-level data. This enables FNS to update its estimates of national improper payment rates for the NSLP and SBP in future years without having to conduct full rounds of primary data collection.

11/29/2016
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2016-0080 Completion of Fiscal Action in SY 2016-17 Administrative Reviews

This memorandum addresses questions that state agencies have asked regarding school food authority wide fiscal action and assists state agencies in completing administrative reviews of SFAs.

SP07-2017
11/23/2016
Resource | Research | Assessing/Improving Operations Special Nutrition Program Operations Study, SY 2013-14

The Special Nutrition Program Operations Study is a multiyear study designed to provide the Food and Nutrition Service with a snapshot of current state and school food authority policies and practices of the school meal programs, including information on school meal standards, competitive foods standards, professional standards, school lunch pricing and accounting, and Smarter Lunchrooms activities. 

10/31/2016
Resource | Research | Assessing/Improving Operations School Nutrition Program Operations Study - SY 2012-13

The information in this second year report (school year 2012-13), the first year new lunch standards were implemented, will provide data for observing the improvements resulting from the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Data was collected from a survey of all state child nutrition directors and a nationally representative sample of school food authorities.

10/31/2016
Resource | Research | Program Access Examining the Potential to Expand Data Matching in the School Meal Program Eligibility and Verification Processes

This White Paper examines whether any additional means-tested programs might be feasible for use in the direct certification of school-age children participating in school meals or for verification of household income on meal applications.

10/24/2016
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2016-0075 Q&A: Purchasing Goods and Services Using Cooperative Agreements, Agents, and Third-Party Services

This memorandum provides general guidance on the various procurement groups FNS has identified, how to use each group in a way that complies with federal procurement standards, and supersedes SP 35-2012, Procuring Services of Purchasing Cooperatives, Group Purchasing Organizations, Group Buying Organizations, etc., dated June 12, 2012.

SP05 CACFP03 SFSP02-2017
10/19/2016
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2016-0072 Model Functional Requirements for State and Local Information Technology Systems

The purpose of this memorandum is to announce the release of the first version of the “Model Functional Requirements for State School Meal Programs Information Systems” and “Model Functional Requirements for Local School Meal Programs Information Systems” tools.

SP04-2017
10/07/2016
Page updated: October 14, 2021