Appendix C16. School Nutrition Manager Introduction Letter (Groups 2 & 3)

C16. SCHOOL NUTRITION MANAGER INTRODUCTION LETTER

(GROUPS 2 & 3)

This page has been left blank for double-sided copying.

OMB Control Number: 0584-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

<DATE>

<SNM_FN> <SNM_LN>

<School>

Dear <SNM_FN> <SNM_LN>:

[SCHOOL NAME] was selected for the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study-II (SNMCS-II) as part of your school food authority’s required cooperation with the study. Mathematica Policy Research [IF GR 2: and Insight Policy Research/IF GR 3: Insight Policy Research, and Decision Information Resources] are conducting the SNMCS-II for the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The study will (1) describe the food and nutritional quality of school meals and afterschool snacks, (2) update information on the school food environment and food service policies and practices, and (3) [IF G3: estimate the cost to produce school meals and snacks/IF G2: collect information about student participation, satisfaction, and dietary intake].

The principal has also been notified of these activities [IF G2: and the study team will coordinate directly with his or her staff on activities that do not involve food service operations].

Your school district’s scheduled data collection week is: [DATE]. We are scheduled to visit your school on: [VISIT DATE]. On this date professionally trained field interviewers will come to your school to conduct interviews and make observations. We will be sending you a link to a short web survey to help us plan for data collection during the target week.

You will be asked to participate in the following components of the study:

• Menu Survey. You will be asked to complete a detailed Menu Survey. This web-based survey will collect information on the foods offered and served in reimbursable lunches, breakfasts, and afterschool snacks (if offered) during a target week, and a la carte foods available on a single day. There will also be a set of survey questions asking about food service operations and related policies. Instructions will be available with the survey and technical assistants will be available by phone and email to answer any questions. You will receive up to a $100 gift card as thanks for completing the survey ($75 for filling out the Menu Survey, and $25 for answering follow-up questions from the technical assistants). A technical assistant will get in contact with you about the menu survey three weeks prior to your scheduled target week. This person will be available to assist you with the menu survey.

• Cafeteria Observations. In your school data collectors will observe one lunch period and one breakfast period (if applicable). Data collectors will ask you a few questions about the layout of your cafeteria and the reimbursable foods sold.

• [IF GR 3 AND IN PW SAMPLE: Plate Waste Observations. In your school, data collectors will estimate the proportion of foods wasted by students in order to assess the nutrient and food group composition of foods wasted, and to assess the relationship between plate waste and characteristics of students, school food environments, and school food service operations.]

• [IF GR 3: School Nutrition Manager Cost Interview. A data collector will interview you about the types of work kitchen staff do, and what their wages are.]

Cooperation with the study by selected States, districts, and schools is required under Section 28 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. Your participation in this study is extremely valuable, and we appreciate the time and effort that you and other school staff will devote to the study. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our project team at [PHONE NUMBER], or email [CONTACT]@mathematica-mpr.com.

We look forward to working with you on this important study.

Sincerely,

Mary Kay Fox

SNMCS-II Project Director

Mathematica Policy Research