[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 139 (Monday, July 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43076-43078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18445]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Economic Research Service


Notice of Intent To Seek Approval to Collect Information

AGENCY: Economic Research Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 
L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 
CFR part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), this notice announces the 
Economic Research Service's (ERS) intention to request approval for a 
new information collection from School Food Authorities, public primary 
and secondary school administrators, students, and parents of students. 
The study will collect information on school meal program operations, 
costs, and outcomes, and on the characteristics of participating 
schools and both participating and non-participating students.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by September 
24, 2003 to be assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Requests for additional information 
or to comment regarding this notice should be directed to Joanne 
Guthrie, Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program, Food and Rural 
Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1800 M Street, NW., Room N2154, Washington, DC 20036-5831; 
Telephone: 202-694-5373. Submit electronic comments to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Integrated Study of School Meal Costs and Outcomes.
    OMB Number: Not yet assigned.
    Expiration Date: Three years from date of issuance.

[[Page 43077]]

    Type of Request: Approval to collect information from School Food 
Authorities (SFAs), public primary and secondary school administrators, 
students, and parents of students.
    Abstract: USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) has the 
responsibility to provide social and economic intelligence on consumer, 
food marketing, and rural issues, including food security status of the 
poor; domestic food assistance programs; low-income assistance 
programs; economic food consumption determinations and trends; consumer 
demand for food quality, safety, and nutrition; food market competition 
and coordination; and food safety regulation. In carrying out this 
overall mission, ERS seeks approval of information gathering activities 
to conduct an integrated study of school meal costs and outcomes for 
the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program 
(SBP).
    The integrated study will collect data in five domains: policies 
and practices of schools and School Food Authorities (SFAs) affecting 
school meal programs; characteristics of USDA-reimbursable meals as 
offered, served, and consumed; costs and revenues of providing school 
meals; student participation and satisfaction; and students' dietary 
intakes and other student/family outcomes. Data will also be collected 
on the demographic characteristics of participating SFAs and schools, 
and on the characteristics of participating and non-participating 
students and their families.
    This study will update national studies of program costs and 
outcomes that were conducted prior to the School Meal Initiative (SMI) 
of 1995. It will extend research findings from the School Nutrition 
Dietary Assessment Study II and the School Meals Initiative 
Implementation Study and explore, in a nationally representative study, 
the implications of their findings for program costs and outcomes. In 
addition, because of its integrated design and data collection, it will 
allow an unprecedented level of analysis of the relationship among key 
operating characteristics (such as menu planning systems), costs, and 
students' participation, consumption and quality of diet.
    The sample frame for the study will include public school districts 
in the 48 contiguous States, the District of Columbia, and, for data to 
be collected by mail, Alaska and Hawaii. At all levels of sampling for 
the study, school districts will be elected randomly with probability 
proportional to size, and the sample will be nationally representative. 
A preliminary survey will collect data on school district 
characteristics, menu planning method, program operations, and 
foodservice costs and revenues. Respondents to the preliminary survey 
will comprise the sampling frame for the ``main study.'' A multi-level 
design will be implemented to avoid overburdened individual SFAs with 
excessive data collection requirement. All SFAs and schools sampled for 
the main study (Level 1) will be asked to provide data on school meal 
program operations and information on reimbursable meals offered and 
served during a randomly assigned school week. A subset of SFAs and 
schools (Level 2) will be asked to provide detailed information on 
reported and unreported food service costs. Student and parent 
interviews will be conducted in a separate subset of SFAs and schools 
(Level 3) to obtain information on students' dietary intakes and other 
student/family outcomes.
    The study and its data collection methodologies have been designed 
to minimize respondent between wherever possible without compromising 
data quality. Responses to all surveys will be voluntary and 
confidential. to ensure confidentiality, data will be reported only in 
tabular form, with analysis cells large to prevent identification of 
individual agencies, schools, or persons. The data will not be used to 
evaluate individual schools, school districts, or States. All 
respondents will be notified to these confidentiality assurances by 
letter (SFA and school respondents) or Informed Consent/Assent Forms 
(parents and children).
    Estimate of Burden: For the preliminary mail survey, burden for the 
SFA Directors is estimated to be 90 minutes per response. (All burden 
estimates include time to prepare for and complete surveys of 
interview.) For all Level 1 sites, the burden estimates per response 
are as follows: SFA Director mail survey, 77 minutes; Kitchen Manager 
mail survey, 20 minutes; School Principal mail survey, 25 minutes. For 
the Level 1-only and Level 3 SFAs, the burden estimates for the self-
administered, mail-based Menu Survey are: 330 minutes per SFA director, 
and 510 minutes per Kitchen Manager. For Level 1 in-person cost 
interviews, the burden estimates are as follows: SFA Director, 165 
minutes; SFA Business Manager, 60 minutes; Kitchen Manager, 30 minutes; 
School Principal Interview, 55 minutes. For the Level 1 self-
administered, mail-based Menu Survey, the burden estimates are: 330 
minutes per SFA director and 690 minute per Kitchen Manager. The burden 
of Level 3 in-person CAPI interviews with students is 40 minutes for 
younger children and 55 minutes for youth. The burden for in-person 
CAPI interviews with parents of younger children (interview plus 
assisting in the child's 24-hour dietary recall) is estimated at 50 
minutes; the CATI telephone interview with parents of youth will 
require 20 minutes. The burden for in-person CAPI second recalls is 25 
minutes in school and 30 minutes at home for younger children, and 35 
minutes for youth. Parents of younger children will spend 30 minutes on 
in-person CAPI secondary recall interviews.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: SFA directors for Preliminary SFA 
survey, 2,079; for Level 1 questionnaire, 672; for Level 1 and 3 menu 
survey, 280; for cost interview and Level 2 menu survey, 392.
    Kitchen Managers: For Level 1 questionnaire, 2,016; for Level 1 and 
3 menu survey, 840; for cost interview and Level 2 menu survey, 1,176.
    School Principals: For Level questionnaire: 2,016, for cost 
interview, 1,176, SFA Business Managers, 392; Children and Youth, 
2,812; Parents, 2,250.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: Total of 37,140 
hours, including 8,751 hours for SFA Directors; 21,924 hours for 
Kitchen Manager; 1,918 hours for Principals; 392 hours for SFA Business 
Managers; 716 hours for younger children; 2,393 hours for youth; and 
1,046 hours for parents.
    Comments: Comments are invited on (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate, automated, 
electronic, mechanical or other technology. Comments should be sent to 
the address in the preamble. All responses to this notice will be 
summarized and included in the request for Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) approval. All comments will also become a matter of public 
record.


[[Page 43078]]


    Dated: June 30, 2003.
Susan Offutt,
Administrator, Economic Research Service, USDA.
[FR Doc. 03-18445 Filed 7-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-78-M