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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
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Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs

Interim Report

Panel on Estimating Children Eligible for School Nutrition Programs Using the American Community Survey

Allen L. Schirm and Nancy J. Kirkendall, Editors

Committee on National Statistics

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by contract number AG-3198-C-09-0006 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Support for the work of the Committee on National Statistics is provided by a consortium of federal agencies through a grant from the National Science Foundation (award number SES-0453930). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

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Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2010). Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Panel on Estimating Children Eligible for School Nutrition Programs Using the American Community Survey, Allen L. Schirm and Nancy J. Kirkendall, Editors. Committee on National Statistics, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine


The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.


The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.


The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.


The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.


www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
×

PANEL ON ESTIMATING CHILDREN ELIGIBLE FOR SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMS USING THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY

ALLEN L. SCHIRM (Chair),

Mathematica Policy Research, Washington, DC

DAVID M. BETSON,

Department of Economics, University of Notre Dame

MARIANNE P. BITLER,

Department of Economics, University of California, Irvine

F. JAY BREIDT,

Department of Statistics, Colorado State University

ROBERT E. FAY,

Westat, Rockville, Maryland

ALBERTA C. FROST, Consultant,

Alexandria, Virginia

MICHAEL F. GOODCHILD,

Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara

PARTHA LAHIRI,

Department of Statistics, University of Maryland

PENNY E. McCONNELL,

Fairfax County Public Schools, Springfield, Virginia

SARAH NUSSER,

Department of Statistics, Iowa State University

JOHN PERKINS,

Perkins Consulting Group, Austin, Texas

JAMES H. WYCKOFF,

Currie School of Education, University of Virginia

NANCY J. KIRKENDALL, Study Director

AGNES E. GASKIN, Administrative Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
×

COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL STATISTICS 2009-2010

WILLIAM F. EDDY (Chair),

Department of Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University

KATHARINE G. ABRAHAM,

Department of Economics, University of Maryland, and Joint Program in Survey Methodology

ALICA CARRIQUIRY,

Department of Statistics, Iowa State University

WILLIAM DuMOUCHEL,

Phase Forward, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts

JOHN HALTIWANGER,

Department of Economics, University of Maryland

V. JOSEPH HOTZ,

Department of Economics, Duke University

KAREN KAFADAR,

Department of Statistics, Indiana University

SALLIE KELLER,

George R. Brown School of Engineering, Rice University

LISA LYNCH,

Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University

DOUGLAS MASSEY,

Department of Sociology, Princeton University

SALLY C. MORTON,

Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh

JOSEPH NEWHOUSE,

Division of Health Policy Research and Education, Harvard University

SAMUEL H. PRESTON,

Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania

HAL STERN,

Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine

ROGER TOURANGEAU,

Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland, and Survey Research Center, University of Michigan

ALAN ZASLAVSKY,

Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School

CONSTANCE F. CITRO, Director

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
×

Acknowledgments

The Panel on Estimating Children Eligible for School Nutrition Programs Using the American Community Survey wishes to thank the many people and organizations that contributed to the preparation of this interim report. Without their help, the panel could not have completed this planning document within the short time frame provided in the first phase of the project. As chair, I want to thank my fellow panel members for their commitment to the work under a demanding time schedule. They have consistently provided insightful and constructive input under tight deadlines as we developed this report and our plans for the remainder of the study.

The panel thanks John Endahl, Jay Hirschman, and Cindy Long of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) for their patient explanation of the many rules, regulations, data sources, and evaluation studies pertaining to the school meals programs. We are also grateful for the expert advice of staff of the U.S. Census Bureau in understanding the data collected in the American Community Survey and the estimates developed in the Small-Area Income and Poverty Estimates Program.

In the preparation of this report, the panel convened two open meetings. At the first one, held on September 1, 2009, informative and helpful presentations on the charge to the panel and on the regulations and operation of the school meals programs were provided by John Endahl, Jay Hirschman, Cindy Long, Melissa Rothstein, and William Wagoner of FNS and Christopher Logan of Abt Associates. Informative and helpful presentations on the American Community Survey, the Small Area Income

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
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and Poverty Estimates Program, and geographical issues were provided by Douglas Geverdt, David Johnson, Donald Lurey, Alfredo Navarro, and Michael Ratcliffe of the U.S. Census Bureau. Stuart Hamilton and Salvatore Saporito of the College of William and Mary gave a helpful presentation about their new School Attendance Boundary Information System.

The second open meeting, held on October 29, 2009, featured presentations on topics concerning measurement of income and program participation in the school meals programs as well as issues related to costs and errors. Special thanks go to Kay Brown, U.S. Government Accountability Office; John Czajka, Mathematica Policy Research; Ed Harper and Gary Vessels, FNS; Constance Newman, Economic Research Service; and Michael Ponza, Mathematica Policy Research.

The panel has been assisted by a very able staff. Our work on this report and our initial study preparations could not have been completed without the many contributions of Nancy Kirkendall, the study director. She provided technical and substantive insights, conducted and oversaw helpful data tabulations, drafted and revised key sections of the report, and kept the panel and project on track. We would like to acknowledge Linda Meyers and Lynn Parker of the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine for their help in identifying individuals knowledgeable about the school meals programs. We are also grateful for the consistently wise counsel provided by Connie Citro, director of the Committee on National Statistics, and for the assistance of Agnes Gaskin, administrative assistant to the committee, in handling the logistical arrangements of the panel and our meetings. Finally, we would like to thank Mary Grider of Mathematica Policy Research for her help with tabulations using the Common Core of Data.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the Report Review Committee of the National Research Council (NRC). The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Robert Cromley, Department of Geography, University of Connecticut; David N. Figlio, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University; Malay Ghosh, Department of Statistics, University of Florida; Kathy F. Kuser, Consultant, Lithia, FL; Sharon K. Long, Health Policy Center, The Urban Institute, Washington, DC; Joseph Salvo, Population Division, New

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
×

York City Department of City Planning; Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago; and Grant I. Thrall, Department of Geography, University of Florida.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by V. Joseph Hotz, Department of Economics, Duke University. Appointed by the NRC’s Report Review Committee, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring panel and the institution.

Finally, we recognize the many federal agencies that support the Committee on National Statistics directly and through a grant from the National Science Foundation. Without their support and their commitment to improving the national statistical system, the committee work that is the basis of this report would not have been possible.


Allen L. Schirm, Chair

Panel on Estimating Children Eligible for School Nutrition Programs Using the American Community Survey

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Developing and Evaluating Methods for Using American Community Survey Data to Support the School Meals Programs: Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12917.
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The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), are key components of the nation's food security safety net, providing free or low-cost meals to millions of school-age children each day.

Under the most commonly adopted provisions, USDA reimburses districts for meals served on the basis of data collected in a "base year," during which applications are taken. After 3 or 4 years, applications must be taken again to establish new base-year data, unless the district provides evidence that local conditions have not changed.

A special provision that does not require applications to be taken every few years would reduce burden, be more attractive to school districts, and potentially increase student participation by expanding access to free meals. To support the development of such a provision, the Food and Nutrition Service asked the National Academies to study the technical and operational issues that arise in using data from the American Community Survey (ACS)--a new continuous survey replacing the long-form survey of the decennial census--to obtain estimates of students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals for schools and school districts. Such estimates would be used to develop "claiming percentages" that, if sufficiently accurate, would determine federal reimbursements to districts for the schools that provide free meals to all students under a new special provision that eliminates the base-year requirements of current provisions.

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