More than a decade after Goddard, Tschannen-Moran, and Hoy (2001) found that collective faculty trust in clients predicts student achievement in urban elementary schools, we sought to identify a plausible link for this relationship. Our purpose in revisiting the trust effect was twofold: (1) to test the main effect of collective faculty trust on…

Purpose/Objectives: Purpose was to investigate the nutrient content of Swedish school meals consumed by students in the context of national recommendations regarding food composition and intake. Methods: Composite samples of lunch meals consumed by six students during a five-day period were collected using the double portion method and analyzed…

Purpose/Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the perceived training needs of California school nutrition personnel. Methods: A questionnaire was developed using items from previous questionnaires administered to similar populations. New items were written based on feedback from stakeholders. Respondents were asked to rate their…

Background: Alternative school settings for students who are identified as "disruptive or dangerous" are playing an increasingly prominent role in the world of public education, yet significant gaps in our understanding of their efficacy remain. Objective: This longitudinal investigation within a large school district serving 100,000…

Background: Farm-to-School programs (FTSPs) connect schools with locally grown food. This article examines whether FTSPs are more common in public elementary schools (ESs) in states with a formal, FTSP law or with a related, locally grown procurement law. Methods: A pooled, cross-sectional analysis linked nationally representative samples of 1872…

Given a choice, most administrators, staff, and students would probably choose food from home over the school offerings. What about those without a choice? Students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch are stuck with school lunches, which are sometimes the most balanced meal they'll get that day. Many others opt for school lunches out of…

More than 30 percent of American children are either overweight or obese, with a body mass index (BMI) in the 85th percentile or above. Although prevalence varies by age, sex, and ethnicity, all groups are affected. Risk of serious health problems increases with increasing BMI. Childhood obesity, characterized by BMI in the 95th percentile or…

Head Start's performance standards require that the nutrition programs "serve a variety of foods which consider cultural and ethnic preferences and which broaden the child's food experience" (Head Start Program Performance Standards and Other Regulations, 2006). In this study, food service modifications were made via a participatory…

Background: Existing evidence suggests a relationship between family social contexts, family relationships and interactions, children's social and cognitive development and educational outcomes. Interventions that assist families in relation to parenting and supporting children's development can have positive effects on both parents' skills and…

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the school food environment of charter schools in Saint Louis, Missouri. The objectives were to: (1) describe the participation of charter schools in the National School Lunch Program and (2) describe the prevalence of competitive foods in charter schools. Methods: School administrators…

The NFSMI Research Summary is a continuing series of summaries reporting recently completed research and research-based resources funded by the National Food Service Management Institute. The following research studies are summarized in this article: (1) Succession Planning for Management Level Staff in School Nutrition Programs; (2)…

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of various school personnel who are key participants in child nutrition and wellness regarding the sustainability and use of school gardens. Methods: A convenience sample of staff from schools with school gardens across the United States was established, consisting of:…

As with most things in life, managing student meal charges is all about balance. To be successful, the program needs to include a fair and reasonable policy, to serve nutritious and flavorful meals, and to include students as active stakeholders in the program. A plan that acknowledges simple forgetfulness, explains expectations of all…

This study examined the relationship between nonmainstream American English (NMAE) dialect use and various emergent literacy skills among typically developing children in prekindergarten. Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between children's production of NMAE forms (i.e., dialect variation [DVAR]) and their…

Purpose: This research aims to add to the literature on Academic Optimism, a composite measure composed of teacher perceptions of trust in students, academic press, and collective efficacy by exploring a similar set of constructs from the student perceptive. The relationships between student trust in teachers, student perceptions of academic…