Objective: To describe Head Start teachers' perceptions of mealtime, feeding, and overweight risk in Head Start students. Design: Qualitative focus group study. Setting: Five Head Starts in a greater metropolitan area in the Northeast. Participants: Thirty-five teachers in 5 focus groups. Intervention: Two experienced focus group facilitators…

Reports on the amount of waste that results from the federal regulations on Type A lunches in elementary schools. (IRT)

Reductions in participation in National School Lunch Program in 1981-82 are of concern to hunger groups and legislators. Extent to which Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Acts (OBRA) of 1980-81 contributes to participation decline was measured by simulation model in New York State. Results suggest that OBRA increased participation; declining…

Background: Across the nation, schools have become actively involved in developing obesity prevention strategies both in classrooms and in cafeterias. We sought to determine the type of foods being offered during lunch in the cafeteria of 3 public high schools in 1 county and if this reflects the purchasing patterns of students. By labeling foods…

Income volatility challenges the effectiveness of the safety net that USDA food assistance programs provide low-income families. This study examines income volatility among households with children and the implications of volatility for eligibility in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The results show that income volatility was higher for…

K-12 school practitioners and schools administrators need reliable results about the effects of instructional technology products as they strive to meet achievement compliance levels in politically accountable local and national contexts in the U.S. This study presents evidence regarding the effects of extensive engagement with computer-based…

Privatization of school support services is a time-tested means for lowering educational costs. The three major services that school districts in Michigan contract out for are food, custodial and transportation. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy's survey of privatization is the longest running and most comprehensive source of school support…

A school lunch promotional kit was developed to enable lunch managers to integrate lunchroom activities with the classroom, home, and community. Data from 1743 students indicated that schools using the kit significantly increased school lunch participation and that students were more willing to taste nutritious food. (JN)

This report presents the results for Part I of the study focusing on the performance of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) fourth- and eighth-graders on the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress in reading and mathematics. A national sample of approximately 10,100 AI/AN students at grades 4 and 8 participated in the 2007 reading…

Examined is lunch period management in a variety of urban and suburban elementary schools in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. Patterns of supervision are discussed and recommendations are suggested. (SI)

Examined the variety of lunch menus in licensed child care centers in Mississippi. A total of 460 lunch menus were analyzed using nutrient analysis software, and a frequency analysis showed the most commonly used foods. Found that foods used most often included white bread, sliced ham, and sausage pizza. Results support the need for nutrition…

Visited five preschools in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area on three occasions. At each visit, the content of the lunch provided to the children was studied. Found that all lunches were prepared by caregivers and all children received lunches. The lunches contained adequate protein, milk, bread, and fluid, but there was underutilization of vegetables…

A parent telephone survey (n=300) was conducted to identify the primary customer of elementary school food programs. Results show that the decision to eat school lunch was most frequently made jointly by parent and child and the factor most frequently influencing the decision was the nutritional value of the meal. (Contains 15 references.) (JOW)

This report is the forth in the series of evaluations of the National School Lunch Program. The findings presented here are the result of an analysis of pilot project operations and costs for two alternatives to the current application-based certification process--Up-Front Documentation and Graduated Verification--that were tested in 12 public…

Food security--access to enough food for a healthy, active life--is vital to the well-being of children. Yet, almost 17% of households with children experience food insecurity, considerably higher than the rate among childless households. Food insecurity has been linked to a variety of negative outcomes in children, related to health, behavior,…