Collection Requirements Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations: Evaluation of the Team Nutrition Pilot Implementation Communities

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Food and Consumer Service's (FCS) intention to

request OMB review of the Evaluation of the Team Nutrition Pilot

Implementation Communities.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by January 8, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the accuracy of the burden estimate,

ways to minimize the burden, including through the use of automated

collection techniques or other forms of information technology, or any

other aspect of this collection of information to: Michael E. Fishman,

Acting Director, Office of Analysis and Evaluation, Food and Consumer

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3103 Park Center Drive,

Alexandria, VA 22302.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the

request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of

public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael E. Fishman, (703) 305-2117.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: .

Title: Evaluation of the Team Nutrition Pilot Implementation

Communities.

OMB Number: Not yet assigned.

Expiration Date: N/A.

Type of Request: New collection of information.

Abstract: Team Nutrition is a multi-dimensional nutrition education

program delivered through the media, homes, schools and other community

partners. It also includes training and technical assistance to support

school efforts to implement the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in

their food services. The major objectives of this study are to (1)

describe and compare school and community strategies to implement the

Team Nutrition approach to improving children's food choices, and (2)

assess the outcomes of Team Nutrition activities on students, their

parents, teachers, school staff and administrators, as well as school

food service practices.

The evaluation will focus on seven volunteer school districts in

which 30 elementary and seven middle schools will implement Team

Nutrition activities during the 1996 Spring and 1996 Fall semesters.

Four of these districts have also volunteered to participate in the

outcome evaluation. In these districts, 24 elementary and 12 middle

schools will serve as treatment or comparison sites over the same time

period.

The evaluation includes seven data collection protocols: (1)

Activity logs maintained by teachers, staff and administrators

describing nutrition promotion events; (2) a classroom survey of all

students, in two different grades, at treatment and comparison schools;

(3) observations of food choice and plate waste behavior in school

cafeterias among subsamples of the same students; (4) in person

interviews with subsamples of surveyed students; (5) a telephone survey

with a parent of each student surveyed; (6) a self-administered survey

of teachers who deliver nutrition education; (7) personal interviews

with key administrators and staff who make and implement food service

policy.

Estimate of Burden: The public reporting burden associated with one

application of each protocol described above is estimated to average 2

minutes for each activity log entry, 15 minutes for the classroom

survey of students, 0 burden for cafeteria observations, 30 minutes for

the student interviews, 25 minutes for the parent survey, 20 minutes

for the teacher survey, and 35 minutes for administrator and staff

interviews.

Respondents: The kind of respondents associated with each data

collection protocol is described above.

Estimated Number of Respondents: Surveys will be conducted with

approximately 7800 students. Cafeteria observations will be made of

about 5150 of these same students. 600 of these students will also

participate in interviews. Approximately 7800 parents will be surveyed.

145 teachers will compete self-administered questionnaires, and 150

school administrators and food service staff will participate in

interviews. The same teachers, administrators and staff will maintain

activity logs of nutrition promotion events.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Most data collection

protocols will be administered twice per respondent, before and after

treatment in both school semesters referenced above. The only exception

is for teachers, food service staff and administrators from

participating elementary schools who will respond to appropriate

protocol--questionnaries for teachers and interviews for others--a

total of four times (twice in each of two semesters). Administrators,

teachers and staff are expected make an average of 200 entries on the

activity logs.

Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 13,365 hours. Copies of this

information collection can be obtained from Carol Olander, Office of

Analysis and Evaluation, Food and Consumer Service, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302.

Dated: November 1, 1995.

William E. Ludwig,

Administrator, Food and Consumer Service.

[FR Doc. 95-27573 Filed 11-6-95; 8:45 am]

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