States

Thank you for visiting this page!  As the study advances, more information for states will be posted here. 

APEC IV study findings will be used to recommend improvements to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and national School Breakfast Program (SBP). Your participation in APEC IV helps to ensure those recommendations reflect your state’s experiences and also represent the experiences of other states not included in this round of the study.

APEC IV is a research study, not an audit of any type.  All information gathered from states, SFAs, schools and households is for research purposes only and is kept private to the fullest extent allowed by law. All responses will be grouped with those of other participants, and no individual state, SFA, school or household will be identified in public documents or data files.

Participation in APEC studies will not affect meal reimbursements to participating districts and schools, nor will it affect the meal program benefits received by participating students and households.

What does state participation entail?

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For Sampling:

• State agencies are asked to review and confirm information on the sampled SFA list in your state. We ask that you provide any updated information as needed.
• We ask that you encourage your sampled SFAs to participate in this important study.

For Data Collection:

• State agencies are asked to provide meal claim data submitted to the USDA for a specified month in SY 2023-2024.