Game Changer: The Community Eligibility Provision

1. Game Changer: The Community Eligibility Provision Sarah C. White & Rasheeda A. Washington Tennessee Department of Education

2. Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) A universal meal plan under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) that permits eligible LEAs and schools to provide meal service to all students at no charge, regardless of economic status. (Section 104a of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act)

3. Students that… Eat a complete breakfast, versus a partial one, make fewer mistakes and work faster in math and number checking tests. Eat breakfast at school – closer to class and test-taking time –perform better on standardized tests than those who skip breakfast or eat breakfast at home. Participate in school breakfast show improved attendance, behavior and decreased tardiness.

4. Changing Meal Service Delivery ~860 schools across 69 districts have implemented CEP to date Bedford County: Breakfast & Lunch by 500 each per day for the first 10 days Cleveland City: Breakfast 21% ;Lunch16% Metro Nashville: Meal participation 20% to 25% Knox County:Meal participation ~60% in 2 HS and 1 MS Shelby County:Breakfast 10.2% ; Lunch 18% Warren County Schools: Breakfast 13% ; Lunch 6.5 % The Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) at one school has increased by 17% and is close to 90%

5. Changing the Community Experience Robertson County: Inthe past a family had to let their children take turns eating in the cafeteria because they could not afford for all of them to eat every day.  Now all their children are getting to eat every day.  Morgan County: I had a school security officer stop me to thank me. He had seen a service learner student ask to work in the cafeteria and take out the trash (student was previously eating food from the garbage). The CEP program has been a blessing to families in our community. It allows them some relief financially and also gives them peace of mind knowing their children are eating a nutritious meal twice daily.

6. Changing the Classroom Experience Putnam County Principal: Thanks to CEP, students are more excited to come to school early and on time.  Student tardiness has reduced significantly and separation anxiety between the child and parents has declined. It has taken 4 1/2 weeks, but we have a system that is working and a menu that is classroom and student friendly. Giles County teachers said it was the best first day of school ever. Schools have taken breakfast out into the hallways so that every child can grab breakfast on the way into classrooms.  

7. Changing Data Collection for CEP Schools LEAs/schools are responsible for collecting and entering the following information in your student management system: • Students classified as Homeless, migrant and/or runaway • Students enrolled in some Head Start Program or Even Start programs (those run by the school system) • Eligible students as determined by the Household Survey The department is loading the following information: • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) • Certified foster children

8. Current Definition of Economically Disadvantaged • Defined in Tennessee Annotated Code as “a student who is eligible for free or reduced price lunch”. • Household survey provides this eligibility information • Currently there is no change to how we define economically disadvantaged in Tennessee. Non CEP Schools = Free “X” + Reduced “Y” + Direct Certified CEP Schools = CEP Eligible “3” + Direct Certified

9. Changing the Definition of Economically Disadvantaged • Future definition: Will request a legislative change to the definition of so that it is not tied in code to FRPL data • Will use the October data to help us form a recommendation • Possible solutions: • Using direct certified data • Eliminate the need for the household survey • Utilizing current flexibilities • May use different poverty measures for different areas

10. Changing the Measure used for Funding BEP “At-Risk” TCA 49-3-307 Basic Education Program calculations defines "At-risk student" means a student who is eligible for free or reduced price lunch” Allocations of Title I Funds US Ed has always had different poverty measures LEAs and can use for rank and spiral. Collaborating with Office of Consolidated Planning & Monitoring to provide additional guidance to LEAs for next year

11. Changing the Measure used for Funding E-Rate (effective 2015-16 school year) • All school districts must determine their discount percentage for the district as a whole, rather than for each individual school • CEP Claiming Percentage = Identified Student Percentage x 1.6 • FRPL data for non-CEP schools

12. Changing our Data Reports Economically Disadvantaged report will still be available in Data Reports. FRPL %Report = X + Y + Direct Certified *CEP % Report = 3 + Direct Certified *Economically Disadvantaged Report = X + Y + 3 + Direct Certified

13. Next Steps CEP Committee to evaluate October data and CEP to date Continue communicating with districts and providing assistance Conducting regional “Listening Tours” Implement process improvements for 2015-16 school year

14. CEP Site: http://www.tn.gov/education/health_safety/cep.shtml For questions specific to School Nutrition contact Sarah.C.White@tn.gov or Chris.Crutcher@tn.gov For all other questions contact Rasheeda.Washington@tn.gov