Online Verification Tutorial

1. Online Verification Tutorial September 18, 2013 Alabama state department of education Child Nutrition Program

2. Authority Levels for Online Verification Authority levels must be set for Sponsor Users prior to accessing the online Verification Summary • To set authority levels: • Log on to the CNP Online Application • Click User Account • Click Edit User • Click the Edit button next to the Sponsor User that is being edited • Select the authority level appointed to the Sponsor User • Click Update User • There are 3 levels of authority for verification: • Editor • Submitter • Viewer

3. Accessing the Online Verification Summary Log onto the CNP Online Application Click NSLP Click Forms Select Verification Summary The LEA’s verification summary page opens

4. Accessing the Online Verification Summary

5. Accessing the Online Verification Summary Sponsor’s agency name, LEA-ID, LEA name, address, and type of LEA are all pre-populated from the system interface. Use the drop down box to select the school year.

6. Entering Information Into the Online Verification Summary

7. Entering Information Into the Online Verification Summary • After selecting the program year, the verification summary page will load. • Only the cells applicable to the Sponsor are editable. • They have a white background and are bordered in solid black.

8. Entering Information Into the Online Verification Summary Editable Cells Disabled Cells

9. Section I: Enrollment, Application, and Pre-Verification Counts Section I should be completed prior to starting the verification process to identify the correct number of applications to pull for verification.

10. Section I: Enrollment, Application, and Pre-Verification Counts A: Enrollment The numbers entered in this section should be the enrollment as of October 1st.

11. Section IA: Enrollment • A1 – Grand Total • Enter the LEA’s total number of schools and students participating in the SBP and NSLP in the appropriate cell.

12. Section I: Enrollment, Application, and Pre-Verification Counts B: Method of Direct Certification Select the method the LEA uses for direct certification. • If the system performed Direct Certification, select “Local Electronic Match.” • This is the only Direct Certification method available in Alabama.

13. Section IB: Method of Direct Certification

14. Section I: Enrollment, Application, and Pre-Verification Counts C: Pre-Verification Counts by Certification Type Enter the number of students who qualify for free meals for each category (C1-C11) as of October 1st. These students are not subject to verification. Only the cells that should be completed will be highlighted.

15. Section IC: Pre-Verification Counts by Certification Type The information entered into C1-C6 will be the results from Direct Certification. • C1 – Students who are approved as free based on SNAP • C2 – Students who are approved as free based on TANF • C3 – Students who are approved as free based on FDPIR • Not applicable in Alabama • C4 – Students who are approved as free based on Foster status • C5 – Students who are approved as free based on SCHIP • Not applicable in Alabama • C6 – Students who are approved as free based on Medicaid • Not applicable in Alabama

16. Section IC: Pre-Verification Counts by Certification Type • C7 – Students who are approved as free based on residential status in RCCI • This is only for Residential Child Care Institutions, not public/private schools • This cell will only be editable by RCCIs without day students • C8 – Students who are approved as free based on Homeless Liaison List • C9 – Students who are approved as free based on any other qualification (Head Start, Pre-K, Even Start, migrants, runaways and foster)

17. Section IC: Pre-Verification Counts by Certification Type C10-C11 apply to Provision 2 & 3 schools only. • C10 – Students who are approved as free in a Provision 2 school during a non-base year • C11 – Students who are approved as free in a Provision 3 school during a non-base year • Not applicable in Alabama

18. Section IC: Pre-Verification Counts by Certification Type Enter the number of students who are categorically eligible for free meals based on case number provided on free/reduced meal application (C12-C16) as of October 1st. • C12 – Students who are approved as free based on SNAP case number provided on application • C13 – Students who are approved as free based on TANF case number provided on application • C14 – Students who are approved as free based on FDPIR case number provided on application • Alabama does not have FDPIR, so this cell will not be activated • C15 – Students who are approved as free based on SCHIP information provided on application • Not currently offered in Alabama, so this cell will not be activated • C16 – Students who are approved based on Medicaid information provided on application • Not currently offered in Alabama, so this cell will not be activated

19. Section IC: Pre-Verification Counts by Certification Type Enter the number of students who are eligible to receive free and reduced priced meals based on income (C17). • C17 – Income Eligible • Cell 1 – Number of students who are approved as free based on income • Cell 2 – Number of applications approved as free based on income • Cell 3 – Number of students who are approved as reduced price based on income • Cell 4 – Number of applications approved as reduced price based on income

20. Section IC: Pre-Verification Counts by Certification Type Section C totals will be pre-populated as the information is entered into the highlighted cells.

21. Section IC: Pre-Verification Counts by Certification Type To save the inputted information, scroll to the bottom of the form and click the save button located on the bottom right corner.

22. Section II: Results of Verification Once the verification summary has been saved, a red circle with a white exclamation point will appear beside any cell where an error was found or if no information was entered into the cell. Correct the errors and save the verification summary again.

23. Section II: Results of Verification D: Verification Sampling • D1 – Verification Type • Choose any of the activated methods of verification. • Standard Sample Size • The standard sample size is the lesser of: • 3% of all approved applications as of October 1, selected from error prone applications; or • 3,000 error prone approved applications as of October 1 Alternate Sample Sizes (For qualifying LEAs): • Alternate Random • The sample size is the lesser of: • 3,000 of all approved applications as of October 1, selected randomly; or • 3% of all approved applications as of October 1, selected randomly • Alternate Focused • The sample size is the lesser of: • 1,000 of all approved applications as of October 1, selected from error prone applications; or • 1% of all approved applications as of October 1, selected from error prone applications

24. Section II: Results of Verification • D2 – Total Number of Applications Selected for Verification • Based on the selected verification method in D1, D2 will automatically calculate the number of applications that need to be verified. Be sure to only use the number of applications determined in Section D for verification.

25. Section II: Results of Verification • D3 – Total Number of Error Prone Applications Enter the total number of school district Error Prone applications in the box. • A message will appear below D3 indicating the number of error prone applications that must be included in the sample. Error prone means applications within $100 per month of the applicable Income Eligibility Guidelines.

26. Section II: Results of Verification Automatically calculated Indicates number of error-prone applications that must be included in verification

27. Section II: Results of Verification E: Additional Verification Elements • E1 – Total Number of Questionable Applications Verified for Cause • Enter the number of “for cause” (questionable) applications. • “For Cause” applications are not recorded in Section III.

28. “For Cause” Applications What is “For Cause”? The LEA has an obligation to verify all questionable applications as “for cause.” Any verification that is conducted “for cause” is in addition to the sample size required.

29. Section II: Results of Verification F: Direct Verification This section is not applicable in Alabama at this time.

30. Section II: Results of Verification Click the save button on the bottom right of the screen. Section III information will be entered once the verification process has been mostly completed as of November 15th.

31. Section III: Application Data Section III allows you to enter data from the verified applications. Click the Add New Application button located in the top left corner of Section III to open the screen to add applications. This button must be clicked every time that a new application is entered.

32. Section III: Application Data • Enter the application ID. • This is the method the LEA uses to identify the application. • For example: • Numerical • Last Name

33. Section III: Application Data Enter the number of approved students on the application.

34. Section III: Application Data • Select the benefit type prior to the verification process using the drop down box to select: • Free-Categorical • Free Income • Reduced Price

35. Section III: Application Data • Select the result of verification by using the drop down box: • Responded, no change • Responded, changed to free • Responded, changed to reduced price • Responded, changed to paid • Non Response, incomplete documentation provided by household • Non Response, household never responded to SFA

36. Section III: Application Data This step may not be able to complete before February 15th. Check the box next to Reapplied & Reapproved by Feb. 15 if the application was resubmitted and reapproved on or before Feb. 15th.

37. Section III: Application Data Click the update button located in the bottom right of Section III to show the application as entered on the verification summary.

38. Section III: Application Data Once updated, the application information is listed below the search fields. Changes may be made to an application that has already been entered by clicking the Edit link beside the application information. The entire application may be deleted by clicking the Delete link. Search field Application Information

39. Section III: Application Data Repeat Steps 1-7 until the number of applications identified in D2 have been entered.

40. Checking for Errors Verification entries may be sorted in the following ways to check for errors: • Application ID • Number Of Students Approved On Application • Original Benefit Type • Free – Categorical • Free – Income • Reduced Price • Results of Verification • Responded, no change • Responded, changed to free • Responded, changed to reduced price • Responded, changed to paid • Non Response, incomplete documentation provided by household • Non Response, household never responded to SFA • Reapplied and Reapproved

41. Methods for Finding Application Information Information may be found in two ways: METHOD ONE: To sort alphabetically or numerically, click the column name in the Application Data Header. METHOD TWO: To search for applications with a specific value in any column, enter the desired value in the search fields under the Application Data Header.

42. Methods for Finding Application Information Method One Method Two Application Data Header Search Fields

43. Section IV: Verification Totals Verification totals will be calculated for you based on the information from Section III.

44. Submitting the Verification Summary Once all information has been entered and checked for errors, click the submit button on the bottom right of the screen.

45. Submitting the Verification Summary A message from webpage will appear. Click OK to finalize submission of the Verification Summary.

46. Submitting the Verification Summary After clicking OK, the Verification Summary will appear with a message below that is highlighted yellow. The message indicates read only mode with the user name, date, and time of the successful submission.

47. Submitting the Verification Summary If there are errors when the Verification Summary is submitted, an error message will appear that is highlighted in red. The submission was not successful.

48. Submitting the Verification Summary Errors will be identified on the Verification Summary by a red circle with an exclamation point inside. Correct the errors and click the Submit button.

49. After Submitting the Verification Summary Report The Verification Summary Report can be printed after it has been submitted. Click the View Printable Report button located in the top right corner of the Verification Summary Report below the year selection to print.

50. After Submitting the Verification Summary Report The Verification Summary Report may be edited after it has been submitted until March 1st. Click the Undo Submit button located in the top left corner of the Verification Summary Report below the year selection to undo the submission.