Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Formative Research for the Pilot of a Garden-Related Nutrition Curriculum, 31927-31930 [2011-13621]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Food and Nutrition Service

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 106 (Thursday, June 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31927-31930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-13621]


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Notices
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 106 / Thursday, June 2, 2011 / 
Notices

[[Page 31927]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Formative Research for the Pilot of a Garden-Related 
Nutrition Curriculum

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on this proposed information collection. This collection is a new 
collection for Formative Research for the Pilot of a Garden-Related 
Nutrition Curriculum.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before August 1, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions that were used; (c) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to: Alicia White, Food and Nutrition Service, 
Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 632, 
Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to the 
attention of Alicia White at 703-305-2549 or via e-mail to 
Alicia.White@fns.usda.gov. Comments will also be accepted through the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov, and 
follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
be a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct requests for additional 
information regarding the collection listed in this notice, including 
requests for copies of the proposed information collection and 
supporting documents, to Alicia H. White, MS, RD, Senior Nutritionist, 
Child Nutrition Division, Food and Nutrition Service, Department of 
Agriculture.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Formative Research for the Pilot of a Garden-Related 
Nutrition Curriculum.
    Form/OMB Control Number: 0584-NEW.
    Expiration Date: Not Yet Determined.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Abstract: As authorized under Section 6(a)(3) of the Richard B. 
Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 USC 1755(a)(3), the Department of 
Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) provides training and 
technical assistance for school foodservice, nutrition education for 
children and their caregivers, and encourages school and community 
support for healthy eating and physical activity. These activities are 
implemented under the Agency's Team Nutrition initiative that is 
designed to improve children's lifelong eating and physical activity 
habits by using the principles of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
    Under the Team Nutrition initiative, FNS is developing garden-
related nutrition education lessons that promote fruit and vegetable 
consumption while meeting education standards for academic course 
content for grades three and four. These lesson plans will fill a need 
for a national nutrition education curriculum that connects and 
reinforces farm-to-school, school garden, and school meal initiatives.
    To ensure that the developed curriculum is easy-to-implement in the 
school environment and has the intended effect upon children's fruit 
and vegetable preferences, FNS plans to conduct formative piloting of 
the curriculum for 3rd and 4th grade students. The pilot will assess 
how the curriculum was implemented (process measures) by 3rd and 4th 
grade teachers and gather feedback from teachers and other relevant 
school staff regarding the curriculum implementation, including ease-
of-use, clarity, lesson quality and feasibility, and perceived student 
and parent receptiveness. The pilot will also measure changes in 
students' nutrition and food systems (i.e., how food is grown, where it 
comes from) knowledge and student preferences for and ``willingness to 
taste'' featured fruit and vegetables. Students' perceptions of the 
lesson activities shall also be evaluated. Information gathered from 
this research will inform curriculum revisions.
    A longitudinal, repeated measure, pretest-posttest design with a 
combination of quantitative and qualitative methods will be used. Three 
intervention schools with pre-existing school gardens and one 
comparison school without a garden will be selected to participate. 
Within each intervention and comparison school, one 3rd grade classroom 
and one 4th grade classroom will be selected to participate for a total 
of six intervention and two comparison classrooms. Pre- and posttest 
questionnaires will be administered to students, teachers, parent/
caregivers, and other staff, such as food service personnel and school 
administrators. Teachers will also be interviewed posttest and asked to 
maintain a log of curriculum activities.
    Affected Public (Individual/Households; State, Local and Tribal 
Government): 3rd and 4th grade students, their teachers, their parents/
caregivers of students, and school foodservice personnel of four 
schools.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
participants is 492. Representing 4 participating schools, this 
includes: 240 3rd and 4th grade students; 240 parents and caregivers); 
8-3rd and 4th grade teachers; and 4 school foodservice managers/
directors (one per school). It is anticipated that responders will 
include 85% of students (204), 30% of parents (72), 75% of teachers (6) 
and 75% of food service personnel (3).
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Representing the 
three participating garden schools, all 3rd and

[[Page 31928]]

4th grade students will be asked to participate in a pre-intervention 
(pretest) survey, post-intervention (posttest) survey, and a student 
garden monitoring survey for a total of three responses each. 
Representing the one non-garden school, all 3rd and 4th grade students 
will be asked to participate in a pre-intervention (pretest) survey and 
a post-intervention (posttest) survey, for a total of two responses 
each. The 3rd and 4th grade classroom teachers will be asked to 
participate in one pre-intervention (pretest) survey, and one each at 
posttest, a survey, an interview, and a Curriculum Implementation Log, 
for a total of five responses each. The parents/caregivers will be 
asked to participate in one pre-intervention (pretest) survey, and one 
at posttest, for a total of two responses each. Finally, the school 
foodservice manager or director will be asked to participate in a 
posttest survey, for a total of one response each.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 1,183.
    Estimated Time per Response: The estimated time per response varies 
from 0.08 to 0.5 hr. depending on the respondent group and the 
instruments used, as shown in the table below.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 201.02 hr.
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BILLING CODE 3410-30-C
    Respondents: 3rd and 4th grade students, their teachers, their 
parents/caregivers, and food service personnel.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 492.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 1,183.
    Average Hours per Response: 0.25 hours per response for students, 
parents/caregivers and food service personnel; .50 hours for teachers.
    Total Estimated Burden: 201.02 hours.
    Obligation to Respond: Voluntary.

    Dated: May 10, 2011.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-13621 Filed 6-1-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P