Administrative Reviews

Introduction to the Administrative Review

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) amended the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act requiring a unified accountability system designed to ensure that participating school food authorities (SFAs) comply with National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) requirements. The new Administrative Review provides a comprehensive evaluation of school nutrition programs, and includes both Critical and General Areas of Review. Also, included in the review are the new HHFKA program requirements and other Federal programs. The following is a breakdown of the review sections:

Meal Access and Reimbursement (Critical Area – Performance Standard 1)

• Certification and Benefit Issuance
• Verification
• Meal Counting and Claiming

Nutritional Quality and Meal Pattern (Critical Area - Performance Standard 2)

• Meal Components and Quantities
• Offer versus Serve
• Dietary Specifications and Nutrient Analysis

Resource Management (General Areas)

• Maintenance of Non-Profit School Foodservice Account
• Allowable Costs
• Paid Lunch Equity (PLE)
• Revenue from Non-Program Foods
• Indirect Costs
• USDA Foods

General Program Compliance (General Areas)

• Civil Rights
• SFA On-site Monitoring
• Local School Wellness Policy
• Competitive Food Services
• School Meal Environment Report Card
• Water
• Food Safety      
• Reporting and Recordkeeping
• School Breakfast Program and Summer Food Service Program Outreach

Other Federal Program Reviews (Critical and General Areas)

• Afterschool Snacks
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
• Special Milk Program

MDE must conduct Administrative Reviews of all schools participating in the NSLP and/or SBP at least once during each three-year review cycle period, provided that each SFA is reviewed at least once every 4 years. The first three-year review cycle starts with school year (SY) 2013-14. However, for the first year of the new review cycle, MDE must include any SFA scheduled for review in SY 2012-2013 whose review was postponed. In addition, MDE is required to conduct an administrative review early in the review cycle for any SFAs that have not applied for the performance-based certification (6 cents) or whose certification request was denied during the certification process or “turned off” during a validation review for significant meal pattern violations.

The Administrative Review process is designed to allow MDE to conduct specified aspects of the review off-site and other aspects on-site. Under an off-site component, MDE will collect information from what we have available or directly from the school. This process allows MDE to gain a better understanding of a school’s operations prior to the on-site review, thus providing for a more robust on-site review while decreasing MDE’s on-site review time. The on-site portion of the Administrative Review is intended to validate the information collected off-siteand provide an opportunity for MDE to observe the operation of the school nutrition program in selected schools. The objectives of the new Administrative Review are the same as the former CRE and SMI objectives: determine whether the school meets program requirements; provide technical assistance; secure any needed corrective action; and assess fiscal action, if applicable. MDE looks forward to this new approach to collaborative compliance.

During October and November 2013, MDE’s School Nutrition Programs unit will offer one-day regional trainings to those SFAs that are due for review in SY 2013-2014. The same trainings will be offered in fall 2014 and fall 2015 for the SFAs that will be reviewed in those school years. For further information, visit www.michigan.gov/schoolnutrition.

•  Administrative Review School Year 2013-2014

Additional Administrative Reviews (AAR)  

The Michigan Department of Education is required by Section 126 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-265) amended Section 22 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, and Section 7 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, to conduct Additional Administrative Reviews (AAR) of selected Local Educational Agencies (LEA).  The AAR includes a comprehensive on-site evaluation of the LEA to ensure compliance with National School Lunch Program (NSLP) regulations.   

The scope of the review is established by the statute to include application, certification, verification, meal counting, and meal claiming procedures.  These are areas covered by Coordinated Review Effort (CRE) Performance Standard 1 (PS 1) and the verification component of the General Areas of Review. 

• Additional Administrative Review (AAR) School Year 2013-2014
• Checklist for Additional Administrative Review (AAR)