12 Steps to Conducting Verification

• Schools Required to Submit an Improvement Plan for Certification and Verification for SY 2012-2013 
• If the LEA is on the list required to submit an Improvement Plan use the following documents: 
  • Requirements for an Improvement Plan for Certification and Verification  
  • Improvement Plan for Certification and Verification SY 2012-2013 

Step 2- Determine the sampling method your LEA must use to identify applications for verification.  

• Schools Required to use Basic Sampling (Standard Sample) for SY 2012-2013
  • Basic Sampling (Standard Sample) 
• If the LEA is not on the list for Basic Sampling one of the two alternate methods may be selected. 
  • Alternate-Random Sampling 
  • Alternate-Focused Sampling 

Step 3-Establish the Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application pool. 

• Only approved current school year applications as of October 1 must make up the pool. 
• Applications that should not be included in the application pool are: 
  • Students directly certified; students certified as migrant, homeless, or runaway; students in Head Start or Evenstart programs; and students that are foster children on the direct certification report.

Step 4-Calculate the sample size/number of applications that must be verified. 

• Follow the instructions on the sampling method information sheet. 
• Be sure to round up. 

Step 5- Conduct a Confirmation Review of the applications selected for verification. 

• LEAs that use electronic systems are exempt from this requirement. 
• Be sure to document on the back of the original application the date of when the Confirmation Review was conducted. 

Step 6- Notify the selected households. 

• Use the We Must Check Your Application form. 
• Be sure to give the households a due date. 

Step 7- Contact the local Department of Human Service (DHS) office to verify applications with a Food Assistance Program (FAP) or Family Independence Program (FIP) case number by using the following two forms: 

• Letter to the Department of Human Services From the Local Educational Agency 

Step 8- Conduct a Follow-up Review for any household that has not responded by the original due date. 

• Be sure to document on the back of the original application the date of when the Follow-up Review was conducted. 

Step 9- Notify all households of the final verification determination. 

• Use the We Have Checked Your Application form. 
• Households must be given 10 day advance, written notification that benefits will be decreased. 
• The first day of the ten calendar day advance notice is the day the notice is sent. 

Step 10- Make any required changes to benefit issuance documentation as required from the outcomes of the Verification process by November 15. 

• Be sure to wait until the 10 day advance notification period has passed. 

Step 11- Complete all required Verification documents. 

• Verification Worksheet 
• Verification Summary Information sheet 
• Verification Check List 
  • These forms must remain on file as part of the Verification documentation. 

Step 12- Complete the LEARS-Verification Summary Report before February 15.  

• LEARS - Frequently Asked Questions
• The report is available January 15 via the MEIS website:
• • Go to http://michigan.gov/meis 
  • Under Child Nutrition Programs, click on the bullet point entitled, LEARS Verification Summary Report. 
  • Log in using your MEIS Account ID and password.