Update on the Direct Certification matching, reporting and file download process. Updates on CEP and resource sharing. PSLC 3000 & 3120

1. Direct Certification & CEP:
A Brief Overview
August 19, 2016
Rose Wolterbeek MA, SNS
School Nutrition Services Specialist
Nevada Department of Agriculture
Food and Nutrition Division

2. Goals of Today’s Webinar:
Direct Certification Matching Basics
SY 16/17 Reporting Requirements
Community Eligibility Provision
ISP determination
Resources
Professional Standard Learning Codes:
3000 Administration/3120:Direct Certification

3. Direct Certification Matching Basics
 Children living in households that participate in certain programs are automatically
eligible for free meals
 “Directly Certified” for a free meal = no paper application needed
 SNAP, TANF and FDPIR are currently eligible
 Medicaid is not currently an eligible program for DC matching
 In Nevada, the DC list is created by the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services
 Separated by zip code, then all zip codes in that county are condensed into one list

4. Direct Certification Matching Basics
 Some counties have VERY large lists
 May result in some households being in a neighboring districts lists
 (Not all zip codes mirror county lines)
 The lists of participating households is posted on NDA’s Mustang site
 https://files.nv.gov/

5. Mustang Instructions
 Enter your user name and login
 If you have issues, contact Shawna Sabo ssabo@agri.nv.gov

6. Mustang Instructions
 You will see a folder with your districts name on it (I see everybody)

7. Mustang Instructions
 Click on your folder
 You see several files
 annl data is the file that contains the list that was issued at the start of the school year
 full data is the file that contains the names added in the monthly updates in addition to
the names on the annl data list.
 updt data are the names that are added to the list for that month only.

8. Mustang Instruction
 Steps are captured in the Mustang system instructions
 Also includes instructions on how to convert the file to an excel format
 The program codes in Mustang are as follows: F, FB = SNAP, A = TANF
 This will be important for later reporting requirements
 Will be sent out after the webinar

9. Mustang Instruction
 CONFIDENTIALITY IS CRITICAL!!!
 Sensitive information
 Only store in a secure location
 Don’t send via email—not secure

10. How close of a match?
 Must match on at least three data elements
 Child’s name, parent name, date of birth
 Child’s name, household address, date of birth
 Child’s name, date of birth, last 4 of SSN
 Social security number is included
 Head of household security number
 May not match child's SS number

11. Direct Certification Matching Basics
 Must be done at the start of the school year
 If you haven’t completed this yet, do so ASAP
 Must be done at least 3x per year
 Reduces application burden
 Determines CEP eligibility
 Extends to all other members of the household
 Applications submitted may include information on other household members
 May use other school records to determine household members

12. How do I filter through a HUGE list?
 Consider utilizing custom sort and filters in Excel

13. How do I filter through a HUGE list?
 Filter for zip codes of students enrolled 1. Select a column
2. Select zip codes for your
enrollment

14. How do I filter through a HUGE list?
 Utilize custom sort 1. Select sort on tool bar
2. Select column to sort by
**allows you to sort
alphabetically by child's last
name, numerically by date of
birth, etc.

15. Next Steps…
 Inform households who are matched
 USDA Template notification letter can be used

16. Direct Certification Resources:
USDA Eligibility Manual for School Meals
School Year 2016 17 (released July 2016)
Direct Certification(pg 31)

17. Annual Reporting Requirements
 Verification Reporting online—see webinar for details
 https://youtu.be/bglIxwnGG4s?list=PLGdlCTs4dQTfYTLj7Vg9VXzDfmqApGipq
 Verification Reports will be due to NDA Feb 1
 Early submission is highly suggested
 If you have not completed the form before, review the information that need to be
collected prior to starting Verification on Oct 1
 Districts will need to report DC SNAP and DC other matches
 On the Mustang DC list:
 “A” under the program column is TANF
 All other entries under the program column are SNAP “F” “FB” etc

18. Direct Certification Reporting
Per Federal Regulations
 NDA is required to provide notification on:
 Districts with an Identified Student Percentage (percentage of Direct
Certification matches) of at least 40% and >30% but <40%
 School Districts are required to provide notification on:
 School level data must be reported to the State Agency reflecting April 1st data
to determine eligibility and participation in CEP
 NDA is required to publish a report with the number of students directly
certified for each school

19. How is this Information Used?
 Data submitted is published on our website
 Used to determine if Districts are eligible to participate in
Community Eligibility Provision and if elected, claiming
percentages
 HUGE national interest and support of expanded CEP
Hunger advocates
Elected officials
Members of the Public

20. What is CEP?
 Community Eligibility Provision
 Provides an alternative to household applications meal benefits
 The basics-
 Schools that are participating must serve breakfast and lunch for free to all students for a
cycle of 4 years
 Must count total lunches and total breakfasts served to students daily
 Schools that are participating cannot collect household applications for Free and
Reduced price meals

21. How Does It Work?
 The school district or participating school(s) must have an identified student
percentage of at least 40% as of April 1st of the school year prior to implementing
CEP
 One school can participate, a group of schools or a entire district can participate
 What does identified student percentage mean?

22. Identified Student Percentage
 Low income children who are certified for free school meals without
the use of a household application
 All Direct Certification matches!
 Students certified based on documentation of benefit receipt or
categorical eligibility as described in 7 CFR part 245
 (e.g. directly certified with SNAP, TANF, FDPIR, categorically eligible –
migrant youth, homeless, etc)

23. Source Data: Acceptable list of Documents
in Nevada
 Direct Certification with SNAP/TANF/FDPIR
From Mustang site
 Head Start
 Migrant Education Program
 Runaway Youth & Homeless Act/McKinney-Vento Assistance
Act
 Homeless children
 Foster children—list for Nevada not available at this time

24. Identified Student Percentage
 Number of students Directly Certified divided by the number of enrolled students
 Total enrolled students defined as:
 Students who are enrolled in and attending schools participating in the community eligibility
provision and who have access to at least one meal service daily
 Students who do not have access to either breakfast or lunch due to the times they are
attending school would not be included in the count of enrolled students (1/2 day
kindergarten)

25. Direct Certification Reporting
Requirements
 NDA sends out blank spreadsheets for School Districts; they were returned
to NDA by April 10th, 2016
 Deadline to adopt CEP for SY 16/17 was extended to August 31st, 2016,
but there is flexibility to allow election anytime of the year.
 Need a refresher on CEP?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SoiWxBmpEU&list=PLGdlCTs4dQTfYTLj7
Vg9VXzDfmqApGipq&index=20

26. How Do I Fill Out The Spreadsheet?
DATA as of April 1st, 2016

27. How is Nevada doing with CEP?
 To date, we have nine districts and 119 schools participating, up from three districts
and 13 school in 2014-2015 School Year
 Overall very positive financial outcomes for those district and more intangible
outcomes such as increased participation on all program levels for those school
sites.
 In 2016/17, increased school groupings for other program opportunities such as
FFVP, other grant funds, less equipment purchases and ease of operation at the site
level.

28. Resources:
http://agri.nv.gov/

29. CEP Resources
 http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/community-eligibility-
provision

30. Resources: Released February 2016

31. Questions?
 Type question in Text Box, or Raise Hand to be unmuted
 For more questions, please call Catrina Peters at (775)353-3751
cpeters@agri.nv.gov
 Or Rose Wolterbeek at (775)353-3750
rwolterbeek@agri.nv.gov
 Professional Standards Learning Codes:
3000 Administration/3120 Direct Certification