The document is an interview guide for food service directors about school meal programs. It contains questions in several sections: [1] the administrator's role and responsibilities; [2] program awareness in the community; [3] barriers to participation; [4] the enrollment and participation process; and [5] characteristics of participants. The guide is intended to understand challenges and gather recommendations to improve access to and awareness of student meal programs.

1. INTERVIEW GUIDE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
McKean: v1.4 | FSD Interview Guide Draft Page 1
Discovery Questions | District Food Service Directors
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.
― As you're aware, we'd like to understand your current experiences & challenges you
may have encountered facilitating serving student meals over the last year.
― Also, we would like to discuss your goals for the upcoming summer and school year.
― The information we collect will help us understand what’s working and what’s not, so
we can make recommendations for a more impactful and rewarding community
program.
― Our conversation today will be recorded (with your permission) so we may be accurate
in tabulating your responses. May we record the session?
[ ] Yes [ ] No
Great, let's get started, the topics we will cover today include:
Review Note: * Blue boldface questions denote primary interview questions.
--- ADMINISTRATOR ROLE ----------------------------------------------------------------------
• Name, title, contact email + phone
• Tell us about your role? Your team?
• How is your own performance measured?
• What defines success for you in this meal program role? How can we make you more
successful?
• Who is responsible for reporting results to the state? What metrics are collected?
• How is program participation data and metrics captured (process, systems)?
• What does management of the program at the state-district-school level look like?
1. The Administrator Role 2. Program Awareness 3. Participation Barriers
4. Enrollment & Participation 5. Participant Characteristics

2. INTERVIEW GUIDE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
McKean: v1.4 | FSD Interview Guide Draft Page 2
--- PROGRAM AWARENESS ----------------------------------------------------------------------
• How do families and parents generally find out about the program?
• Within your own district, what communications outreach has been conducted over the past
year?
• From your past experience, what do you think is the best way to reach out to the community for
expanded awareness, interest and participation?
• What has worked in the past? What didn't work?
• What information or resources would help you be more successful?
• What challenges exist to reinforce positive community perceptions and increased participation?
--- PARTICIPATION BARRIERS --------------------------------------------------------------------
• What questions do parents commonly have about the program? Students?
• What blocks people from taking advantage of the program, e.g., perceptions of free meals,
food not nutritious, kids dislike of served food and menus, etc.?
• Are parents or students concerned about potential stigmas associated with the program?
• If so, what are they, e.g., free program, for poor families, other?
• Do any of these stigmas create barriers for greater enrollment? How have you overcome these
stigma barriers in the past?
• Have any formal or informal surveys been conducted to understand community sentiments?
• Do you have recommendations to overcome any potential stigmas or barriers to enrollment?
--- ENROLLMENT & PARTICIPATION PROCESS -----------------------------------------------
Resource: Meal Locator Map (SFSP - Meet Up and Eat Up): https://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/schoolnutrition/
• What is the process for a student to start getting meals, e.g., universal open access
enrollment, application or enrollment form, online website portal, telephone signup, other?
Interviewer Note: No Kid Hungry process > no application or registration, just pick up and go.
• To your knowledge, do differences exist within each district? Have you documented your own
process? Can you share it?
• How do participants receive meals, e.g., student ID card, meal card, other describe?
• Where do students get meals, e.g., school cafeterias, designated pickup locations, school bus
stops, other?

3. INTERVIEW GUIDE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
McKean: v1.4 | FSD Interview Guide Draft Page 3
• Is there transportation support for families in need to pick up meals at designated locations?
• What are the programs currently offered, e.g., breakfast, lunch, dinner, after school snack,
summer food service, food pantries and backpack programs, other?
• Are there any partners you are working with in support of growing participation and access to
student meals?
• Do students need to sign up for individual programs, or one sign up for all?
• What are the benefits of having multiple programs?
• Are meals available every school day? 3 meals per day or more? 7 days per week? Holidays?
Other? When may they not be available?
--- PARTICIPANT CHARACTERISTICS -------------------------------------------------------------
• What are the general participant characteristics of past students? Household socio-
demographics. Lifestyles. Community dynamics.
• How many students are currently participating in your district for meal programs?
• Is there a larger percentage of participation among certain age groups? Family characteristics?
Life circumstances? Family residence location? Socio-economic factors? Demographics?
• Statewide, meal program participation dropped in 2020, why do you think this occurred?
• Has participation seen a month-over-month increase since the start of the COVID pandemic?
Have motivations for participation changed? Are families expressing a greater need? If so, what
are the changes observed?
• To your knowledge is any of this information being collected at the state or district level?
• Are you governed by what information you can collect? If so, what are the guidelines?
• What are the preferred communications channels of active participants? School events?
Newsletters? Word of mouth? Email? Text? Social media? Websites? Other?
• How often does your own district communicate with active participants? What methods? Who
has district responsibility for managing such communications?
• Again, from your own experience, what's the most important message for your community to
hear relative to the availability of the meal programs and encouragement to participate?
--- END ---
WE WANT TO THANK YOU FORYOURTIME AND CONSIDERATION.
YOURRESPONSES WILL BE ANONYMOUS AND TABLUATED INAGGREGATE TO HELPUS PLANAND
PROMOTE THE NEW MICHIGANSCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM.
DO YOU HAVE ANY REMAINING QUESTIONS FORUS?