What is the threshold at which a school gets community eligibility for FARMs?
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Anonymous
There is no "real" FARMs figure. The point is that they don't collect the data. Everyone gets a free meal. It would be better to put "community eligibility" or N/A than 99% FARMs, but they can't put a # they don't know. |
Anonymous
Then where are the data coming from for the data center figures? |
Anonymous
Must be an estimate. At my school, a CE school, we are never asked anything about income. We all get free meals & free after care wihtout having to fill out any forms. |
Anonymous
An estimate has to be based on something... |
Anonymous
Probably the # of people int he area who get food stamps and such. At my school, it's likely an underestimate, as many of the higher-income families who live in-boundary go to charters, OOB DCPS, and private schools, so if you are looking at the area (which is what they do to determine whether you are a CE school, per USDA guidance posted previously), then you are getting an underestimate. |
Anonymous
That would explain why the FARMS numbers in the data center seem too low for the 99% FARMS schools in the profiles. But it does not explain why the numbers are so much lower than the profile numbers for the *other* schools (including non-Title I, eg Oyster.) |
Anonymous
I think it's the number of "identified" FARM students i.e. those who are flagged as FARM at registration without need for paperwork (SNAP, homeless/foster, etc...) multiplied by 1.6. See Federal Register Notice, 1st link under Regulation and Policy of this page http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/community-eligibility-provision page 4 of pdf file, bottom of 1st column. |
Anonymous
| Although no one has to fill out any paperwork for free meals at my daughter's CEO school, you do have to submit income documentation to receive subsidized aftercare, so that might be another data point for an estimate. |
Anonymous
At my CE FARM school, everyone gets free after care too, with no income documentation needed. |
Anonymous
OK, I got an answer (below) from DCPS about why the data center FARMS numbers is so much lower than the numbers in the profiles. It's a little hard to follow (for me anyway), but the bottom line seems to be that the (higher) DCPS profile numbers are more accurate because they include families who aren't "directly certified" through programs like food stamps. -------------- Thank you for your correspondence with the District of Columbia Public Schools Office of the Chancellor. We appreciate your time in reaching out with your inquiry. The percent of FARM students shown on the Data Center dashboards are for students that are directly certified as FARM. The inclusion of homeless/foster and 1+ years behind grade level are directly from the Fair Student Funding Act. These are two of the three categories that can determine the amount of at-risk students in a school. The third category is the number of students who qualify for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps). However, that number is gathered by other DC agencies. Students who are directly certified for free meals as a result of receiving food through a federal welfare program is a comparable indicator and one that DCPS independently gathers. The FARM percentages on the school scorecards show the percent of students that actually receive free or reduced-price meals, which is a larger group than only students that are directly certified. The biggest driver of the difference in numbers is probably schools that are Provision 2 or Provision 4 (see below). Another distinction is that a non-directly certified student can still submit a FARM application at a standard operating school and may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Provision 2 In Provision 2 schools, all students receive free lunch without submitting an application every year. Schools are certified for Provision 2 based on a previous high free and reduced rate as determined by the school district. At these schools, students must submit a free and reduced-price meal application once every four years. As of the 2013-14 school year, all students in Provision 2 schools are listed as "Free" after the school’s base year (the first year that the school was classified as Provision 2). In the school’s base year, as well as in data sets prior to the 2013-14 school year, a student’s status is informed by his/her application. School year 2009-10 was the first year that DCPS had Provision 2 schools. Provision 4/Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) In Provision 4 (also known as CEP) schools, all students eat lunch for free without submitting an application. Schools are certified for Provision 4 status if 40 percent or more of the students are directly certified for free meals via WIC, TANF, etc... As of the 2013-14 school year, all students in Provision 4 schools are listed as "Free”. Prior to 2013-14, only students who were directly certified for free meals are listed as “Free”. School year 2012-13 is the first year that DCPS had Provision 4 schools. |