NEW CERTIFICATION & CREDENTIALING PROGRAMS

1. NEW CERTIFICATION & CREDENTIALING PROGRAMS School Nutrition Association

2. About SNA SNA’s MISSION: To advance good nutrition for all children. • SNA strives to see that all children have access to healthful school meals and nutrition education. The primary activities of the association are: • Providing education and training. • Setting standards through certification and credentialing. • Gathering and transmitting regulatory, legislative, industry, nutritional and other types of information related to school nutrition. • Representing the nutritional interests of all children. • SNA has 52 state affiliates, hundreds of local chapters and over 55,000 members.

3. SNA’S NEW CERTIFICATION PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR CANDIDATES

4. Reasons to Become Certified • Increase your knowledge & skills of food safety and nutrition to create a healthy school environment. • Enhance your professional image with parents, children & school administrators. • Stay current on issues concerning school nutrition initiatives. • Demonstrate commitment to your profession. • Provide a career ladder you can use to advance in the field from assistant, to cook, to manager, to director.

5. Certification Levels • Level 1 Certification • Level 2 Certification • Level 3 Certification • Trainer Certification

6. Requirements for Level 1To become certified at Level 1, you must meet the following requirements: NOTE: Core Requirement courses cannot date back further than five years of the date you apply for initial certification.

7. Healthy EDGE Approved Alternatives(Healthy Edge must be taught by an SNA Certified Trainer)

8. ServSafe Approved Alternatives

9. Requirements for Level 2To become certified at Level 2, you must meet the following requirements: NOTE: Core Requirement courses and Key Area hours completed by attending programs/workshops cannot date back further than five years of the date you apply for initial certification.  College Courses can be used for initial certification regardless of how many years ago they were taken.

10. Key Area RequirementsKey Area Requirement courses: • Must be at least 2 hours of active instructional time (does not include breaks, registration, warm ups). • Completed by attending programs/workshops cannot date back further than five years of the date you apply for initial certification. • Can be earned by completing college courses or participating programs/workshops that offer Key Area hours.

11. Conversion Table for CollegeCredits

12. Key Area Course Suggestions

13. Key Area Course Suggestions

14. Key Area Course Suggestions

15. Key Area Course Suggestions

16. Requirements for Level 3There are two ways of earning Level 3 Certification. Requirements can be met by: • Use Table A when completing College Credits.

17. Requirements for Level 3 • Use Table B when taking Key Area courses or when • combining college credits and Key Area courses. • For example: • You can meet the requirements Key Area 1 and 2 • by attending programs/workshops that offer Key • Area Hours and meet the requirements for Key Area • 3 & 4 by completing a 3 college credit Accounting • course.

18. Requirements for Level 3

19. Requirements for Level 3CONVERSION TABLE FOR COLLEGE CREDITS If using Table B to meet the requirements for Level 3, please use the Conversion Table for College Credits to determine how many Key Area hours each credit is worth.

20. Requirements for Level 3 If using Table A to apply for Level 3, “Some College Credit” means that you must have completed at least one college credit course prior to applying for certification. A copy of a transcript or diploma must be submitted as documentation when you are applying for Level 3 and using the requirements listed in Table A. If using Table B to apply for Level 3, you are only required to submit a copy of your high school diploma/GED.

21. Certification Application Fees This is an nonrefundable application fee. You will be notified if you are missing information. You will have 30 calendar days to respond. If your documents are not received within 30 calendar days, you will have to re-submit a new application, documentation, and fee.

22. Grandfathering • Effective September 1, 2008, SNA’s Certification Program will become an annual program. • New applicants will follow the new requirements described in the Certification Guide. • Certified individuals will earn CEUs annually and pay an annual renewal fee.

23. Grandfathering • If your certification is scheduled to expire on or before September 1, 2011, SNA will honor the existing expiration date, you will follow the former certification renewal guidelines and pay the annual fee. • Individuals who have current SNA certification will be enrolled in the new program at the time of their certification expiration date.

24. CERTIFICATION RENEWAL • You have to maintain your certification by renewing annually and paying an annual renewal fee. • Three months prior to your certification expiration date, SNA will mail you a letter and renewal application. • You are only required to submit CEU documentation if you receive an audit notice from SNA.

25. General CEU Guidelines • Individuals are responsible for maintaining documentation of all CEUs earned. • Core Requirements and Key Area Hours can be used for CEUs – CEUs cannot be used for Core Requirements and Key Area Hours. • CEUs are for Certification Renewal only. • CEUs must be completed and earned within the certification renewal period.

26. General CEU Guidelines • Individuals who earn CEUs by attending programs offered by third party associations do not need to receive approval for those CEUs. • CEUs should reflect job-related growth experiences. • CEUs for SNA-sponsored events will be maintained in the SNA database.

27. Ways To Earn CEUs

28. Ways To Earn CEUs

29. Ways To Earn CEUs

30. CEU Documentation For Audits SNA will notify individuals who are selected for an audit of the CEUs they need to submit. Below is a list of the types of CEU documentation accepted by SNA: • Certificates of Completion • Copies of Rosters • College/University Transcripts • Program Agendas • Program Books/Brochures • Registration Confirmation Letters • Badges • Payment Receipts

31. Changing Certification Levels • You may move from one Level to another by attaining the additional academic and Key Area requirements for the new level. • You must submit an application form, certificates of completion for the Key Area hours and/or college transcripts and payment for the level you are applying for. • You also may downgrade from one level to the next by submitting the certification renewal application and appropriate fee.

32. Changing Certification Levels • If you change certification levels, you will be given a new certification expiration date. You will be expected to meet the CEU requirements and fees for the new level at that expiration date. • You are able to use college courses and participate in programs approved for Key Area hours to move from one Level to the next.

33. Moving From Level 1 to Level 2 NOTE: If using college courses to move from one Level to the next, please use the Conversion Table for College Credits to determine how many Key Area hours each college credit is worth.

34. Moving From Level 1 to Level 3There are two ways to move from Level 1 to Level 3:

35. Moving From Level 1 to Level 3

36. Moving From Level 2 to Level 3There are two ways to move from Level 2 to Level 3:

37. Moving From Level 2 to Level 3

38. Facts on Certification • Certificants must be current SNA members to renew certification annually at the member rate. • Certification levels: • Certification level may be changed at the time you are eligible for the higher level • When upgrading, you only have to meet the difference in the requirements between current certification level and applying level • Members can view and print their Certificates by visiting www.schoolnutrition.org under My SNA. • Additional Certification information is located on www.schoolnutrition.org.

39. Trainer CertificationTrainer Certification assures that: • Instructors are experienced and trained to provide quality training. • Courses developed by SNA are standardized across the country. • Instruction meets the standards of the profession and assures the objectives of the classes have been met. • SNA is able to maintain a database of qualified trainers, providing assistance to others in search of trainers. • Future courses developed by SNA will be designed to be taught by SNA Certified Trainers.

40. Requirements for Trainer CertificationTo become a Certified Trainer, you must meet the following requirements:

41. Trainer Certification RenewalOnce you become a Certified Trainer, you have to maintain this certification by renewing every 3 years and paying the renewal fee. Three months prior to your Trainer Certification expiration date, SNA will mail you a letter and renewal application.

42. Grandfathering Effective August 1, 2008, all current Healthy EDGE Trainers will be grandfathered into the new Trainer Certification Program and will have a Trainer Certification expiration date of July 31, 2011. • SNA Members who apply between August 1, 2008 and February 1, 2009 will have the application fee waived. Non-Members must pay the application fee. • SNA Members who apply after February 1, 2009 will have to pay the application fee.

43. SNA CERTIFICATION PROGRAMGUIDELINES FOR STATESHandbook Available at ANC

44. Program Types • Core Requirement Courses • Required for initial certification for all three Levels • Can also be used for certification renewal • Key Area Requirement Courses • Requirement for Level 2 & Level 3 initial certification • Can also be used for certification renewal • Continuing Education Units (CEUs) • Only to be used for Certification Renewal • Not for “initial” certification

45. Core Requirements • ALL Core Courses must be approved by SNA. • Core Courses are required at all levels of SNA’s Certification Program: • 10 hour approved Nutrition Education Course (i.e. Healthy EDGE or SNA-approved equivalent course) Healthy EDGE must be taught by an SNA Certified Trainer. • 10 hour approved Sanitation & Safety Course (i.e. ServSafe or SNA-approved equivalent course) • States and third party associations must submit to SNA the Core Course Approval Form.

46. Core Requirements • Core Courses must be at least 10 hours of active instructional time (does not include breaks, registration, warm ups.) • Core Courses can be broken up into modules. • Approval will be good for 5 years from the date of approval. Courses may be resubmitted for current approval. • SNA is responsible for tracking approved core courses.

47. Core Requirements • SNA will notify course sponsors when their course is up for re-validation (every 5 years). • Course sponsors must provide a certificate of completion to course participants. • Core Courses may be used as CEUs for Certification Renewal, but CEUs may not be used for Core Requirements in “initial” certification . • For initial certification, Core Courses cannot date back further than 5 years of the application date.

48. Key Area Requirement Courses • States are able to approve in-state Key Area Courses. • Third party associations offering Key Area Courses within a state must receive approval from SNA State Affiliate. • Third party associations offering Key Area Courses in more than one state must receive approval from SNA Headquarters. • Authorized Providers are able to approve Key Area Courses.

49. Key Area Requirement Courses • Key Area courses/programs must be at least 2 hours of active instructional time (does not include breaks, registration, warm ups.) • Providers must supply a certificate of completion to course participants. • Key Area Courses may be used as CEUs. • For initial certification, Key Area Courses cannot date back further than 5 years of the application date.

50. Authorized Providers For Key Area Courses • School Nutrition Association (SNA) • School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) • SNA State Affiliates • US Department of Agriculture (USDA) • National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) • American Dietetics Association (ADA) • Dietary Managers Association (DMA) • College Credits will be approved by course description and credit hours