Professional Standards for school nutrition professionals are a key provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). The final rule, published March 2, 2015, requires a minimum amount of annual training hours for all school nutrition program directors, managers, and staff. Required training topic areas will vary according to position and job requirements. There are also minimum hiring standards for new school nutrition program directors.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office for Food and Nutrition Programs (FNP) offer many ongoing professional development opportunities through the year. These trainings are created specifically for Massachusetts Schools and incorporate both the federal and state program requirements. Opportunities to earn professional standard hours are available in several different formats:
These interactive online trainings cover fundamental topics in School Meal Programs. These tools are available 24/7 to conveniently allow school nutrition professionals, such as directors, managers and staff, to be trained on demand.
Team Nutrition, an initiative of the United States Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service, supports national efforts to promote lifelong healthy food choices and physical activity by improving the nutrition practices of the child nutrition programs. We provide resources to schools, childcare settings, and summer meal sites that participate in these programs.
The USDA Child Nutrition Program's Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool (PSTTT) Version 2.0 is designed to assist School Nutrition Professionals in keeping track of their annually required training hours.
For additional information on Professional Standards, please visit USDA Professional Standards site.
Last Updated: January 12, 2022
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
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