Keys to Excellence

Keys to Excellence is a best practice standards tool for school nutrition professionals to use to assess, benchmark, and improve their school food and nutrition operations. Keys Express, the online self-assessment tool, is the basis of the program. Once a district achieves the Keys best practices, the school nutrition director may choose to apply for the District of Excellence Distinction in School Nutrition.  Earning the District of Excellence Distinction can help advance community recognition and public awareness of the quality of the program. The prestigious District of the Year Award recognizes one District of Excellence each year that has demonstrated that their operation is extraordinary through a competitive grant application process. The District of the Year Award recipient for 2010 will receive a grant award of up to $25,000 to further advance the district’s food and nutrition operations.

Keys to Excellence

Keys to Excellence is a national best practice standards program that has been available through the School Nutrition Association since 1995.  Keys Express is designed to help school nutrition directors assess their programs using national best practice standards standards, determine strengths and weaknesses, and develop an action plan for program improvement. The self-assessment process is the essence of the program as well as a valuable opportunity and resource for all school nutrition program operators. Use Keys to:

• Benchmark your school nutrition program against similar districts, according to key demographic features that you choose.
• Assess your program against objective, national standards.
• Demonstrate your district's commitment to excellence in school nutrition to peers, administrators, parents, and the school community.
• Earn respect from peers, staff, administrators, parents, and the school community.
• Gain positive media attention and enhance your public relations through the District of Excellence Distinction and the District of the Year Award, the program's formal recognition components.

Districts of Excellence Distinction in School Nutrition

A district receiving the District of Excellence Distinction in School Nutrition has completed the Keys to Excellence "Keys Express" online self-assessment in each of the four "key" areas. Then the district has completed and submitted a District of Excellence Distinction in School Nutrition application to the School Nutrition Foundation to demonstrate that the district operations truly meet best practice standards. Each school year, all District of Excellence Distinction recipients are also eligible to apply for the District of the Year Award. 

The new online District of Excellence application will be available by August 16, 2010.

The application deadlines for the 2010-2011 school year will be November 30, 2010 and March 31, 2011.  For further information contact Evelyn Harvill.

[View List of Districts of Excellence ]

District of the Year Award

Congratulations to Lee’s Summit R-7 School District in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, for receiving the 2009 District of the Year Award! Spring ISD in Houston, Texas, received the 2008 District of the Year Award.  The District of the Year Award includes a $25,000 grant award to further enhance school nutrition program operations in one or more areas reflected in the Keys to Excellence national best practice standards. All 2009-2010 District of Excellence Distinction recipients will be eligible to submit the District of the Year Award applications in May 2010. The District of the Year Award application is a competitive grant proposal application.

[Press Release for Lee's Summit R-7 School District]