K-State developed software selected as national reporting system for SNAP-Ed

MANHATTAN — A web-based data management system built and maintained by the College of Education at Kansas State University has been selected as the national reporting system for SNAP-Ed, a key federal supplemental nutrition education program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service recently announced that it has licensed K-State's Program Evaluation and Reporting System, or PEARS, tool for national data collection and reporting in its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Nutrition Education, or SNAP-Ed.

"I applaud K-State's work in producing a quality reporting system for SNAP Education programs and congratulate them on its nationwide adoption," said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas. "Effective data collection for federally supported programs and their outcomes are critical to making certain legislators can provide essential oversight of federal resources."

PEARS was developed through a collaboration between the Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation in the K-State College of Education and K-State Research and Extension as a way to help nutrition education professionals and extension administrators manage program data and demonstrate impact. Since that time, 37 states and more than 6,000 users have adopted PEARS to track their SNAP-Ed efforts.