Extended Opportunities Programs and Services (EOPS) Impact Study 2.0: 2010-2019. Technical Report

The California Community Colleges (CCC) launched Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) after the passage of SB164 (1969). Colleges leverage their EOPS funding to offer academic, career, and personal counseling; financial resources; and services "over and above" traditional campus supports. This latest research builds on the 2012 study that compared the outcomes of over 64,000 EOPS participants enrolled at 972 colleges between fall 2004 and fall 2007 to a statistically equivalent group of non-EOPS students enrolled at the same colleges during that time. This study is divided into two phases: Phase 1 investigates who participated in EOPS over a recent 10-year period (fall 2010 through spring 2019) and how their involvement impacted several metrics (fall 2021). Phase 2 delves into what aspects of EOPS lead to educational improvements for participants through student and practitioner focus groups and interviews (spring 2022). This technical report summarizes Phase 1 results from the EOPS Impact Study 2.0. It offers program stakeholders an updated understanding of EOPS program impact on student outcomes to determine both its continued value and areas of opportunity for improvement. Stakeholders include EOPS administrators; college deans and directors; institutional research, planning, and effectiveness (IRPE) professionals; and policymakers. The report begins with a brief overview of the Phase 1 methodology, then turns quickly to the results. It first looks at who participates in EOPS and then assesses program impact using a series of metrics, including one- and two-year persistence; units earned and Grade Point Average (GPA) in the first academic year; transfer-level English and math completion rates; certificate and degree completion; and transfer achievement. It concludes with a summary of implications and next steps. [This research was funded by the California Community Colleges Extended Opportunity Programs and Services Association (CCCEOPSA).]