CABRILLO COLLEGE EOPS/CARE Program Review 2012 Student Services EXTENDED OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM & SERVICES – COOPERATIVE AGENCIES RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION Table of Contents I. HISTORY OF EOPS ................................................................................................................................................................ 3 II. MISSION of EOPS ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 III. STAFFING ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3 EOPS ORGANIZATIONAL CHART .............................................................................................................................................. 4 DIRECTOR ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5 CARE COUNSELOR/COORDINATOR ..................................................................................................................................... 5 PROGRAM SPECIALIST/RECRUITER ..................................................................................................................................... 5 IV. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 V. STAFF DEVELOPMENT ......................................................................................................................................................... 7 VI. STAFF EVALUATION ........................................................................................................................................................... 7 VII. LOCATION AND HOURS..................................................................................................................................................... 7 VIII. SERVICES .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7 EOPS/CARE COUNSELING.................................................................................................................................................... 7 COUNSELING & GUIDANCE COURSE ................................................................................................................................... 7 TRANSFER PLANNING ASSISTANCE ..................................................................................................................................... 8 TUTORING ........................................................................................................................................................................... 8 PRIORITY REGISTRATION..................................................................................................................................................... 8 STUDENT PEER ADVISING ................................................................................................................................................... 8 BOOK VOUCHERS ................................................................................................................................................................ 9 GRANTS ............................................................................................................................................................................... 9 STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE .................................................................................................................................. 9 CARE WORKSHOPS .............................................................................................................................................................. 9 ADOPT A CARE FAMILY PROJECT ........................................................................................................................................ 9 IX. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CAMPUS PROGRAMS .................................................................................................... 10 FAST TRACK TO WORK ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 TRANSFER CENTER ............................................................................................................................................................ 10 FINANCIAL AID OFFICE ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 STUDENT EMPLOYMENT ................................................................................................................................................... 10 DISABELED STUDENTS PROGRAM SERVICES..................................................................................................................... 10 GENERAL COUNSELING DEPARTMENT ............................................................................................................................. 10 X. EVALUATION ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 1 XI. FIVE YEAR OVERVIEW OF BUDGET AND STUDENTS SERVED ........................................................................................... 16 STUDENTS SERVED ............................................................................................................................................................ 16 BUDGET ............................................................................................................................................................................. 17 DISTRICT CONTRIBUTION .................................................................................................................................................. 18 XII. STUDENT LEARNIG OUTCOME AND ASSESSMENTS........................................................................................................ 19 XIII. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................................................. 25 RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................................................................................ 25 2 I. HISTORY OF EOPS The Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS) was established in 1969 by the California State Legislature. EOPS was designed to provide low-income and educationally disadvantaged students with support services to assist them in enrolling and succeeding at the community college. EOPS offers educational counseling and financial assistance through formally structured program components. Cabrillo College was one of the first campuses to implement this program in 1969. A major component of our program is the Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE). This component was established in 1982 by the California State Legislature as a supplemental component to EOPS to provide educational support services for academically underprepared, welfare-dependent, single head of household students. CARE specifically serves EOPS students who, at the time of acceptance into the program are 18 years old, have been identified by the county as being single heads of household, are current recipients of assistance from Cal Works/TANF/Tribal TANF (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) for themselves or their dependents, have at least one child under the age of 14 and are enrolled as full-time community college students. II. MISSION of EOPS The mission of Cabrillo College EOPS/CARE Program is to support our students in achieving their academic and personal goals by establishing "over and above" support services and programs for income and educationally eligible students. To this end, the EOPS/CARE staff commits to the following actions: To eliminate barriers and ensure access to post-secondary education for all eligible students. To provide personal accessible services. To facilitate the transfer and career placement of students. To facilitate the successful completion of student educational goals and objectives. To positively affect student self-concept, self-esteem and self-advocacy. III. STAFFING The EOPS/CARE office consists of a full-time Director, one full-time CARE coordinator/counselor, one half-time department assistant/half-time recruiter and three clerical student assistants. All EOPS/CARE certificated and classified personnel meet the minimum qualifications according to Cabrillo College policies and practices. 3 EOPS ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Vice President of Student Services Dean of Student Services Director of EOPS/CARE Program Specialist/ CARE Coordinator/ Counselor Outreach Specialist Student Assistant Student Assistant Student Assistant Student Assistant 4 DIRECTOR David Treviño is the current director of the EOPS/CARE Program. He has worked in the program for over 28 years. Before coming to Cabrillo, his place of employment was at U.C.S.C. in the EOP/SAA Program as a counselor and tutorial coordinator. His education consists of an A.A. Degree from Sacramento City College, and a B. A. and M.S. Degree from Sacramento State University. As EOPS/CARE Director he is responsible for the daily actives of the program. He is responsible for and supervises all professional staff and student employees. He is responsible for developing and overseeing the budget, purchases, admitting students to the program, setting program goals and objectives, evaluating program needs and staff training. He is the spokesman and liaison for EOPS/CARE to the campus and the community. COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION: EOPS/CARE Advisory Committee Cal Works/ Fast Track to Work Steering Committee Cabrillo College Scholarship Selection Committee EOPS/CARE Region 4 Scholarship Selection Committee Transfer Center Advisory Committee EOPS Region 4 Consortium Member Games Club Faculty Advisor EOPS/CARE Region 4 Conference Committee CEED Advisory Committee CARE COUNSELOR/COORDINATOR Verónica León has worked for EOPS/CARE for the past four years. Her responsibilities include implementation of day-today functions of the CARE program, intake of new students, academic counseling, developing and offering workshops on a wide variety of topics related to single parents, organizing and implementing new-student orientation every semester, overseeing the CARE budget, disbursement of grants, meal cards and gas cards to students. She also organizes the Adopt-A-CARE-Family Project and CARE Holiday Celebration. COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION: FTTW Steering Committee UCSC Bridge to Transfer Committee Accreditation Self-Study Team Puente Program mentor EOPS/CARE Advisory Committee PROGRAM SPECIALIST/RECRUITER Vera Romandía has worked in EOPS for over 20 years, 19 of those years as Outreach Specialist. Due to budget cuts, in 2010 her position was reduced to 50% Outreach and 50% Program Specialist was added. Her responsibilities include outreach to the major high schools and community agencies in the area. She participates in numerous outreach efforts by the college as well as career and job fairs in the county. As the Program Specialist she oversees the day-to-day functions of the office. Responsibilities include but are not limited to assisting the Director with reports, budget, planning, coordinating orientations, and supervising student workers. She also works closely with local high school counselors to identify potential students for EOPS/CARE and for the EOPS Summer Migrant Program. Special attention is given to at-risk students, teen parents, and those not believing that they can obtain a college education. In the 5 community, she works closely with juvenile hall, the men and women’s jail, the probation department, Head Start staff and parents, Barrios Unidos, Gemma House and many other groups. She participates in numerous teen fairs, career/job fairs, student panels and other activities where information is given to encourage higher education through EOPS. Throughout the year she makes presentations in classes at Cabrillo College, such as basic English and Math classes, where potential students are made aware of the EOPS services. She participates in College and Career Night on campus, Running Start, Welcome Week activities, and the High School Articulation Council. COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION: High School Articulation Committee Learning Communities Running Start Summer Migrant Program IV. ADVISORY COMMITTEE A combined advisory committee for both EOPS and CARE comes together once per academic year for a two-hour meeting. Important issues that have faced the program for the current year are discussed. Two EOPS/CARE students are invited to attend the meeting in order to share their experiences and how they have benefited from the program. The members of the committee are as follows: Manuel Bersamin, Watsonville City Councilman Greg Caput, County Supervisor, 4th District Monica Galvan, UCSC Transfer Partnerships Program Rebecca Garcia, Cabrillo College Board Member (through January 2012) Richard Harris, Campus Supervisor, Santa Cruz High School Catherine LaChance, Cabrillo College Fast Track To Work (Cal Works) Belita Magee, NAACP Member Jana Merrill, Santa Cruz County Office of Education Joseph Napolitano, Cabrillo College DSP&S Director Bill Stamos, Cabrillo College Counselor 6 V. STAFF DEVELOPMENT The CCCEOPSA (California Community College Extended Opportunity Programs & Services Association) holds an annual conference in the fall semester of every year. The entire staff is asked to participate. This is an opportunity to attend workshops that will help each staff member in their area of responsibility. It is an opportunity to discuss best practices and to network with our colleagues. In the spring, the Chancellor’s office holds its annual training where the staff is updated on the necessary mandates, changes, and reporting systems. The staff is also encouraged to attend other conferences or workshops that are held during the year. The student staff is provided with training at the beginning of each semester and throughout the year. VI. STAFF EVALUATION The EOPS/CARE Director and counselor are evaluated every three years. The evaluation process consists of feedback from the Dean of Student Services, a colleague, and questionnaires that are given randomly to students in the program. The dean meets with the staff member to discuss the process and finalizes a narrative evaluation. The classified staff is evaluated by the EOPS/CARE Director every year. The student staff is evaluated yearly by their respective supervisor. VII. LOCATION AND HOURS The EOPS/CARE program is located in the 900 building, split between two different offices: 910 and 907. The program specialist (recruiter) is in office 910. VIII. SERVICES EOPS/CARE COUNSELING Counseling is one of the most important components of our program. It is made up of the following: Initial counseling session: This time is used to assess the student’s educational needs and goals, ensure the student is following his/her educational plan accordingly, review the mutual responsibility contract, review important dates to remember for the semester, disburse school supplies, and update student’s contact information. Midterm counseling session: Students are required to submit a midterm progress report to our office. During this counseling session, the progress report is completed by the student’s instructor. The EOPS counselor will then review the report with the student and intervention is implemented as needed. Final counseling session: This time is used to ensure the student will successfully complete the semester, review the planned schedule for the following term and assist student with priority registration. An end-of-the-year survey is provided to students. COUNSELING & GUIDANCE COURSE (CG 51) Introduction to College There is one class offered to first-year EOPS students specifically: Counseling and Guidance 51, Introduction to College. Although the class is intended for first year students, continuing students are also encouraged to register as this course offers students the opportunity to learn about college and university requirements and college services and how EOPS can support them throughout their journey at Cabrillo College. Our goal is to institute this course as a requirement for new students, which will also help with retention rates. 7 TRANSFER PLANNING ASSISTANCE For students whose ultimate goal is to transfer to a four-year university, an educational plan is developed to ensure students will complete all requirements for transfer admission. Students are encouraged to research different careers using a variety of resources such as the college’s Career and Transfer Center and online venues in order to decide on a major as soon as possible. When possible, visits to local university campuses are offered as part of the Introduction to College course. As part of the Region IV EOPS/CARE Consortium, our program works closely with some of the local universities such as UCSC, SJSU and CSUMB to ensure that students are getting connected to the EOP programs and other student support services once they transfer to their school of choice. TUTORING Due to drastic cuts to our budget, EOPS does not provide specific tutorial services to students. Students are referred to MESA, Math Learning Center, Writing Center, and the Tutorial Center at the Aptos campus as well as the Integrated Learning Center at the Watsonville campus. Currently we are working on implementing a tutoring component to our program specifically in math, since that is the one subject where students seem to struggle the most. We plan to hire a tutor that will have a set schedule each week so that students may utilize the services on a regular basis. PRIORITY REGISTRATION EOPS works closely with MIS by providing updated lists of all current students every semester. This ensures that all students in the program will get access to priority registration. Since priority registration is a highlight service of our program, EOPS works hard to inform students of priority registration dates. Currently, we have an Internet webpage and a Facebook page where important dates are posted, as well as the more traditional forms such as bulletin boards in the office. STUDENT PEER ADVISING Student peer advising has been a strong component to our program. However, due to drastic budget cuts to the program, we were not able to hire student advisors for a few years. Currently, we need to rely on students who are awarded Fast Track to Work and/or Federal Work Study in order to hire them as student advisors. The purpose of student advisors is to enhance the support services to EOPS/CARE students. The students in the program are provided the opportunity to gain valuable insight from a peer. At the same time, student advisors are given the opportunity to gain experience in counseling. We strive to hire students whose goals are to become counselors, therapists, and those who just want to be able to help people. They gain valuable skills into what it takes to work with people, for example by becoming active listeners. 8 BOOK VOUCHERS Part of our annual budget allocation includes a specified amount of funds that are to be spent directly on book vouchers for students. Because this area is limited, students receive only one voucher while they are part of the program. In order to be eligible to receive a book voucher, students must attend a mandatory orientation at the beginning of the semester. CARE students may receive assistance with text purchase as well as supplies every semester if funding allows. GRANTS Our services to students include a financial grant awarded to them at the end of the semester. We work closely with the financial aid office on campus for the distribution of grants per Title IV regulations. To be eligible for a grant of a maximum of $450.00 for the semester, students must follow their contract which includes maintaining good academic standing, meeting the required counseling contacts, submitting a progress report, attending mandatory workshops, and having unmet financial need. In addition to the EOPS grant, CARE students may be eligible to receive an additional grant to help offset any out of pocket expenses for childcare. This grant is awarded to students twice a semester. In addition, CARE students receive a monthly meal card that helps them purchase lunch on campus. For students that take all of their classes at the Watsonville Center, the program provides them with a gas card since there is no food venue at the campus. STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Every year the Region IV EOPS/CARE Consortium organizes a student leadership conference in the spring. The conference takes place at a different university campus each year with the goal of exposing the students to a variety of universities. Cabrillo College EOPS/CARE participates by providing this opportunity to ten students. Students gain skills, knowledge and the opportunity to connect with other EOPS/CARE students from other colleges. CARE WORKSHOPS A series of workshops is provided to CARE students every semester. It is mandatory for students to attend at least two in order to be eligible for a childcare grant. The purpose of these workshops is to provide students with the information and skills needed to be successful in raising their children and also in reaching their academic goals. Topics covered include, but are not limited to, Financial Fitness, Nutrition, University Transfer, and Stress Management. ADOPT A CARE FAMILY PROJECT For the past four years, CARE has hosted the Adopt a CARE Family Project during the holidays. This is an event in which Cabrillo College faculty and staff is asked to “adopt” a CARE family by donating gifts to the children for the holidays. This has been a very successful event as faculty and staff are eager to be able to make a contribution to students and their children. The event culminates in December with a big holiday celebration that is organized for the CARE students and their children. The families enjoy food, raffle prizes and Christmas gifts, donated by staff and faculty, distributed to them by “Santa”. This celebration is possible through the donations and contributions from the Cabrillo College staff and student senate, and the Santa Cruz County community merchants, i.e., Skate Works, Toadal Fitness, Nourish Spa, Super Silver, Bills Wheels, and Aptos Natural Foods, just to name a few. EOPS/CARE does not have the funding to pay any of the expenses for an event such as this one. 9 IX. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CAMPUS PROGRAMS FAST TRACK TO WORK EOPS/CARE works closely with the Fast Track to Work Program (FTTW) on campus by referring students to and from their program. Every semester FTTW shares their student list with us in order to outreach and potentially bring those students into our program. We are currently implementing a process between both offices to ensure the EOPS counselor is aware of the specific academic program that has been approved by the Santa Cruz County CAL WORKs Program for each individual student. TRANSFER CENTER One of EOPS/CARE’s goals is to increase the number of students transferring on to four-year universities. We work closely with the Transfer Center by referring students to the many services provided to them such as admissions application workshops, meetings with university representatives, and university campus visits. We encourage students to also utilize the Career Center resources for further career assessments and exploration. FINANCIAL AID OFFICE Each semester we inform the Financial Aid Office of all students that have been accepted in the program to ensure that proper disbursement of financial aid services, such as book vouchers and grants, are allocated for each individual student. Because our program only employs student peer advisors that are fully funded with work study, we work closely with the work study coordinator for referrals of potential hires. STUDENT EMPLOYMENT Since having a student staff is vital to the daily functions of our program, we work closely with the Student Employment Coordinator to ensure open positions are listed in the proper venues. Once a prospective student is hired, we make sure that the student completes all required paperwork to finalize a formal assignment. DISABLED STUDENTS PROGRAM SERVICES (DSPS) Many of our students have a documented learning disability and are aware of the services available to them through DSPS. However, many times students come to our program without knowing they have a learning disability and are struggling in their coursework. When this happens, the EOPS counselor might refer a student to get assessed at the Learning Skills Center. Once a diagnosis has taken place, we initiate close follow up with the DSPS counselor to ensure the student receives proper guidance and services. GENERAL COUNSELING DEPARTMENT EOPS/CARE counselors work closely with the general counseling department at the college for training, updates on transfer and vocational matters, and academic programs. Participation in university programs and state wide conferences and trainings is encouraged throughout the academic year. Because EOPS counselors are not available during winter and summer sessions, students are encouraged to see a general counselor for any immediate need. 10 X. EVALUATION EOPS - Effectiveness in Raising Student Outcomes at Cabrillo College The following report was prepared by Craig Hayward, Ph.D., Director of Planning and Research Office in consultation with David Treviño and Sesario Escoto. Executive Summary The current study followed three cohorts of first-time students, some of whom joined EOPS and others who, while very similar to the EOPS students, did not join the program. Two hundred pairs of students were tracked for a minimum of three years. The 200 first-time students who joined EOPS were compared to the matched comparison group on retention rates, transfer level math and English completion rates, transfer-ready rates, degree completion rates, threeyear transfer rate and “transfer ever” rates and transfer unit accumulation. EOPS students were found to accumulate significantly more transferable units and to have higher rates of retention to the second year, success in transfer-level math and transfer. Transfer rates between the EOPS students and the matched comparison group were similar at three years, but the EOPS students had a much higher rate when the tracking window was expanded to include transfers occurring in the fourth and fifth year after entry into Cabrillo College. Introduction Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) is a state-funded program designed to help students with economic or social disadvantages achieve their educational goals including degree completion and transfer to four-year institutions. Interventions to improve student success may include the creation of an educational plan as well as access to counseling, mentoring and tutoring. Furthermore, EOPS students may receive financial assistance with college costs such as textbook vouchers. It is customary for EOPS staff to submit an annual report that tracks the number of students participating in the EOPS program. These participation statistics are valuable for establishing the scope of the program and its effectiveness in recruiting and supporting students. In 2008 PRO began tracking cohorts of first-time EOPS students to determine retention rates as well as degree completion and transfer rates. A cohort perspective on student success has a different focus than the traditional participation analysis. It follows the same group of EOPS students over time, looking for several years for evidence of student achievement and attainment, such as obtaining a degree. It is only by following cohorts of students that we are able to talk about rates of success, e.g., transfer rates. While the addition of retention, completion and transfer rates was welcome and informative, there are still unanswered questions about the relative performance of EOPS students. How much does the program contribute to their success? What degree of success would they have experienced had they not been in the program? Answering these types of questions would allow for an evaluation of program impact and return on investment. However, these questions call for a more rigorous research design and evaluation than has been available in the past. While a true experiment with random assignment is the gold standard for establishing causal relationships and the relative impact of a program or intervention, propensity score matching (PSM), an important method in econometric research for the past two decades, has been gaining popularity in educational evaluation as a way to emulate a true experiment when the situation does not allow for random assignment. 11 Methods PSM works by evaluating the background characteristics and demographics of the students in the program to establish how much each characteristic contributes to the likelihood of being in the program or not being in the program. Since these background characteristics are typically associated with the outcomes of interest, such as degree completion, it is important to find a control group that matches the EOPS students in these important ways. In the current study, EOPS students were matched to the comparison group on age at entry, gender, ethnicity, level of first English course, level of first math course, whether the student had received a diploma or not, Pell grant receipt, and the presence of any disability. The profile of the EOPS students and the comparison group on these characteristics is presented in the Technical Appendix. Once the PSM procedure has established the baseline EOPS student profile, it then seeks out a group of students in the general population who look very similar to those students who actually participated in EOPS. In this way the control group has the same distribution of background characteristics as the EOPS students. When good matches are available in the general population, PSM is able to emulate the strengths of the true experiment inasmuch as differences in background characteristics between the treated group and the control group can be ignored and observed differences between the groups can be attributed to the effect of the program. The current study followed three cohorts of first-time students, some of whom joined EOPS and others who, while very similar to the EOPS students, did not join the program. These students are tracked for three years and their outcomes on several student success variables, including retention, degree completion and transfer were compared. Two hundred first-time students who joined EOPS within their first two years of enrollment comprised the intervention group. One hundred and thirty-four students were identified for inclusion in the matched comparison group. In order to obtain the closest possible match, some students in the comparison group were matched to an EOPS student more than once. Because the re-use of comparison group students violates the assumption of independence of observations a nonparametric test (Wilcoxon) was used to assess the statistical significance of the observed differences between the two groups. Findings EOPS students accumulated significantly more transferable units than the matched comparison group. EOPS students also enjoyed higher second year retention rates, higher rates of success in transfer-level math, and higher rates of transfer to four year institutions. 12 Table 1. Observed differences between EOPS students and a matched comparison group (n=200) Paired Samples Statistics Mean Pair 1 First year retention – EOPS First year retention – matched Pair 2* Second year retention – EOPS Second year retention – matched Pair 3* Transfer units within 3 yrs. – EOPS Transfer units within 3 yrs. – matched Pair 4 Transfer English success within 3 yrs. - EOPS Transfer English success within 3 yrs. - matched Pair 5** Transfer math success within 3 yrs. - EOPS Transfer math success within 3 yrs. - matched Pair 6 Transfer ready within 3 yrs. – EOPS Transfer ready within 3 yrs. – matched Pair 7 Transferred within 3 yrs. – EOPS Transferred within 3 yrs. – matched Pair 8* Transferred ever – EOPS Transferred ever – matched N 88% 200 87% 200 78% 200 65% 200 24 200 18 200 41% 200 43% 200 15% 200 8% 200 6% 200 6% 200 4% 200 4% 200 19% 200 9% 200 * Significant at p < .01 ** Significant at p <.05 13 Figure 1. Second year retention rates – EOPS vs. matched comparison 100% 95% 90% 85% 80% 78% 75% 70% 65% 65% 60% 55% 50% Second year retention - EOPS Second year retention - matched Figure 2. Transfer math success rates within three years – EOPS vs. matched comparison 16% 15% 14% 12% 10% 8% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% Transfer math success within 3 yrs. EOPS Transfer math success within 3 yrs. matched 14 Figure 3. Average number of transferable units earned within 3 years – EOPS vs. matched comparison 30 25 24 20 18 15 10 5 0 Transfer units within 3 yrs. - EOPS Transfer units within 3 yrs. - matched Figure 4. Transfer rates up to five years after initial entry – EOPS vs. matched comparison 20% 19% 18% 16% 14% 12% 10% 9% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% Transferred ever - EOPS Transferred ever - matched 15 XI. FIVE YEAR OVERVIEW OF BUDGET AND STUDENTS SERVED STUDENTS SERVED Year 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 Students Served 353 324 281 217 197 Table 1 – Students Served Students Served 400 300 200 100 0 Figure 1 – Students Served Prior to the year 2007-2008, the number of students served each year remained consistent at approximately 350. However, due to a 40% reduction in budget during 2009-2010, the total number of students served was reduced drastically. Currently, for the year 2011-2012 our cap is at 197 students. 16 BUDGET Year EOPS Budget EOPS Budget $600,000.00 2007-2008 $528,200.00 2008-2009 $517,882.00 2009-2010 $312,500.00 2010-2011 $311,594.00 $200,000.00 $311,594.00 $100,000.00 2011-2012 $8,850.00 Book Augmentation Table 2 – EOPS Budget $500,000.00 $400,000.00 $300,000.00 $- Figure 2 – EOPS Budget In 2009-2010, all state wide EOPS Programs received a drastic cut of 40%. For the year 2011-2012, all state wide EOPS Programs received a special one-time budget augmentation of $8,850.00 to be used specifically in the area of book vouchers. 17 DISTRICT CONTRIBUTION $250,000.00 District Contribution $200,000.00 Year 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 District Contribution $201,997.00 $202,621.00 $122,138.00 $128,070.00 Backfill $122,138.00 $122,138.00 Table 3 – District Contribution $150,000.00 $100,000.00 $50,000.00 $- Figure 3 – District Contribution Per Title 5 regulations, the district must contribute the average reported in our final budget report in the previous three academic years. During the 2009-2010 academic year, our program received one time backfill funds in order to help the program withstand the massive 40% state cut to EOPS. However, as shown in Table 3, the District contribution has remained steady for the last few years. 18 XII. STUDENT LEARNIG OUTCOME AND ASSESSMENTS CORE Competencies 1. Writing/adjusting education plans #1 #2 #4 Student Learning Outcome 2. Semester Orientation #1 #2 #4 Students will take responsibility for college success by becoming familiar with resources on campus and in program. Students will communicate with each other to complete orientation activities. Students critically analyze their own educational goals. 3. Progress Reports #1 #2 #4 Students communicate directly in person with instructors. Students participate in their own evaluation process. Students with less than passing grades strategize with counselor in ways to improve. 4. On-going Counseling #1 #2 #4 Successful matriculation for 6 semesters. Students successfully transfer to 4 year institutions or achieve degrees. 5. Social Justice and Matriculation Awareness #1 #2 #3 #4 Create an EOPS/CARE student club. Provide opportunities for students to meet with their local representatives. Promote multicultural events on campus. Students articulate, identify, and clarify career, vocational and transfer goals. Students communicate their interests and aspirations. Students take responsibility for goals committed to on plan. 19 Student Learning Objective #1. Educational Plans Describe the process the department will use to evaluate assessment results. Include: What meetings will be held? When? Assessments used are: When students meet with a counselor, three questions will be asked regarding their educational plans once they are created with student’s input: 1. Do you know what your major is? 2. Do you understand your education plan? 3. Are you aware that it can change at any time? At end of semester, tallies will be done on each student to determine if they understand their plans through the questions answered. Who will be involved? What will be discussed? What process will be used to implement any improvements needed to services? Each student will meet with a counselor at least twice per semester. By the end of the second meeting, counselor will access each students understanding of their goals within the educational plan. After evaluation of results, if improvements are needed, we will mandate student advisors to work with students on discussing specific educational goals. ________________________________________________ Outcome These assessments were done during the ‘05/06 semesters. It was found that 80% (107) of those tabulated fully understood their plans, while 20% (26) did not. We determined those were acceptable results. 20 Student Learning Objective #2. Semester Orientation Assessments used are: From Spring ’06 to Spring ’08 semesters we evaluated success Describe the process the of the orientation program by designing and administering a department will use to evaluate assessment results. pre and post orientation questionnaire. Following each semester we tallied the questioners statistically. Include: Staff meetings were held before and after each orientation every semester. What meetings will be held? When? Who will be involved? What will be discussed? Staff designed before and after questionnaires, students took questionnaires and returned them to staff following each orientation. Later, student advisors tallied results, and staff made critiques of evaluations. What process will be used to implement any improvements needed to services? Outcome Through two years of analysis we concluded that the students were made acceptably aware of other resources on campus. We also concluded that their awareness of the EOPS/CARE program was deficient. Orientation was redesigned during Fall ’08 for the upcoming semester to encourage greater understanding of EOPS/CARE program, and personal interaction between students. Results of implementation were excellent, revealing great improvement in all areas. 21 Student Learning Objective #3. Progress Reports Assessments used are: Describe the process the department will use to evaluate assessment results. Staff reviews every progress report that is turned in to EOPS. Include: This activity allows student to communicate personally and directly with instructor, many for the first and only time. What meetings will be held? When? Mid semester. Who will be involved? Students, instructors mutually involved with evaluation process of students performance thus far in semester. What will be discussed? What process will be used to implement any improvements needed to services? Any student with less than a “C” grade in any course in evaluation is brought in directly to office for counseling appointment to strategize together directly with counselor methods for improvement and success. ______________________________________________ Outcome We determined our return rate on the progress reports was not high enough, so we increased our efforts, absolutely tied grant receipt to return of progress reports, and improved percentage from below 50% to above 75% of all students in program. 22 Student Learning Objective Assessments used are: Describe the process the department will use to evaluate assessment results. Statistical report generated by the Cabrillo College Office of Planning and Research (see appendix). #4. On-going Counseling Include: What meetings will be held? Meetings will be held during each semester with the Office of Planning and Research, Dean of Student Services and EOPS staff. When? Three times per semester or as needed. Who will be involved? EOPS staff, Dean of Student Services and Office of Planning and Research. What will be discussed? Retention, transfer rates and degree completion. What process will be used to implement any improvements needed to services? A 0.5 unit Orientation course will be developed and required from all incoming EOPS students. Work closely with campus Transfer Center to ensure students get supplemental information on transfer deadlines and requirements. Coordinate efforts with Region IV Consortium to provide students with the opportunity to do campus visits. ___________________________________________________________________ When comparing the EOPS cohort to a matched comparison group, it was determined that transfer ready numbers were equal in both groups over a period of three years. Outcome 23 Student Learning Objective #5. Social Justice and Assessments used are: Describe the process the department will use to evaluate assessment results. Will investigate whether the EOPS Club registered with ICC on campus, elected officers, and established regular meetings each semester. Include: Meet with multicultural student organizations to plan activities. What meetings will be held? Arrange for letter campaign writing and meeting with local government officials. When? Regular staff meeting and convening with appropriate campus leaders as deemed necessary. During the academic year. Who will be involved? EOPS/Care staff, EOPS students staff, Members of Multicultural clubs. What will be discussed? All parties involved will be involved in a formal debriefing and recommendations for future activities or improvements Multicultural Awareness What process will be used to implement any improvements needed to services? Outcome Established Club EOPS. Through previous semester meetings and preparations, we helped implement activities such as “Día de los Muertos, CARE Xmas party, MLK Day, Cinco de Mayo, March in March, Students met with Senator Simitian’s office, and Representative Moning’s office, Awards Bar B Que. Through articles in the Cabrillo Voice, Santa Cruz Sentinel, Sacramento Bee, and other campus feedback we determine these efforts have fulfilled our goals. 24 XIII. CONCLUSION The EOPS/CARE program has gone through some rough times. Many of the categorical programs received the largest budget cuts during the fall semester of 2008. Our program was cut by 40% and it has been a challenge to keep the services at an adequate level. The amount of students accepted in the program has dropped dramatically from 353 in spring of 2008 to 197 in spring 2012. This is unfortunate since we are in a time where more students are asking for our help. Sadly we must close our door and cannot accept them. The students in the program have seen some of our services reduced. Many of our students have never set foot on a university campus. In the past, we offered several UCSC and CSUMB campus tours yearly. Currently, we might be able to offer one every other year. Tutoring has been reduced to one hour per week from two hours per week; we can no longer employ student assistants and advisors, unless they have work-study funding. Supplies and materials for students have been eliminated, grants have been reduced, and some full-time staff has been eliminated. This is an overview of the challenges the program has endured and is currently going through. Although the evaluation shows that EOPS/CARE students have a higher persistence rate, a higher completion rate of transferable courses and a higher rate of transfer to the university compared to similar populations of students who are not receiving EOPS/CARE services, the numbers are still low. Thus, EOPS/CARE Program administrators and staff should continue to focus on improving the success rate for all areas reported in the evaluation. Consideration should be given to increasing tutorial assistance in general and in mathematics specifically. RECOMMENDATIONS ACTION 1) Re-establish above and beyond general tutorial center services 2) Develop a math tutorial/lab program focus on improving the success rate in mathematics 3) Utilize and implement any new technology that will assist in serving our students. COST $10,000 $7,500 To Be Determined 4) Develop a 1 unit, counseling and guidance class with a focus on transfer readiness. $3,470.00 5) Develop a .5 unit Counseling and Guidance class with a focus on transfer readiness. $1,735 25