Program

UCLA’s Early Academic Outreach Program, established

in 1976 by the University of California system, provides

disadvantaged students attending underserved schools with

college preparation in hopes of creating competitive

applicants. Services include:

Weekend Outreach/Academic Events

SAT Prep Workshops

Campus Tours

Academic Advising / Junior Assessments

College applications, and FAFSA workshops

UCLA’s EAOP program works with over 80 schools in

10 districts throughout Los Angeles County. Students

admitted to the program are typically low-income, first

generation college applicants who have earned a grade point

average at or above a 3.0, the minimum GPA required to

apply to a University of California.

Site Context

John Francis Polytechnic High School is located in Sun

Valley, Los Angeles.

- 70% of the community is Latino

- Median household income is roughly $50,000/year

- 50% of the population in Sun Valley has less than a

high school education

- Only 8% of people 25 and older have received a

bachelor’s degree

- 88% of students attending Poly are economically

disadvantaged.

- Graduation rate 78.8%

- In 2012, only 33.6% of seniors had completed their A-

G requirements and were considered eligible University

applicants.

Research Question: How effective is UCLA’s Early Academic

Outreach Program in creating self-efficacy for low-income seniors

at J Francis Polytechnic High School?

Why does Self- Efficacy matter?

A good measurement of the impact of EAOP in Poly High School is the degree of

self-efficacy that students acquire, if any, after participating in the program.

Efficacy is defined by effort, confidence, and personal goals. To measure these, we can

examine levels of ingenuity, exertion, accuracy, productivity, and regulations to perform

demands.

Levels of self-efficacy are important in education because they serve as predictors of

a student’s motivation and learning. High levels of efficacy result in higher academic

performance; higher levels of energy inputted into an activity; and the undertaking of

more difficult tasks.

Self-efficacy can also be used as a predictor of attendance and attainment in higher

education.

0.00%

20.00%

40.00%

60.00%

80.00%

100.00%

BeforeEAOP

After EAOP

What kind of Applicant are you?

Eligible

Competitive

Bruin Advisor

I have worked for UCLA’s EAOP program for three years.

I began working at J Francis Polytechnic High School at the

beginning of the 2013-2014 academic year. As a Bruin

Advisor, I am responsible for providing students with one-

on-one academic counseling, group college preparedness

assessments, and application workshops. While our priority

is working with EAOP students from 9th-12th grade, this year

I focused on working with over one hundred Poly seniors,

EAOP and non-EAOP.

Methods

36 out of 65 Polytechnic High School EAOP seniors were surveyed.

The surveys were designed to record student’s confidence in college readiness prior and

after participating in the program. The surveys included questions such as:

- How confident were you that you would be accepted into the college of your

choice?

- How confident were you that you would complete the A-G requirements?

Student’s Self-Efficacy: Measurement of Reported High Confidence Figure 1

Findings

The results of the surveys show that there is a positive correlation between

student’s self-efficacy and their participation in EAOP. Figure 1 shows the effects

reported by the students prior and after participating in the program. The largest percent

changes in student’s confidence are the following:

- An increase from 28% to 69% of students surveyed who believed they would be

accepted into college.

- An increase from 8% to 36% of students surveyed that believed they would

definitely be accepted into the college of their choice.

- An increase from 11% to 61% of students who felt very confident in their ability to

complete a college application correctly.

- An increase from 3% to 31% of students who felt very confident in their ability to

receive a scholarship.

Competitive vs. Eligible

Once students received most of EAOP’s services,

students were asked if they considered themselves

competitive. An important goal of EAOP is to help

students become competitive for college

admissions, rather than simply eligible.

Implications

Those who are competitive have not only

completed their minimum requirements, but have

exceeded expectations by taking additional A-G

courses, extra-curricular, and/or leadership

positions. Competitive students have worked to

build a college profile that will be outstanding, and

unique.

Students who answered the comment section of

the survey express that the program helped them

understand the college applicant process; help them

to stay motivated; and also provided support.

Current EAOP seniors average a 3.5 GPA, and are

considered competitive students. Nevertheless, the

findings show that while students have reported that

their confidence has improved with the help of

EAOP, they do not feel that they are competitive

students.

Observations, surveys, and conversations results

reveal that levels of competitiveness can be

attributed, but not limited to: cultural background,

peer comparisons, personal statement preparedness,

and familial support. Student’s self-report of

competitiveness can be an indicator that the

program has not had its full desired effect.

Future research can explore what can be done by

outreach program to help students not only increase

self-efficacy, but build confidence in their

competitiveness. EAOP at Polytechnic High plans

to work directly with teachers to provide applicant

training, and begin applications earlier by having

application sections due as class assignments.

Creating Self-Efficacy

A Partnership Between J F Polytechnic High School & UCLA’s Early Academic Outreach Program

Deborah Membreño, Astin Civic Engagement Scholars Program

UCLA, Center for Community Learning

Special Thanks:

Professor Abrego

Wendy Quiñonez

Astin Scholars Program

Polytechnic High School Students

Doug Barrera

Lauren Willner