More Students Take Advantage of Educational Opportunity Service (EOS)
Students can opt into Educational Opportunity Service (EOS) when they register for the ACT. EOS provides students with information about educational opportunities and scholarships by making their names available to colleges and scholarship agencies that meet EOS eligibility guidelines. Between 2005 and 2014, the number of students who have opted in has increased by 71%, a rate that has outpaced the growth in the number of ACT-tested students over that time. As a result, the share of ACT-tested students who enter the EOS pool has increased from 79% to 86% over the past 10 years (see Figure 10).
Figure 10. Percent Opting in to Educational Opportunity Service (EOS), 2005-2014
Figure 10. Percent Opting in to Educational Opportunity Service (EOS), 2005-2014
High School Graduation Year | Percent Opting Into EOS |
---|---|
2005 | 79% |
2006 | 79% |
2007 | 79% |
2008 | 83% |
2009 | 86% |
2010 | 88% |
2011 | 89% |
2012 | 88% |
2013 | 86% |
2014 | 86% |
Figure 11. EOS Opt-In Rate by State ACT Participation Rate, 2014
Figure 11. EOS Opt-In Rate by State ACT Participation Rate, 2014
Region | State | Participation Rate | EOS Opt-In Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Midwest | Iowa | 68% | 86.2% |
Midwest | Illinois | 100% | 82.1% |
Midwest | Indiana | 40% | 86.7% |
Midwest | Kansas | 75% | 89.9% |
Midwest | Michigan | 100% | 82.7% |
Midwest | Minnesota | 76% | 86.3% |
Midwest | Missouri | 76% | 88.3% |
Midwest | North Dakota | 100% | 80.4% |
Midwest | Nebraska | 86% | 90.1% |
Midwest | Ohio | 72% | 88.6% |
Midwest | South Dakota | 78% | 90.3% |
Midwest | Wisconsin | 73% | 86.8% |
Northeast | Connecticut | 29% | 74.6% |
Northeast | Massachusetts | 23% | 76.1% |
Northeast | Maine | 9% | 77.5% |
Northeast | New Hampshire | 20% | 77.3% |
Northeast | New Jersey | 25% | 81.5% |
Northeast | New York | 27% | 82.5% |
Northeast | Pennsylvania | 19% | 83.2% |
Northeast | Rhode Island | 16% | 81.3% |
Northeast | Vermont | 29% | 77.0% |
South | Alabama | 80% | 94.7% |
South | Arkansas | 93% | 91.4% |
South | District of Columbia | 37% | 76.6% |
South | Delaware | 18% | 81.7% |
South | Florida | 81% | 90.1% |
South | Georgia | 53% | 89.8% |
South | Kentucky | 100% | 86.1% |
South | Louisiana | 100% | 89.2% |
South | Maryland | 22% | 83.0% |
South | Mississippi | 100% | 95.0% |
South | North Carolina | 100% | 84.1% |
South | Oklahoma | 75% | 90.8% |
South | South Carolina | 58% | 90.3% |
South | Tennessee | 100% | 86.0% |
South | Texas | 40% | 90.6% |
South | Virginia | 28% | 83.3% |
South | West Virginia | 65% | 92.7% |
West | Alaska | 37% | 80.9% |
West | Arizona | 55% | 82.9% |
West | California | 29% | 88.1% |
West | Colorado | 100% | 79.2% |
West | Hawaii | 90% | 80.8% |
West | Idaho | 45% | 87.9% |
West | Montana | 100% | 77.6% |
West | New Mexico | 69% | 93.3% |
West | Nevada | 36% | 89.7% |
West | Oregon | 36% | 76.7% |
West | Utah | 100% | 83.9% |
West | Washington | 22% | 83.1% |
West | Wyoming | 100% | 79.6% |
As with other testing behaviors discussed in this report, the rate at which students opt into EOS differs by the ACT participation rate of their state. Figure 11 shows the relationship between states’ ACT participation rates and the rate at which students in those states opt into EOS. As seen in the figure, states with lower ACT participation rates (horizontal axis) tend to have lower EOS opt-in rates (vertical axis), whereas states with higher ACT participation rates tend to have higher EOS opt-in rates. Many states located in the Midwest are clustered in the upper-right area of the figure, having both higher participation rates and higher EOS opt-in rates. States located in the Northeast are mostly clustered in the lower-left area of the figure, characterized by both lower ACT participation rates and lower EOS opt-in rates.
Note: The trend line in Figure 11 shows a positive relationship. A correlation of 0.35 (out of a range of –1 to 1) suggests that the strength of the positive relationship between the ACT participation rate and the EOS opt-in rate is moderate in magnitude.
Although the majority of today’s high school students are opting into EOS, some elect not to participate in this service (see Table 4). Among those who are less likely to take advantage of EOS are students who achieve at either the highest or lowest levels academically, aspire to earn less than a bachelor’s degree, live in large suburban areas, come from families with more highly educated parents and higher incomes, do not report their race/ethnicity, and are male.
Table 4. Who Does Not Opt Into EOS?
Less Likely to Opt Into EOS | More Likely to Opt Into EOS |
---|---|
The very highest- and lowest-achieving students | Students at other achievement levels |
Students with lower degree aspirations | Students with higher degree aspirations |
Students in large suburban areas | Students in urban, small suburban, and rural areas |
Students from high-income families | Students from low-income families |
Students with more highly educated parents | Students with less highly educated parents |
Students who do not report their race/ethnicity | African Americans and Hispanics |
Male students | Female students |