Understanding Private School Perspectives for Policy Improvement and Satisfaction Within the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program

• In Event: School Voucher Policy and Implementation: Lessons From Indiana and Tennessee

Abstract

Objectives

Schools’ experiences in the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program (ICSP) may provide insight for states considering, implementing, and designing voucher policies. Do private school principals, teachers, and parents believe change or improvement to the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program’s policy is necessary? If so, in what form? Considering schools’ satisfaction with ICSP policy implementation will inform the expansion of the Indiana voucher policy and provide lessons learned for other states debating such policies.

Theoretical Framework

Research on school choice reveals that parents receiving vouchers are frequently satisfied with their child’s school or rate it highly (Bridge & Blackman, 1978; Ogawa & Dutton, 1994; Peterson, 1998). For instance, the recent evaluation of the DC Scholarship Opportunity Program reveals that four years after random assignment to the program, 76% of the parents receiving a voucher graded their child’s school with A or B compared with 67% of parents who did not receive a voucher (Wolf et al., 2011).

This paper goes beyond parent satisfaction to also consider how school choice programs affect private school teacher and administrator satisfaction. These diverse perspectives provide an inside look at the benefits and drawbacks of specific aspects of the Indiana policy, thereby identifying aspects of the policy that lead to parent, teacher, and administrator satisfaction or dissatisfaction with school vouchers.

Data & Methods

This study uses the same previously described interview data on the Indiana voucher program. I also use a top-down coding approach that focuses on three important themes: 1) opinions of ICSP; 2) whether or not there should be change(s) to the program; and 3) challenges or aspects of the policy that require improvement, and proposed changes to the voucher policy (if dissatisfied).

Results & Scholarly Significance

Early results highlight teacher perspectives. Teachers emphasized themes of: increased school enrollment, the opportunity for religious evangelization, increased diversity, and financial fairness. Teachers had both positive and negative perspectives on these themes. When considering potential changes, early teacher perspectives were also conflicted as teachers expressed a multitude of challenges the program brings to their classroom. One example of such challenges included the need for greater institutional support, within both their school and school district.

Further examination of results will consider parents’ and principals’ perspectives of the ICSP. Current indicators suggest that parents receiving vouchers are largely satisfied, while parents not using vouchers often discuss the duality of the program’s financial fairness. Principals often note both the financial benefit and the bureaucratic challenges of participating. Examination of these results will provide greater insight.

This study contributes to the body of research on voucher programs as it considers the effects of the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program on private schools. Furthermore, it emphasizes the salience of participant satisfaction, as well as the implications of choice initiatives, for multiple constituents. The findings point to nationally significant implications for the future direction of voucher policy, as more and more states implement voucher programs with the successes and failures of landmark states—including Indiana—in mind.

Author

• Ellen Brandenberger, University of Notre Dame