Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Principal Time Usage and Ohio's EdChoice Scholarship

Abstract

This study explored the experience of Catholic school principals in Ohio whose schools have participated in the EdChoice Scholarship program. The researcher employed the lens of principal time usage to examine the experiences of Ohio Catholic school principals with EdChoice, with a focus on the direct experiences of principals participating in the program, the principal’s role in the supervisory aspects of operating the program at a school, and on the connections between workload and principal perceptions of the EdChoice program. The research questions were explored through semi-structured interviews with eight Catholic school principals and three administrative designees at those schools. The study concluded that no significant and direct administrative burden was created by the program on the study participants, but that secondary effects are present, such as the potential need for the hiring of a staff member to manage the program and the importance of communication with stakeholders. Additionally, this study illustrated the need for Catholic school principals to remain aware of and engaged in the legislative process in Ohio, as changes made by the government can have a direct effect on the operation of a school.