Assessing the Efficiency of Public Schools Using Data Envelopment Analysis and Frontier Regression

Abstract

"The cost efficiency of 520 New York school districts is measured using data envelopment analysis and stochastic frontier regression. Mean inefficiency is 14% using either method, and the rank order correlation coefficient of inefficiency between the two methods is 86. The three largest school districts (Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse) are among the most efficient. Student test scores are output variables, and socioeconomic control variables are included to adjust for the harshness of the educational environment in which districts operate. (JEL" C29, C61, 121) Copyright 1999 Western Economic Association International.

Efficiency in education: a review of literature and a way forward

“…Observed in: Butler and Monk (1985), Sfeir (1986) (1988), Jesson et al (1987), , Smith and Mayston (1987), Mayston and Jesson (1988), Färe et al (1989), Callan and Santerre (1990), Barrow (1991), Ganley and Cubbin (1992), McCarty and Yaisawarng (1993), Chalos and Cherian (1995), Ruggiero et al (1995), Cubbin and Zamani (1996), Engert (1996), , Bates (1997), Chalos (1997), Duncombe et al (1997), Grosskopf et al (1997Grosskopf et al ( ) (1999Grosskopf et al ( ) (2014, Heshmati and Kumbhakar (1997), Ray and Mukherjee (1998), Ruggiero and Bretschneider (1998), , Ruggiero and Vitaliano (1999), Chakraborty et al (2001), Grosskopf and Moutray (2001), Fukuyama and Weber (2002), Banker et al (2004), Primont and Domazlicky (2006), Rassouli-Currier (2007), Denaux (2009, Houck et al (2010), Naper (2010), Ouellette and Vierstraete (2010), Johnson and Ruggiero (2014).…”

“…Educational resources (books, building, computers, class, bus, grants) Ruggiero et al (1995), Jimenez and Paqueo (1996), , Athanassopoulos and Shale (1997), Cooper and Cohn (1997), Heshmati and Kumbhakar (1997), Ruggiero and Bretschneider (1998), , Thursby (2000), Moreno and Tadepali (2002) (2012), Mancebón et al (2012), Misra et al (2012), Thieme et al (2012) (2013), Haelermans and Ruggiero (2013), Zoghbi et al (2013), Crespo-Cebada et al (2014). Enrollment , Ruggiero and Vitaliano (1999), (2010), Rayeni and Saljooghi (2010), Gronberg et al (2012), Johnes et al (2012), Misra et al (2012), Aristovnik and Obadic (2014), . Expenditures (teaching, research, administrators, supporting staff) Bessent and Bessent (1980), Bessent et al (1982), Butler and Monk (1985), Sengupta and Sfeir (1986), Jesson et al (1987), , Smith and Mayston (1987), Mayston and Jesson (1988), Färe et al (1989), Beasley (1990), Callan and Santerre (1990), Diamond and Medewitz (1990), Barrow (1991), Ganley and Cubbin (1992), Deller and Rudnicki (1993), …”

“…Enrollment , Ruggiero and Vitaliano (1999), (2010), Rayeni and Saljooghi (2010), Gronberg et al (2012), Johnes et al (2012), Misra et al (2012), Aristovnik and Obadic (2014), . Expenditures (teaching, research, administrators, supporting staff) Bessent and Bessent (1980), Bessent et al (1982), Butler and Monk (1985), Sengupta and Sfeir (1986), Jesson et al (1987), , Smith and Mayston (1987), Mayston and Jesson (1988), Färe et al (1989), Beasley (1990), Callan and Santerre (1990), Diamond and Medewitz (1990), Barrow (1991), Ganley and Cubbin (1992), Deller and Rudnicki (1993), McCarty and Yaisawarng (1993), Breu and Raab (1994), Sinuany et al (1994), Beasley (1995), Chalos and Cherian (1995), Ruggiero et al (1995), Cubbin and Zamani (1996), Engert (1996), Jimenez and Paqueo (1996), (2006a) (2008) (2014a), (2000), Athanassopoulos and Shale (1997), Bates (1997), Chalos (1997), Duncombe et al (1997), Grosskopf et al (1997Grosskopf et al ( ) (1999 …”

Efficiency in Public Education - The role of socio-economic variables

“…The most use non-parametric techniques are two-stage DEA and value added DEA; and the most use parametric technique is stochastic frontier production function. (Hoxby, 2000;Grosskopf et al, 1997;Chakraborty et al, 2001;McCarty and Yaisawrang, 1993;Linna, 1998;Duncombe et al, 1997;Kirjavainen and Loikkanen, 1998;Noulas and Ketkar, 1998;Ruggiero and Vitaliano, 1999;Ruggiero, 2001;Saito and McIntosh, 2003;Bishop and Brand, 2003) The past studies recognize that inaccurate identification of production set, improper measure of inputs and outputs, and failure to account for simultaneity in inputs, outputs, and socioeconomic factors can seriously undermine the accuracy and reliability of efficiency estimates (Klien, 2007). This is because it is most likely that the efficiency and the economic performance of school districts are difficult to accurately assess unless the production function is correctly defined in terms of all measurable inputs and outputs.…”

The efficiency of public schools: the case of Kuwait

“…Table 6 shows the models for the four educational levels (kindergarten, primary, contrary to Ruggiero and Vitaliano (1999). The evidence implies that higher teacher salary tends to improve the technical efficiency of schools in Kuwait.…”