Assessing pupil and school performance by non-parametric and parametric techniques

AbstractThis paper discusses the use of the non-parametric free disposal hull (FDH) and the parametric multi-level model (MLM) as alternative methods for measuring pupil and school attainment where hierarchical structured data are available. Using robust FDH estimates, we show how to decompose the overall inefficiency of a unit (a pupil) into a unit specific and a higher level (a school) component. By a sample of entry and exit attainments of 3017 girls in British ordinary single sex schools, we test the robustness of the non-parametric and parametric estimates. Finally, the paper uses the traditional MLM model in a best practice framework so that pupil and school efficiencies can be computed.

[1]  Risto Lehtonen,et al.  Multilevel Statistical Models , 2005 .

[2]  David Mayston,et al.  Performance Assessment in the Education Sector: educational and economic perspectives , 1987 .

[3]  Contents , 1997, Current Opinion in Neurobiology.

[4]  J. Florens,et al.  Nonparametric frontier estimation: a robust approach , 2002 .

[5]  Léopold Simar,et al.  Advanced Robust and Nonparametric Methods in Efficiency Analysis: Methodology and Applications , 2007 .

[6]  Gerald H. Kramer,et al.  The Ecological Fallacy Revisited: Aggregate- versus Individual-level Findings on Economics and Elections, and Sociotropic Voting , 1983, American Political Science Review.

[7]  Kristof De Witte,et al.  Capturing the environment, a metafrontier approach to the drinking water sector , 2008, Int. Trans. Oper. Res..

[8]  Pam Sammons,et al.  Differential School Effectiveness: results from a reanalysis of the Inner London Education Authority's Junior School Project Data , 1993 .

[9]  P. Andersen,et al.  A procedure for ranking efficient units in data envelopment analysis , 1993 .

[10]  P. Pestieau,et al.  Public Enterprise Economics.@@@The Performance of Public Enterprises: Concepts and Measurement. , 1987 .

[11]  P. Mortimore,et al.  Assessing School Effectiveness: Developing Measures to put School Performance in Context , 1994 .

[12]  W. Greene.  Fixed and Random Effects in Stochastic Frontier Models , 2002 .

[13]  Dominique Deprins,et al.  Measuring Labor-Efficiency in Post Offices , 2006 .

[14]  R. Bartels,et al.  The Effect of Sample Size on the Mean Efficiency in DEA with an Application to Electricity Distribution in Australia, Sweden and New Zealand , 1998 .

[15]  María Jesús Mancebón,et al.  Performance in primary schools , 2000, J. Oper. Res. Soc..

[16]  G. Battese,et al.  Metafrontier frameworks for the study of firm-level efficiencies and technology ratios , 2008 .

[17]  Emmanuel Thanassoulis,et al.  Guiding Schools to Improved Performance Using Data Envelopment Analysis: An Illustration with Data from a Local Education Authority , 1994 .

[18]  T. Lewis,et al.  Outliers in multilevel data , 1998 .

[19]  Timothy Coelli,et al.  An Introduction to Efficiency and Productivity Analysis , 1997 .

[20]  H. Goldstein,et al.  DfEE Study of Value Added for 16-18 year olds in England , 1997 .

[21]  A. Skowron,et al.  Methodology and applications , 1998 .

[22]  J. Gray,et al.  The Search for a Fairer Way of Comparing Schools' Examination Results. , 1986 .

[23]  Sreenivasan Ravi,et al.  Multilevel Statistical Models, 3rd edn , 2005 .

[24]  Emmanuel Thanassoulis,et al.  Decomposing school and school-type efficiency , 2001, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[25]  Emmanuel Thanssoulis,et al.  Setting Achievement Targets for School Children , 1999 .

[26]  George E. Battese,et al.  Technology Gap, Efficiency, and a Stochastic Metafrontier Function , 2002 .

[27]  School Outcomes: Sharing the Responsibility Between Pupil and School1 , 2002 .

[28]  Jill Johnes,et al.  Measuring Efficiency: A Comparison of Multilevel Modelling and Data Envelopment Analysis in the Context of Higher Education , 2006 .

[29]  G. Battese,et al.  A Metafrontier Production Function for Estimation of Technical Efficiencies and Technology Gaps for Firms Operating Under Different Technologies , 2004 .

[30]  C. Lovell,et al.  Stochastic Frontier Analysis: Frontmatter , 2000 .

[31]  Risto Lethonen.  Multilevel Statistical Models (3rd ed.) , 2005 .