Budget-Constrained Frontier Measures of Fiscal Equality and Efficiency in Schooling

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in ABSTRACTIn this paper we employ a cost indirect output distance function to model school district technology and measure performance. This function has the advantage of readily modeling multiple output production where that production is subject to a budget constraint. It also provides a natural measure of performance which is closely related to Fanell type measures of efficiency. We use this distance function to analyze the performance of a sample of Texas school districts, and to simulate various equalization schemes by varying the budget constraint faced by individual school districts. We find that the school districts in our sample could make considerable gains in value added by allocating their resources more efficiently. The simulated equalization schemes can also provide gains in value-added, but they typically require additional funds. Our technique could be employed more generally to analysis of public sector performance. In the education context, it could also be employed to develop state aid formulas which are linked to performance and account for variations in cost of personnel and special needs of the student body.

Measuring educational efficiency at student level with parametric stochastic distance functions: an application to Spanish PISA results

“…Other studies have considered parametric methodologies, mainly using the Cobb-Douglas specifications, but also the translog functional form proposed by Christensen, Jorgenson, and Lau (1971). These studies have included Jiménez (1986), Callan and Santerre (1990), Gyimah-Brempong and Gyapong (1992), Deller and Rudnicki (1993) and Grosskopf et al (1997). The main advantage of the translog function is its highly flexible nature, which allows the study of interactions in the production process.…”

A robust DEA model for measuring the relative efficiency of Iranian high schools

“…Wyckoff and Lavinge (1991) together with Cooper and Cohn (1997) estimated technical efficiency using school district data from New York and South Carolina, respectively. Grosskopf et al (1997) applied the parametric approach to measure allocative and technical efficiency in Texas school districts. Levin (1974Levin ( , 1976 is considered the early researcher who measured technical inefficiency in education production.…”

Human Capital Theory and Education Policy in Australia

“…The development of econometric methods based on the concepts of duality theory, such as cost, distance and profit functions, has rendered the direct estimation of production functions obsolete for most purposes. Grosskopf et al (1997) undertake an analysis of the technical efficiency of Texan schools using the distance function approach, in which efficiency is measured by a distance function relating educational inputs to improvements in test scores. Although they refer favorably to Hanushek's work, Grosskopf et al find, contrary to Hanushek's claims, that there is a positive relationship between inputs and outputs.…”