IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecmode/v118y2023ics0264999322003479.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessing potential improvement in education: Unravelling pupils' and schools’ inefficiencies using a multi-level metafrontier approach

Author

Listed:
  • Azar, Paola
  • Sicilia, Gabriela

Abstract

How relevant is a better use of schooling resources to improve learning outcomes? Though the optimal management of public funding is always desirable, achievement improvement might also depend on student and school level factors beyond efficiency. Using data from public primary schools in Uruguay, we discuss the role of the school efficiency gains in the potential attainment improvement of pupils. Our empirical approach resorts to a multilevel metafrontier model based on non-parametric methods to identify the sources of pupils' under-attainment. The results reveal that pure school inefficiencies per se are hardly relevant to enhance students’ performance while the effect of school resources is still sizable. We also find that school-level efficiency gaps affect the most disadvantaged students and school-types within the public system. The research highlights the importance of correctly assessing the range and roots of potential improvement from schooling efficiency policies, particularly in contexts characterized by scarcity of resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Azar, Paola & Sicilia, Gabriela, 2023. "Assessing potential improvement in education: Unravelling pupils' and schools’ inefficiencies using a multi-level metafrontier approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:118:y:2023:i:c:s0264999322003479
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2022.106110
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264999322003479
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.econmod.2022.106110?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bogetoft, Peter & Heinesen, Eskil & Tranæs, Torben, 2015. "The efficiency of educational production: A comparison of the Nordic countries with other OECD countries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 310-321.
    2. Léopold Simar & Paul Wilson, 2000. "Statistical Inference in Nonparametric Frontier Models: The State of the Art," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 49-78, January.
    3. Kerstens, Kristiaan & O’Donnell, Christopher & Van de Woestyne, Ignace, 2019. "Metatechnology frontier and convexity: A restatement," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 275(2), pages 780-792.
    4. Henry M. Levin, 1974. "Measuring Efficiency in Educational Production," Public Finance Review, , vol. 2(1), pages 3-24, January.
    5. Benos, Nikos & Karagiannis, Stelios, 2016. "Do education quality and spillovers matter? Evidence on human capital and productivity in Greece," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 563-573.
    6. Emmanuel Thanassoulis & Maria Da Conceicao & A. Silva Portela, 2002. "School Outcomes: Sharing the Responsibility Between Pupil and School1," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(2), pages 183-207.
    7. Kristof De Witte & Laura López-Torres, 2017. "Efficiency in education: a review of literature and a way forward," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(4), pages 339-363, April.
    8. M C A S Portela & A S Camanho, 2010. "Analysis of complementary methodologies for the estimation of school value added," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 61(7), pages 1122-1132, July.
    9. Aparicio, Juan & López-Torres, Laura & Santín, Daniel, 2018. "Economic crisis and public education. A productivity analysis using a Hicks-Moorsteen index," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 34-44.
    10. Eric A. Hanushek, 1979. "Conceptual and Empirical Issues in the Estimation of Educational Production Functions," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 14(3), pages 351-388.
    11. Cinzia Daraio & Léopold Simar, 2005. "Introducing Environmental Variables in Nonparametric Frontier Models: a Probabilistic Approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 93-121, September.
    12. Kneip, Alois & Park, Byeong U. & Simar, Léopold, 1998. "A Note On The Convergence Of Nonparametric Dea Estimators For Production Efficiency Scores," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(6), pages 783-793, December.
    13. Erik Hanushek & F. Welch (ed.), 2006. "Handbook of the Economics of Education," Handbook of the Economics of Education, Elsevier, edition 1, volume 1, number 1, June.
    14. Cordero, José Manuel & Santín, Daniel & Sicilia, Gabriela, 2015. "Testing the accuracy of DEA estimates under endogeneity through a Monte Carlo simulation," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 244(2), pages 511-518.
    15. Jarillo, Brenda & Magaloni, Beatriz & Franco, Edgar & Robles, Gustavo, 2016. "How the Mexican drug war affects kids and schools? Evidence on effects and mechanisms," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 135-146.
    16. Cordero, Jose M. & Polo, Cristina & Santín, Daniel & Simancas, Rosa, 2018. "Efficiency measurement and cross-country differences among schools: A robust conditional nonparametric analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 45-60.
    17. Christopher O’Donnell & D. Rao & George Battese, 2008. "Metafrontier frameworks for the study of firm-level efficiencies and technology ratios," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 231-255, March.
    18. Silva Portela, Maria Conceicao A. & Thanassoulis, Emmanuel, 2001. "Decomposing school and school-type efficiency," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(2), pages 357-373, July.
    19. Cinzia Daraio & Léopold Simar, 2007. "Conditional nonparametric frontier models for convex and nonconvex technologies: a unifying approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 13-32, October.
    20. Grosskopf, Shawna & Hayes, Kathy J. & Taylor, Lori L. & Weber, William L., 2001. "On the Determinants of School District Efficiency: Competition and Monitoring," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 453-478, May.
    21. Hanushek, Eric A. & Luque, Javier A., 2003. "Efficiency and equity in schools around the world," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 481-502, October.
    22. López-Torres, Laura & Prior, Diego, 2022. "Long-term efficiency of public service provision in a context of budget restrictions. An application to the education sector," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    23. M. Portela & A. Camanho & A. Keshvari, 2013. "Assessing the evolution of school performance and value-added: trends over four years," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 1-14, February.
    24. George Battese & D. Rao & Christopher O'Donnell, 2004. "A Metafrontier Production Function for Estimation of Technical Efficiencies and Technology Gaps for Firms Operating Under Different Technologies," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 91-103, January.
    25. Eric A. Hanushek, 2003. "The Failure of Input-Based Schooling Policies," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 113(485), pages 64-98, February.
    26. Lagravinese, Raffaele & Liberati, Paolo & Resce, Giuliano, 2020. "The impact of economic, social and cultural conditions on educational attainments," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 112-132.
    27. Julien Lafortune & Jesse Rothstein & Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, 2018. "School Finance Reform and the Distribution of Student Achievement," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(2), pages 1-26, April.
    28. Timothy J. Coelli & D.S. Prasada Rao & Christopher J. O’Donnell & George E. Battese, 2005. "An Introduction to Efficiency and Productivity Analysis," Springer Books, Springer, edition 0, number 978-0-387-25895-9, December.
    29. George E. Battese & D. S. Prasada Rao, 2002. "Technology Gap, Efficiency, and a Stochastic Metafrontier Function," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 1(2), pages 87-93, August.
    30. C. Kirabo Jackson & Rucker C. Johnson & Claudia Persico, 2016. "The Effects of School Spending on Educational and Economic Outcomes: Evidence from School Finance Reforms," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(1), pages 157-218.
    31. K De Witte & E Thanassoulis & G Simpson & G Battisti & A Charlesworth-May, 2010. "Assessing pupil and school performance by non-parametric and parametric techniques," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 61(8), pages 1224-1237, August.
    32. Thieme, Claudio & Prior, Diego & Tortosa-Ausina, Emili, 2013. "A multilevel decomposition of school performance using robust nonparametric frontier techniques," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 104-121.
    33. Erik Hanushek & F. Welch (ed.), 2006. "Handbook of the Economics of Education," Handbook of the Economics of Education, Elsevier, edition 1, volume 2, number 2, June.
    34. Cazals, Catherine & Florens, Jean-Pierre & Simar, Leopold, 2002. "Nonparametric frontier estimation: a robust approach," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 106(1), pages 1-25, January.
    35. Daniel Santín & Gabriela Sicilia, 2015. "Measuring the efficiency of public schools in Uruguay: main drivers and policy implications," Latin American Economic Review, Springer;Centro de Investigaciòn y Docencia Económica (CIDE), vol. 24(1), pages 1-28, December.
    36. Conroy, Stephen J. & Arguea, Nestor M., 2008. "An estimation of technical efficiency for Florida public elementary schools," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 655-663, December.
    37. Deutsch, Joseph & Dumas, Audrey & Silber, Jacques, 2013. "Estimating an educational production function for five countries of Latin America on the basis of the PISA data," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 245-262.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sarkar, Dipanwita & Sarkar, Jayanta & Dulleck, Uwe, 2024. "The effects of private and social incentives on students’ test-taking effort," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    2. Capasso, Salvatore & Kaisari, Maria & Kounetas, Konstantinos & Lainas, Elias, 2024. "School productive performance and technology gaps: New evidence from PISA 2018," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kristof De Witte & Laura López-Torres, 2017. "Efficiency in education: a review of literature and a way forward," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(4), pages 339-363, April.
    2. Paola Azar & Gabriela Sicilia, 2021. "An assessment of pupil and school performance in public primary education in Uruguay," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 21-22, Instituto de Economía - IECON.
    3. José Manuel Cordero & Daniel Santín & Rosa Simancas, 2017. "Assessing European primary school performance through a conditional nonparametric model," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(4), pages 364-376, April.
    4. D’Inverno, Giovanna & Smet, Mike & De Witte, Kristof, 2021. "Impact evaluation in a multi-input multi-output setting: Evidence on the effect of additional resources for schools," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 290(3), pages 1111-1124.
    5. Cordero, Jose M. & Polo, Cristina & Santín, Daniel & Simancas, Rosa, 2018. "Efficiency measurement and cross-country differences among schools: A robust conditional nonparametric analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 45-60.
    6. Cordero, José Manuel & Prior, Diego & Simancas Rodríguez, Rosa, 2013. "A comparison of public and private schools in Spain using robust nonparametric frontier methods," MPRA Paper 51375, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Aparicio, Juan & Ortiz, Lidia & Santín, Daniel, 2021. "Comparing group performance over time through the Luenberger productivity indicator: An application to school ownership in European countries," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 294(2), pages 651-672.
    8. Thieme, Claudio & Prior, Diego & Tortosa-Ausina, Emili, 2013. "A multilevel decomposition of school performance using robust nonparametric frontier techniques," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 104-121.
    9. Cordero, Jose Manuel & Polo, Cristina & Simancas, Rosa, 2022. "Assessing the efficiency of secondary schools: Evidence from OECD countries participating in PISA 2015," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    10. López-Torres, Laura & Nicolini, Rosella & Prior, Diego, 2017. "Does strategic interaction affect demand for school places? A conditional efficiency approach," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 89-103.
    11. López-Torres, Laura & Prior, Diego, 2022. "Long-term efficiency of public service provision in a context of budget restrictions. An application to the education sector," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    12. Camanho, Ana S. & Varriale, Luisa & Barbosa, Flávia & Sobral, Thiago, 2021. "Performance assessment of upper secondary schools in Italian regions using a circular pseudo-Malmquist index," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 289(3), pages 1188-1208.
    13. Camanho, Ana S. & Stumbriene, Dovile & Barbosa, Flávia & Jakaitiene, Audrone, 2023. "The assessment of performance trends and convergence in education and training systems of European countries," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 305(1), pages 356-372.
    14. Belmonte-Martin, Irene & Ortiz, Lidia & Polo, Cristina, 2021. "Local tax management in Spain: A study of the conditional efficiency of provincial tax agencies," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    15. Alexander Arévalo S & Víctor Giménez G & Diego Prior J, 2022. "Análisis de eficiencia en educación: una aplicación del método StoNED," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE, vol. 92(2), pages 45-91, October.
    16. Aparicio, Juan & López-Torres, Laura & Santín, Daniel, 2018. "Economic crisis and public education. A productivity analysis using a Hicks-Moorsteen index," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 34-44.
    17. López-Torres, Laura & Johnes, Jill & Elliott, Caroline & Polo, Cristina, 2021. "The effects of competition and collaboration on efficiency in the UK independent school sector," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 40-53.
    18. Kerstens, Kristiaan & O’Donnell, Christopher & Van de Woestyne, Ignace, 2019. "Metatechnology frontier and convexity: A restatement," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 275(2), pages 780-792.
    19. Arbona, Alexei & Giménez, Víctor & López-Estrada, Sebastián & Prior, Diego, 2022. "Efficiency and quality in Colombian education: An application of the metafrontier Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    20. Carlucci, Fabio & Corcione, Carlo & Mazzocchi, Paolo & Trincone, Barbara, 2021. "The role of logistics in promoting Italian agribusiness: The Belt and Road Initiative case study," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Educational performance; Multilevel metafrontier approach; Primary education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:118:y:2023:i:c:s0264999322003479. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/30411 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.