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Measuring School District Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Rolf Färe

    (Southern Illinois University)

  • Shawna Grosskopf

    (Southern Illinois University)

  • William L. Weber

    (Southeast Missouri State University)

Abstract

This article provides a method of measuring performance in the public sector, specifically performance of school districts. The technique is closely related to the family of Farrell type efficiency measures as well as data envelopment analysis (DEA). It also can be viewed as a generalization of earlier work on educational production functions. The approach gauges performance relative to the best practice frontier constructed from enveloping observed data points. It is nonparametric, i.e., no parametric functional form is imposed on the data, and the approach readily admits multiple goals or outputs. By way of illustration we apply this approach to a sample of Missouri school districts for the 1985-1986 school year. In order to reduce the impact of outliers we employ jackknifing techniques.

Suggested Citation

  • Rolf Färe & Shawna Grosskopf & William L. Weber, 1989. "Measuring School District Performance," Public Finance Review, , vol. 17(4), pages 409-428, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pubfin:v:17:y:1989:i:4:p:409-428
    DOI: 10.1177/109114218901700404
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. 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.
    4. A. Bessent & W. Bessent & J. Elam & D. Long, 1984. "Educational Productivity Council Employs Management Science Methods to Improve Educational Quality," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 14(6), pages 1-8, December.
    5. Fare, R. & Grosskopf, S. & Lovell, C. A. K., 1988. "An indirect approach to the evaluation of producer performance," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 71-89, October.
    6. Summers, Anita A & Wolfe, Barbara L, 1977. "Do Schools Make a Difference?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(4), pages 639-652, September.
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