Efficiency in the Further Education Sector in England
ABSTRACT
Further education in England is a diverse sector which typically provides education for the 16 - 19 age group. This study investigates efficiency levels by subject of study within further education (FE) colleges. Mean overall technical efficiency is found to vary from 75% to 86% in the worst- and best-performing subject areas, respectively. Statistical analysis of efficiency reveals that, while student and teacher composition and regional characteristics affect efficiency in each subject, the strength of these effects can vary by subject. This has the clear policy implication that strategies to improve efficiency in English FE must be devised and operated at subject rather than provider level.
Further education in England is a diverse sector which typically provides education for the 16 - 19 age group. This study investigates efficiency levels by subject of study within further education (FE) colleges. Mean overall technical efficiency is found to vary from 75% to 86% in the worst- and best-performing subject areas, respectively. Statistical analysis of efficiency reveals that, while student and teacher composition and regional characteristics affect efficiency in each subject, the strength of these effects can vary by subject. This has the clear policy implication that strategies to improve efficiency in English FE must be devised and operated at subject rather than provider level.
Cite this paper
J. Johnes, S. Bradley and A. Little, "Efficiency in the Further Education Sector in England," Open Journal of Statistics, Vol. 2 No. 1, 2012, pp. 131-140. doi: 10.4236/ojs.2012.21015.
J. Johnes, S. Bradley and A. Little, "Efficiency in the Further Education Sector in England," Open Journal of Statistics, Vol. 2 No. 1, 2012, pp. 131-140. doi: 10.4236/ojs.2012.21015.
References
[1] Foster Report, “Realising the Potential: A Review of the Future Role of Further Education Colleges,” Department for Education and Science, London, 2005. [2] Department for Education and Science, “Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances,” White Pa- per, London, 2006. [3] S. Bradley, J. Johnes and A. Little, “The Measurement and Determinants of Efficiency and Productivity in the Further Education Sector in England,” Bulletin of Economic Research, Vol. 62, No. 1, 2010, pp. 1-30. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8586.2009.00309.x [4] M. Yang, H. Goldstien, W. Browne and G. Woodhouse, “Multivariate Multilevel Analyses of Examination Results,” Journal of the Royal Statistical Society A, Vol. 165, No. 1, 2002, pp. 137-153. doi:10.1111/1467-985X.00633 [5] J. Johnes, “Inter-University Variations in Undergraduate Non-Completion Rates: A Statistical Analysis by Subject of Study,” Journal of Applied Statistics, Vol. 24, No. 3, 1997, pp. 343-361. doi:10.1080/02664769723738 [6] J. Johnes, “Measuring Efficiency: A Comparison of Multilevel Modelling and DEA in the Context of Higher Education,” Bulletin of Economic Research, Vol. 58, No. 2, 2006, pp. 75-104. doi:10.1111/j.0307-3378.2006.00238.x [7] R. W. Shephard, “Theory of Cost and Production Frontiers,” Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1970. [8] R. F?re, “Fundamentals of Production Theory,” Springer- Verlag, Berlin, 1988. [9] A. Charnes, W. W. Cooper and E. Rhodes, “Measuring the Efficiency of DMUs,” European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1978, pp. 429-444. doi:10.1016/0377-2217(78)90138-8 [10] A. Charnes, W. W. Cooper and E. Rhodes, “Measuring the Efficiency of Decision Making Units: A Short Communication,” European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 3, No. 4, 1979, p. 339. doi:10.1016/0377-2217(79)90229-7 [11] T. J. Coelli, D. S. P. Rao, C. J. O’Donnell and G. E. Battese, “An Introduction to Efficiency and Productivity Analysis,” Springer, New York, 2005. [12] S. C. Ray, “Resource Use Efficiency in Public Schools: A Study of Connecticut Data,” Management Science, Vol. 37, No. 12, 1991, pp. 1620-1628. doi:10.1287/mnsc.37.12.1620 [13] S. Grosskopf and C. Moutray, “Evaluating Performance in Chicago Public High Schools in the Wake of Decentralization,” Economics of Education Review, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2001, pp. 1-14. doi:10.1016/S0272-7757(99)00065-5 [14] S. Bradley, G. Johnes and J. Millington, “The Effect of Competition on the Efficiency of Secondary Schools in England,” European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 135, No. 2, 2001, pp. 545-568. doi:10.1007/s00148-006-0110-y [15] M. Andrews, S. Bradley, D. Stott and J. Taylor, “The Evolution and Determinants of the Educational Gender Gap in England,” 2001. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/staff/ecasb/papers/ggap1-revised.pdf [16] S. Bradley and P. Lenton, “Dropping out of Postcompulsory Education in the UK: An Analysis of Determinants and Outcomes,” Journal of Population Economics, Vol. 20, No. 2, 2007, pp. 299-328. doi:10.1007/s00148-006- 0110-y [17] S. May, P. Bidgood and N. Saebi, “Are They Thinking What We’re Thinking? College Staff and Student Perceptions of the Impact of Ethnicity and Gender on Completion and Achievement at a College of Further Education,” Journal of Further and Higher Education, Vol. 30, No. 3, 2006, pp. 243-254. doi:10.1080/03098770600802271 [18] S. Bradley and J. Taylor, “Ethnicity, Educational Attainment and the Transition from School,” The Manchester School, Vol. 72, No. 3, 2004, pp. 317-346. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9957.2004.00395.x [19] C. Schofield and H. Dismore, “Predictors of Retention and Achievement of Higher Education Students within a Further Education Context,” Journal of Further and Higher Education, Vol. 34, No. 2, 2010, pp. 207-221. doi:10.1080/03098771003695478 [20] T. S. Dee, “A Teacher Like Me: Does Race, Ethnicity, or Gender Matter?” American Economic Review, Vol. 95, No. 2, 2005, pp. 158-165. doi:10.1257/000282805774670446 [21] D. Wilson, S. Burgess and A. Briggs, “The Dynamics of School Attainment of England’s Ethnic Minorities 2005. http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cmpo/publications/papers/2005/wp130.pdf [22] E. A. Hanushek, “The Evidence on Class Size,” 1998. http://edpro.stanford.edu/hanushek/admin/pages/files/uploads/testmony.PDF
[1] Foster Report, “Realising the Potential: A Review of the Future Role of Further Education Colleges,” Department for Education and Science, London, 2005. [2] Department for Education and Science, “Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances,” White Pa- per, London, 2006. [3] S. Bradley, J. Johnes and A. Little, “The Measurement and Determinants of Efficiency and Productivity in the Further Education Sector in England,” Bulletin of Economic Research, Vol. 62, No. 1, 2010, pp. 1-30. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8586.2009.00309.x [4] M. Yang, H. Goldstien, W. Browne and G. Woodhouse, “Multivariate Multilevel Analyses of Examination Results,” Journal of the Royal Statistical Society A, Vol. 165, No. 1, 2002, pp. 137-153. doi:10.1111/1467-985X.00633 [5] J. Johnes, “Inter-University Variations in Undergraduate Non-Completion Rates: A Statistical Analysis by Subject of Study,” Journal of Applied Statistics, Vol. 24, No. 3, 1997, pp. 343-361. doi:10.1080/02664769723738 [6] J. Johnes, “Measuring Efficiency: A Comparison of Multilevel Modelling and DEA in the Context of Higher Education,” Bulletin of Economic Research, Vol. 58, No. 2, 2006, pp. 75-104. doi:10.1111/j.0307-3378.2006.00238.x [7] R. W. Shephard, “Theory of Cost and Production Frontiers,” Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1970. [8] R. F?re, “Fundamentals of Production Theory,” Springer- Verlag, Berlin, 1988. [9] A. Charnes, W. W. Cooper and E. Rhodes, “Measuring the Efficiency of DMUs,” European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1978, pp. 429-444. doi:10.1016/0377-2217(78)90138-8 [10] A. Charnes, W. W. Cooper and E. Rhodes, “Measuring the Efficiency of Decision Making Units: A Short Communication,” European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 3, No. 4, 1979, p. 339. doi:10.1016/0377-2217(79)90229-7 [11] T. J. Coelli, D. S. P. Rao, C. J. O’Donnell and G. E. Battese, “An Introduction to Efficiency and Productivity Analysis,” Springer, New York, 2005. [12] S. C. Ray, “Resource Use Efficiency in Public Schools: A Study of Connecticut Data,” Management Science, Vol. 37, No. 12, 1991, pp. 1620-1628. doi:10.1287/mnsc.37.12.1620 [13] S. Grosskopf and C. Moutray, “Evaluating Performance in Chicago Public High Schools in the Wake of Decentralization,” Economics of Education Review, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2001, pp. 1-14. doi:10.1016/S0272-7757(99)00065-5 [14] S. Bradley, G. Johnes and J. Millington, “The Effect of Competition on the Efficiency of Secondary Schools in England,” European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 135, No. 2, 2001, pp. 545-568. doi:10.1007/s00148-006-0110-y [15] M. Andrews, S. Bradley, D. Stott and J. Taylor, “The Evolution and Determinants of the Educational Gender Gap in England,” 2001. http://www.lancs.ac.uk/staff/ecasb/papers/ggap1-revised.pdf [16] S. Bradley and P. Lenton, “Dropping out of Postcompulsory Education in the UK: An Analysis of Determinants and Outcomes,” Journal of Population Economics, Vol. 20, No. 2, 2007, pp. 299-328. doi:10.1007/s00148-006- 0110-y [17] S. May, P. Bidgood and N. Saebi, “Are They Thinking What We’re Thinking? College Staff and Student Perceptions of the Impact of Ethnicity and Gender on Completion and Achievement at a College of Further Education,” Journal of Further and Higher Education, Vol. 30, No. 3, 2006, pp. 243-254. doi:10.1080/03098770600802271 [18] S. Bradley and J. Taylor, “Ethnicity, Educational Attainment and the Transition from School,” The Manchester School, Vol. 72, No. 3, 2004, pp. 317-346. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9957.2004.00395.x [19] C. Schofield and H. Dismore, “Predictors of Retention and Achievement of Higher Education Students within a Further Education Context,” Journal of Further and Higher Education, Vol. 34, No. 2, 2010, pp. 207-221. doi:10.1080/03098771003695478 [20] T. S. Dee, “A Teacher Like Me: Does Race, Ethnicity, or Gender Matter?” American Economic Review, Vol. 95, No. 2, 2005, pp. 158-165. doi:10.1257/000282805774670446 [21] D. Wilson, S. Burgess and A. Briggs, “The Dynamics of School Attainment of England’s Ethnic Minorities 2005. http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cmpo/publications/papers/2005/wp130.pdf [22] E. A. Hanushek, “The Evidence on Class Size,” 1998. http://edpro.stanford.edu/hanushek/admin/pages/files/uploads/testmony.PDF