Efficiency and Effectiveness Analysis of Chicago Public Elementary Schools: 1989, 1991, 1993

Abstract

This article reports on research designed to respond to a set of problems normally associated with the assessment of school performance. It is more concerned with specific resource effects in specific schools than with effectiveness and efficiency in the use of individual school resources in the assessment of a system 's performance over time. The emphasis is on the overall performance of the entire set of elementary schools in the Chicago Public School System rather than on the resource use in each school. Joining standard regression techniques with the results of data envelopment analysis, the basic questions asked are the following: Are there discernible changes in the performance of Chicago elementary schools following the fundamental school reforms of 1988-1989? Are these changes in the desired direction? The results suggest encouraging improvement in schooling outcomes over the period of study.