Statistical analysis of performance indicators in UK higher education (original) (raw)
Examining benchmark indicator systems for the evaluation of higher education institutions
Higher Education Institutions are undergoing important changes involving the development of new roles and missions, with implications for their structure. Governments and institutions are implementing strategies to ensure the proper performance of universities and several studies have investigated evaluation of universities through the development and use of indicator systems. In this paper, we review some of the systems applied to the OECD countries, with special attention to Spain. We demonstrate the difficulty involved in establishing classification criteria for existing indicators, on which there is currently no consensus.
On Educational Performance Measures*
Fiscal Studies, 2011
On Educational Performance Measures * Quantitative school performance measures (QPMs) are playing an ever larger role in education systems on both sides of the Atlantic. In this paper we outline the rationale for the use of such measures in education, review the literature relating to several important problems associated with their use, and argue that they nonetheless have a positive role to play in improving the educational quality. We delineate several institutional reforms which would help schools to respond "positively" to QPMs, emphasizing the importance of agents' flexibility to change the way they work, and the importance of a sound knowledge base regarding "what works" in raising attainment. We suggest that the present institutional setups in both England and the US too often hold schools accountable for outcomes over which they have little control-but that such problems are far from insurmountable.
The Relationship between University Ranks and Outcomes Measurement
This paper examines the relationship between university ranks and outcome measurements. Many students select the university that they will attend based on these rankings In this paper the rankings conducted by two studies are examined. U.S. News and World Report rankings are based upon measures of the quality of input, retention while in school and other measures. A new group of rankings are based on the output performance of universities. Jalbert, rank schools based on the extent to which the school places its graduates in top CEO positions and the salary that they receive when in these positions. In an optimal world, input rankings should correspond with output rankings. This paper examines the extent to which these rankings track each other and the sensitivity of rankings to changes in methodology utilized.
Benchmarking the Performance of Educational Establishments in England
Educational performance of schools can be assessed by econometric benchmarking techniques like DEA and SFA. However the current literature suggests that the data generally available may lead to incomplete specification of the production function, and to a system of simultaneous equation linking educational inputs and output in a circular fashion. This paper assesses the feasibility of using DEA and SFA on a set of data for the entire population of English schools. The data set describes the schools' average Key Stage results for 14 and 16 years olds (KS3 and GCSE) for 2001 and 2002. The examination of the data confirms the difficulties described in the literature. It suggests that the population of schools is divided in two subpopulations, one of which consists of 'super-performing' schools. However, it is worth noting that these schools are not necessarily very efficient. The analysis also suggests - although not conclusively - that the schools' performance may not be converging over time. DEA and SFA could not be carried out given the constraints in the data set. The main lesson is that econometric benchmarking of schools’ performance requires the use of panel data series and a longitudinal analysis approach. The dataset should ideally start with KS1 results and include all available cohorts since the establishment of the Key Stage tests.
The ranking of higher education institutions: A deduction or delusion?
Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 2008
The necessity to take into account the stakeholders' interests in higher education has resulted in the emergence of many performance measurement approaches that make use of performance indicators. The aim of this paper is to determine the benefits of using performance indicators for higher education and the problems associated with them. From a thorough examination of established models, it is
Higher Education Research & Development, 2006
This article situates the topic of student assessment and the moderation of assessment within a broader context of policy debates about the quality of teaching and learning in universities. The focus and discussion grew out of a research project which aimed initially to investigate factors related to academic success and failure in a Faculty of Arts. The study identified a range of student demographic and biographical factors significantly related to academic success and failure. However, there was also evidence of pronounced differences in grading practices between different components (courses, programs, schools) within the institution. The paper explores the implications of such inconsistencies for the institutional mechanisms and processes that have typically been advocated as sufficient safeguards of quality. It concludes that the tendency of governments and other stakeholders to now champion performance indicators, along with the shifting focus toward quality 'outcomes', are likely to increasingly throw the strengths and weaknesses of institutional assessment practices into stark relief.