A Stochastic Frontier Analysis of Secondary Education Output in Portugal

Abstract

This paper contributes to the discussion about the performance and efficiency of Portuguese secondary schools, using the stochastic production frontier analysis. We discuss the impact of school variables and the environment on output (measured by the average national examination scores), as determinants of the shape of technology and degree of efficiency. We find, in particular, that teacher seniority, school size and private management have a positive impact on output. The area where the school is located also plays an important role. Further, results show that schools differ considerably in their efficiency levels, and we also address the use of the stochastic frontier methodology in order to improve the computation of school rankings.