This study analyzes public high school efficiency, defined as the maximum level of educational attainment obtained with a given level of school inputs, in the State of Georgia. Using data envelopment analysis (DEA), urban and rural public high school efficiency differences are evaluated using a two-step estimation process. First, a nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test confirms the significant difference in mean efficiency scores between urban and rural high schools. Second, we use a Tobit regression model to find factors that influence the efficiency differences between rural and urban high schools. The regression results suggest that rural schools operate less efficiently than urban schools.

Authors: Zulal S. Denaux, Clifford A. Lipscomb, and L. Wayne Plumly

Originally published in the Review of Business Research, Vol. 11, No. 5 (2011)

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