The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for education delivery, attainment, attitude, behaviour and attendance. Partnership…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for education delivery, attainment, attitude, behaviour and attendance. Partnership success factors are identified, and transferable lessons extracted. Barriers to the success of the partnership are explored and suggestions for improvement are made.
Design/methodology/approach
Case study of the first PFI school in the UK. This involved a systematic literature review and collation of data on impact on Victoria Dock Primary School, four face‐to‐face in‐depth interviews with Sewell Group Plc and Victoria Dock Primary School staff, and three face‐to‐face in‐depth interviews with experts in the education sector.
Findings
Findings suggest that the impact of the partnership on education is positive. Pupils perform significantly better than both the average Hull and national primary schools. There appears to be a positive impact on attitude, behaviour and attendance.
Research limitations/implications
Caution is issued regarding generalisability of findings on account of this being a single case study.
Practical implications
The findings have implications for those involved in PPPs, or those considering entering such a partnership. A very useful source of information and advice about the ingredients required for successful partnerships.
Originality/value
This study adds evidence to the existing limited evaluative work that has been completed on PPPs with regard to their impact on education. This includes delivery, attainment, behaviour and attitude, and attendance.
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The research on Black underachievement is well documented. But the explanations posited as causes for this failure are problematic. They are reductive and fail to explain…
Abstract
The research on Black underachievement is well documented. But the explanations posited as causes for this failure are problematic. They are reductive and fail to explain adequately the reasons for Black children’s underperformance. The wealth of research into Black underachievement is not matched by research into Black achievement, and explanations for this are equally flawed, as are policies designed to curtail underperformance. I argue in this paper that underachievement is the product of social and cultural forces, and success is dependent on all concerned in the educational development of the child, including the child, overcoming those forces and accommodating each other in order to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for success.
Joe Garcia, Russell Shannon, Aaron Jacobson, William Mosca, Michael Burger and Roberto Maldonado
This paper aims to describe an effort to provide for a robust and secure software development paradigm intended to support DevSecOps in a naval aviation enterprise (NAE) software…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe an effort to provide for a robust and secure software development paradigm intended to support DevSecOps in a naval aviation enterprise (NAE) software support activity (SSA), with said paradigm supporting strong traceability and provability concerning the SSA’s output product, known as an operational flight program (OFP). Through a secure development environment (SDE), each critical software development function performed on said OFP during its development has a corresponding record represented on a blockchain.
Design/methodology/approach
An SDE is implemented as a virtual machine or container incorporating software development tools that are modified to support blockchain transactions. Each critical software development function, e.g. editing, compiling, linking, generates a blockchain transaction message with associated information embedded in the output of a said function that, together, can be used to prove integrity and support traceability. An attestation process is used to provide proof that the toolchain containing SDE is not subject to unauthorized modification at the time said critical function is performed.
Findings
Blockchain methods are shown to be a viable approach for supporting exhaustive traceability and strong provability of development system integrity for mission-critical software produced by an NAE SSA for NAE embedded systems software.
Practical implications
A blockchain-based authentication approach that could be implemented at the OFP point-of-load would provide for fine-grain authentication of all OFP software components, with each component or module having its own proof-of-integrity (including the integrity of the used development tools) over its entire development history.
Originality/value
Many SSAs have established control procedures for development such as check-out/check-in. This does not prove the SSA output software is secure. For one thing, a build system does not necessarily enforce procedures in a way that is determinable from the output. Furthermore, the SSA toolchain itself could be attacked. The approach described in this paper enforces security policy and embeds information into the output of every development function that can be cross-referenced to blockchain transaction records for provability and traceability that only trusted tools, free from unauthorized modifications, are used in software development. A key original concept of this approach is that it treats assigned developer time as a transferable digital currency.
Details
Keywords
- Software development
- Blockchain
- Cybersecurity
- Operational flight program
- Secure development environment
- Secure virtual machine
- Zero trust
- Embedded systems
- Mission-critical systems
- OFP
- DevOps
- DevSecOps
- Software support activity
- SSA
- SDE
- Permissioned blockchain
- Cryptocurrency
- Time-limited authorization for developer action
- TADA
- Code signing
- Trusted software guard
- SGX
- Trusted eXecution technology
- TXT
- Trusted platform module
- Self-hosting
- Controlled access blockchain
- CABlock
- Role-based access control
- RBAC
The main theme of this chapter is raising awareness and improving insights and planning abilities in relation to problems faced by people of colour, as individuals and in…
Abstract
The main theme of this chapter is raising awareness and improving insights and planning abilities in relation to problems faced by people of colour, as individuals and in institutions. In promoting these skills, there is a need to recognize the role played by personal perceptions and emotions in the way in which we construe problems. Here, the author presents a personal construct psychology (Kelly, 1955, Ravenette, 1997) derived approach, which offers a way through the conceptual confusion clouding our thinking about aspects of our lives that concern us, and often leaves us lacking the energy and ability to loosen our thinking and move in the direction of rewarding new attitudes and behaviours.
Axel van den Berg and Emre Amasyalı
Since its introduction by Anthony Giddens in the early 1980s, the use of the concept of “agency” as a way to accommodate an irreducible element of voluntarism into sociological…
Abstract
Since its introduction by Anthony Giddens in the early 1980s, the use of the concept of “agency” as a way to accommodate an irreducible element of voluntarism into sociological explanations has grown exponentially in the literature. In this chapter, we examine the most prominent theoretical justifications for adopting the notion of “agency” as an integral part of such explanations. We distinguish three broad sets of justifications: the meaningfulness/intentionality of social action, the need for “agency” to explain change in social structures, and the link between agency, social accountability, and human dignity. We find that none of these provides a convincing rationale for the analytical utility of agency. This raises the question of what work it actually does perform in the sociological literature.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the lived educational realities of black male students studying in further education (FE) colleges to understand how these experiences…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the lived educational realities of black male students studying in further education (FE) colleges to understand how these experiences compare to their experiences of statutory education. It describes the way in which students perceived and received education in both sectors and highlights the similarities and variations between the two.
Design/methodology/approach
Ethnographic methods including focus groups, individual interviews and naturalistic observations were used to investigate black male students’ perceptions of FE. These accounts were compared to their memories of compulsory schooling experiences to establish differences and similarities between sectors and to determine which educational approaches black male students identified as most useful.
Findings
The research established black males perceived there were significant differences between the two sectors and these differences had impacted on their ability to learn. These findings provide a useful reference point for educators seeking to evaluate their organisation’s education provision for black male students.
Social implications
This paper provides suggestions on what sorts of educational opportunities are appropriate and accessible for black males and which approaches help to support their educational achievement.
Originality/value
There are little research data which specifically discuss black male students’ experience of the FE sector. This paper will help teachers and managers at all organisational levels in FE (and in schools) review their provision and consider adopting approaches that may help to enhance black students’ educational journeys.
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ALL the auguries for the Bournemouth Conference appear to be good. Our local secretary, Mr. Charles Riddle, seems to have spared neither energy nor ability to render our second…
Abstract
ALL the auguries for the Bournemouth Conference appear to be good. Our local secretary, Mr. Charles Riddle, seems to have spared neither energy nor ability to render our second visit to the town, whose libraries he initiated and has controlled for thirty‐seven years, useful and enjoyable. There will not be quite so many social events as usual, but that is appropriate in the national circumstances. There will be enough of all sorts of meetings to supply what the President of the A.L.A. describes as “the calling which collects and organizes books and other printed matter for the use and benefit of mankind and which brings together the reader and the printed word in a vital relationship.” We hope the discussions will be thorough, but without those long auto‐biographical speeches which are meant for home newspapers, that readers will make time for seeing the exhibitions, and that Bournemouth will be a source of health and pleasure to all our readers who can be there.
Increasingly, punitive policies on ‘poblematic’ pupils are implemented in poor‐performing UK urban state schools. While some are permanently excluded and referred to local…
Abstract
Increasingly, punitive policies on ‘poblematic’ pupils are implemented in poor‐performing UK urban state schools. While some are permanently excluded and referred to local authority educational alternatives, others are unofficially ‘excluded’ and referred to other forms of off‐site educational centres, where pupils receive a significantly reduced timetable, undertake unchallenging courses and are unlikely to return to school. Based on an ethnographic research project with 20 excluded young people in one south London borough, this paper will discuss what happens to these young people after their ‘exclusion’ from school. I will suggest that this form of unofficial ‘exclusion’ has significant life implications for these young people, contributing not only to their social exclusion, but also to their increased exposure to crime and victimisation. Moreover, their life options are truncated despite the efforts that they may make otherwise.
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The purpose of this paper is to direct attention to social and cultural leadership in the area of family matters as they relate to black and disadvantaged communities. It seeks to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to direct attention to social and cultural leadership in the area of family matters as they relate to black and disadvantaged communities. It seeks to reject and qualify the prevailing notions of victim status attributed to such groups in debates around the family and crime, while highlighting and challenging the various rationalities of the key actors involved. The paper calls for greater responsibility from those who view themselves as disadvantaged, and others who seek to advocate on their behalf.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on data gained from interviews carried out with black men, community activists, and participatory observation.
Findings
Black leaders for their own political motives continue to uncritically promote notions of female victimhood in the context of discussions around the family, youth delinquency, and crime. However, black lone‐parents are not passive victims and are often rational actors in the pursuit of personal goals, albeit often short‐sighted in terms of their social consequences.
Practical implications
More research is required especially reflecting black male perspectives about parenthood and lone‐parent families. Research is also called for on the issue of policing, crime prevention, and related strategies utilised by community activists in addressing the complex range of problems experienced by their communities. The paper calls for a stop to the practice of demonising black men in the context of debates around family matters, and the adoption of a more balanced approach to the issues in question.
Social implications
The paper contributes to a more informed debate on the topic, especially within affected communities, and discussions about parenting support/education, and the cultural specificity of some of the issues in question.
Originality/value
The paper highlights the role of black women's decision making in the context of family formation, and the role of sexism in black cultural practices in privileging female behaviour.
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Paul C. Harris, Janice Byrd, Hyunhee Kim, Miray D. Seward, Araya Baker, Alagammai Meyyappan, Deepika Nantha Kumar and Tia Nickens
The authors focus on using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a lens through which to analyze the holistic welfare development of Black male student-athletes, namely their identity…
Abstract
The authors focus on using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a lens through which to analyze the holistic welfare development of Black male student-athletes, namely their identity development and overall college and career readiness. The authors contend that if structured and delivered well with the appropriate supports, athletics can be more of a mobilizing mechanism for Black males versus an exploitive one. Specifically, athletic identity does not have to be exclusive, but rather one aspect of the student-athletes' multidimensional sense of self. To this end, the authors outline specific research, practice, and policy recommendations that address the unique challenges of Black male student-athletes in K-16.