Identifying the value of data analytics in the context of government supervision: Insights from the customs domain

eCommerce, Brexit, new safety and security concerns are only a few examples of the challenges that government organisations, in particular customs administrations, face today when controlling goods crossing borders. To deal with the enormous volumes of trade customs administrations rely more and more on information technology (IT) and risk assessment, and are starting to explore the possibilities that data analytics (DA) can offer to support their supervision tasks. Driven by customs as our empirical domain, we explore the use of DA to support the supervision role of government. Although data analytics is considered to be a technological breakthrough, there is so far only a limited understanding of how governments can translate this potential into actual value and what are barriers and trade-offs that need to be overcome to lead to value realisation. The main question that we explore in this paper is: How to identify the value of DA in a government supervision context, and what are barriers and trade-offs to be considered and overcome in order to realise this value? Building on leading models from the information system (IS) literature, and by using case studies from the customs domain, we developed the Value of Data Analytics in Government Supervision (VDAGS) framework. The framework can help managers and policy-makers to gain a better understanding of the benefits and trade-offs of using DA when developing DA strategies or when embarking on new DA projects. Future research can examine the applicability of the VDAGS framework in other domains of government supervision.     

The problem with women? Challenges posed by gender for career guidance practice

Institutionalised discrimination continues to perpetuate deep rooted social divisions, with gender inequality persisting as a pervasive feature of labour markets across the world. Despite the depth and breadth of gender inequality, there is limited acknowledgement in career theory that the career support needs of women are distinctive. A qualitative international comparative study into the career trajectories of older women (aged 45–65) has been conducted across six countries (Australia, Argentina, Germany, Italy, England and South Africa). The results provide an international understanding of women’s careers and offer insight into career theory and practice for women that are culturally relevant.     

Envisioning Equitable Classrooms That Enhance All Students’ Wonderful Ideas: A Duckworth Perspective

This synopsis centers on Eleanor Duckworth’s ideas about the relationship between education and intellectual development. Specifically, Duckworth described the essence of intellectual development as the “having of wonderful ideas” and the essence of pedagogy as the creation of occasions to “have wonderful ideas.” As opposed to accepting the persistent, pernicious educational belief that there is a single, best way to understand and a single, best way of explaining this understanding, Duckworth determined that all children can come to comparable, equally satisfactory, wonderful understandings when provided occasions to do so.     

Efficacy of the Nemours BrightStart! Early Literacy Program: Treatment Outcomes From a Randomized Trial With At-Risk Prekindergartners

Research Findings: This study reports outcomes from a randomized, controlled trial of an emergent literacy intervention for prekindergarten children at-risk for reading failure. Children (N = 2219) in 114 preschools and childcare centers were screened for eligibility in fall. Children who scored at-risk (n = 476) were randomized to fall or spring treatment and received nine weeks of explicit, multisensory, emergent literacy instruction in small groups provided by early literacy interventionists. Trained observers noted high implementation fidelity. Pre-reading skills were assessed before and after intervention for both treatment groups. The spring intervention group served as at-risk controls for children who completed fall intervention. Three-level, linear growth models (time-student-school) were used to estimate treatment effects, found for print awareness, elision, rhyming, and the screener (print and letter knowledge, phonological awareness), replicating previous findings for the screener, rhyming, and print knowledge, and extending them to elision. Significantly accelerated growth in print knowledge, elision, rhyming, and the screener was observed during intervention. Practice or Policy: Results demonstrate benefits of high-quality emergent literacy instruction for children at risk. Growth in skills for both fall and spring treatment groups following this 18-lesson program supports some implementation flexibility among interventionists with delivery constraints during the year.     

School psychologists and autism identification: Present challenges and potential solutions

Although federal law has provided guidelines for autism eligibility for special education, school-based autism assessment and eligibility vary widely across states and identification continues to lag behind national prevalence data. The main role of the school psychologist continues to be conducting evaluations for special education eligibility, and given current barriers, some school psychologists do not feel equipped to make a recommendation for autism eligibility. This article summarizes the barriers school psychologists face when conducting autism assessments in the schools, including systemic barriers, lack of training or professional development, resulting lack of confidence, among others. We conclude by highlighting recommendations for multipronged systemic changes that will improve the capacity of special education teams and specifically support the pivotal role of the school psychologist in conducting autism eligibility evaluations in the schools.