The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act mandates that every student with an Individualized Education Program be considered for assistive technology (AT). As a result, future special educators need to have the knowledge and skills regarding AT. In this article, the authors report findings from a national study of special education teacher preparation programs using archival document analysis on the current practice of AT course delivery for the preparation of special educators. Findings indicate that AT training at the pre-service level may not be adequately addressed. Approximately one third of undergraduate special teacher licensure programs, 28% of initial postbaccalaureate licensure programs, and less than 25% of master'sdegree programs require AT coursework. In addition, licensure in severe and moderate disabilities requires an AT course more frequently than other types of certification programs. The findings have important implications for future practices in special education teacher preparation.

Objective: Prior research on the efficacy of physical education has been conducted in a piecemeal fashion. More specifically, studies typically test a single benefit hypothesized to be associated with physical education (e.g. body mass index [BMI]) while excluding others (e.g. social skills) and not controlling for important confounds (e.g. diet). Such research designs have precluded a comprehensive evaluation of physical education, and may also help explain mixed findings reported in the literature. The purpose of this study, then, was to re-evaluate the efficacy of participation in physical education through a more robust model that considers BMI, academic achievement, self-concept, and social skills while controlling for poor diet and out-of-school activities (i.e. television viewing, sleep, and general activity levels). Design, Setting, and Method: Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted on data derived from a sample of 10,210 fifth graders in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. Results: Nationwide, 68% of fifth graders participated in physical education one or two days per week. Physical education was positively associated with academic achievement (effect size = .10), and negatively associated with both low self-concept (effect size = .06) and less healthy food choices (i.e. sugar-sweetened beverages, potatoes, and fast food; effect size = .11). However, participation in physical education was not associated with BMI or teacher-reported social skills. Conclusion: Even at the low 'dosages' reported, physical education is associated with improved mental health, dietary choices, and academic achievement.

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Entry-level public accountants in the U.S. must satisfy a litany of historically unparalleled requirements and demands. This unique set of challenges calls forth new questions about how effectively entry-level accountants are navigating the divide between their conceptual educations and the practical rigors of public practice. To examine these questions, we relied on qualitative analysis predicated on a theoretical framework of constructivism and systems theory. Our study confirmed practitioners' perceptions about the preparation of entry-level accountants that have been documented for nearly a hundred years: Entry-level accountants' shortcomings often include written and oral communications skills, interpersonal skills and critical thinking skills. However, what is unique to this study is that we also considered faculty perspectives. Faculty concurred with practitioners' perspectives on entry-level accountants' strengths and weaknesses-noting considerable growth in most problem areas over the college years. Practitioners and faculty also largely agreed about the pathway to successful and unsuccessful careers in public accounting. We suggest that continuing the historical perspective of extreme separation between academia and the business world is not particularly beneficial to the career preparation of junior accountants. Rather, we recommend that viewing accounting faculty and practitioners as part of the same continuum is likely to be more advantageous to the preparation of entry-level accountants and to the profession as a whole. We also conclude that differences in faculty and practitioner perspectives serve as checks and balances on the accounting profession-although more collaboration might facilitate greater improvements.