Understanding Principals’ Knowledge of Special Education

The percentage of students identified as eligible to receive special education services in the United States has grown from 8.3% in the 1976-77 school year to 14% during the 2018-19 school year (Hussar et al., 2020). Given this level of growth and the myriad of levels of support principals provide for students with disabilities, one would assume that principal preparation programs have adjusted their curriculum to ensure future school administrators are prepared to support every student, including those with disabilities. The purpose of this research study is to better understand how current school administrators learned special education-related information for their role, what they believe are the most important aspects of special education, and to identify how background, experience, and self-efficacy play a role in principals’ skills related to their role as their building’s special education leader. A web-based survey was used to gather information from current school administrators working in Idaho’s P-12 school districts. Results of this study show that the majority of Idaho’s school administrators are learning special education-related knowledge and skills on the job and through professional development, rather than as part of their principal preparation programs. Recommendations are made to enhance the learning opportunities in both principal preparation programs as well as in-service professional development to develop strong, supportive, school-based special education leaders

Semen evaluation for verification of azoospermia after vasectomy in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Standards for the reproductive management of captive chimpanzees stipulate that chimpanzees admitted into the National Chimpanzee Sanctuary System must undergo vasectomy followed by laboratory confirmation of azoospermia. In light of the observations of ourselves and others, we questioned whether azoospermia is a necessary indicator of successful vasectomy. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to assess how much time is required between vasectomy and semen evaluation for azoospermia to be reached and to determine the percentage of vasectomized chimpanzees that actually are azoospermic. The study population comprised 39 adult male chimpanzees that underwent vasectomy and subsequent semen examination at 0.5 to 24 mo afterward. Overall, spermatozoa were found in the semen of at least 1 chimpanzee in almost every month in which animals were evaluated. Of the animals evaluated repeatedly after vasectomy, 20% had no sperm at any examination, 60% were azoospermic then positive during at least 1 subsequent examination, 13.3% were positive at least once and then azoospermic, and 6.7% were positive at every examination. After 0.5 mo postvasectomy, all sperm observed were nonmotile. The results suggest that azoospermia is not a necessary indicator of successful vasectomy