text:
Image: Breakup
Michael Carroll
An artist's conception shows the breakup of the Phobos-Grunt probe during the final phases of its atmospheric re-entry. staff and news service reports
updated 1/15/2012 2:32:45 PM ET 2012-01-15T19:32:45

A failed probe that was designed to travel to a moon of Mars but got stuck in Earth orbit has crashed into the Pacific Ocean, Russian officials said Sunday.

The unmanned Phobos-Grunt probe was one of the heaviest and most toxic space derelicts ever to crash to Earth, but there were no reports of injury or damage. There's a good chance that no one actually saw the spacecraft's fiery plunge.

"Phobos-Grunt fragments have crashed down in the Pacific Ocean," the RIA-Novosti news service quoted Alexei Zolotukhin, a spokesman for Russia's aerospace defense forces, as saying. The debris zone was said to be 775 miles (1,250 kilometers) west of Wellington Island in the South Pacific. Re-entry was estimated to occur at about 12:45 p.m. ET, based on the data received by the Russians.

In a Twitter update, the European Space Agency said several sources confirmed that estimate but added that experts were still checking the details. A later RIA-Novosti report quoted an unnamed source as saying the probe may have continued farther along its orbital track and crashed in Brazil or into the Atlantic Ocean.

Russia's Roscosmos space agency predicted that only between 20 and 30 fragments of the Phobos probe with a total weight of up to 440 pounds (200 kilograms) would survive the re-entry and plummet to Earth. Heiner Klinkrad, head of the European Space Agency's Space Debris Office, agreed with that assessment, adding that about 100 metric tons of space junk fall on Earth every year.

"This is 200 kilograms out of these 100 tons," he told The Associated Press.

Thousands of pieces of derelict space vehicles orbit Earth, occasionally posing danger to astronauts and satellites in orbit, but as far as is known, no one has ever been hurt by falling space debris.

Phobos-Grunt weighed 13.5 metric tons (14.9 English tons), and that included a load of 11 metric tons (12 tons) of highly toxic rocket fuel intended for the long journey to the Martian moon of Phobos. It was left unused as the probe got stuck in orbit around Earth shortly after its Nov. 9 launch.

Roscosmos said all of the fuel would burn up on re-entry, a forecast Klinkrad said was supported by calculations done by NASA and ESA.

The space era has seen far larger spacecraft crash. NASA's Skylab space station that went down in 1979 weighed 85 tons (77 metric tons), and Russia's Mir space station that deorbited in 2001 weighed about 143 tons (130 metric tons). Their descent fueled fears around the world, but the wreckage of both fell far away from populated areas.

The $170 million Phobos-Grunt mission was Russia's most expensive and the most ambitious interplanetary endeavor since Soviet times. The spacecraft was intended to land on the crater-dented, potato-shaped Martian moon, collect soil samples and fly them back to Earth, giving scientists precious materials that could shed more light on the genesis of the solar system.

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Russia's space chief has acknowledged the Phobos-Grunt mission was ill-prepared, but said that Roscosmos had to give it the go-ahead so as not to miss the limited Earth-to-Mars launch window.

Its predecessor, Mars-96, which was built by the same Moscow-based NPO Lavochkin company, also suffered an engine failure and crashed shortly after its launch in 1996. Its crash drew strong international fears because there were 7 ounces (200 grams) of plutonium onboard. The craft eventually showered its fragments over the Chile-Bolivia border in the Andes Mountains, and the pieces were never recovered.

The worst-ever radiation spill from a derelict space vehicle came in January 1978 when the nuclear-powered Cosmos 954 satellite crashed over northwestern Canada. The Soviets claimed that the craft completely burned up on re-entry, but a massive recovery effort by Canadian authorities recovered a dozen fragments, most of which were radioactive.

Phobos-Grunt also contained a tiny quantity of radioactive cobalt-57 in one of its instruments, but Roscosmos said it posed no threat of radioactive contamination.

The spacecraft also carried a small cylinder with a collection of microbes as part of an experiment by the California-based Planetary Society that designed to explore whether they can survive interplanetary travel. The cylinder was attached to a capsule that was supposed to deliver Phobos ground samples back to Earth.

It's not clear whether or not that capsule could have survived re-entry, but there's virtually no chance that it will ever be found.

This report includes information from The Associated Press and

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Video: Russian spacecraft may fall to Earth Sunday

  1. Closed captioning of: Russian spacecraft may fall to Earth Sunday

    >>> looks like we have another piece of space junk to look out for. this will be the third in five months, by the way. this time it's different. it's a russian spacecraft and at 14 1/2 tons, it's one of the largest and heaviest ever to plum et uncontrollably to earth. it was just launched in november on a mission to mars. an electronic glitch left it in space. russians are assuring the world only about 20 or 30 of the heavier chunks are likely to survive reentry to earth's orbit. the latest forecast has this thing crash landing sunday or monday. perhaps over the indian ocean , potentially close to madagascar. if so, they'll have to move it, move it, but we all know a lot more information will be coming as the weekend approaches.

Photos: Year in Space 2011

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  1. Ultimate space shot

    2011 was a year of farewells in space: an end to the space shuttle program ... NASA's official abandonment of the Spirit rover on Mars ... and the leavetaking of NASA's next Mars rover. This unprecedented image shows a different kind of leavetaking. Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli snapped the picture of Endeavour docked to the International Space Station on May 23 as he was leaving in a Soyuz spacecraft. This was the only opportunity to photograph the space station and shuttle together from an orbital vantage point. (Paolo Nespoli / NASA / ESA) Back to slideshow navigation
  2. Tribute to Gabby

    During a post-landing ride on a Russian helicopter, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly wears a blue "Gabby" wristband in honor of his sister-in-law, wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Kelly and his fellow crew members from the International Space Station returned to Earth on March 16. Kelly's twin brother, Mark Kelly, is Giffords' husband. The two Kellys were the only twins to serve together in NASA's astronaut corps. Mark Kelly retired from NASA in October. (Bill Ingalls / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
  3. Up from the clouds

    Stefanie Gordon captured this remarkable picture of the shuttle Endeavour's ascent on May 16 while she was on a commercial airline flight from New York to Palm Beach, Fla. (Stefanie Gordon / for Back to slideshow navigation
  4. Hanging on

    NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff holds a handrail during the fourth spacewalk conducted by the shuttle Endeavour's crew at the International Space Station. During the seven-hour, 24-minute spacewalk on May 27, Chamitoff and astronaut Michael Fincke (visible in the reflections of Chamitoff's helmet visor) moved a 50-foot-long inspection boom to the station, officially completing U.S. station assembly. (NASA via EPA) Back to slideshow navigation
  5. First Family on the final frontier

    Astronaut Janet Kavandi leads President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, beneath the shuttle Atlantis' underbelly during an April 29 tour of an Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Obamas visited the space center in hopes of seeing the shuttle Endeavour's final launch, but liftoff was delayed due to a technical glitch. The Obamas couldn't return to the cape for the Endeavour launch on May 16. Atlantis' launch in July closed out the 30-year space shuttle program. (Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
  6. Waiting for the last launch

    Spur King, from Armarillo, Texas, sleeps on the roof of a van in Titusville, Fla., as he waits to watch the liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on July 8. Atlantis' mission marked the end of the 30-year space shuttle era. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
  7. Last liftoff

    NASA managers watch from Firing Room Four of the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center as the space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Launch Pad 39A on July 8. (NASA) Back to slideshow navigation
  8. Look! Up in the sky!

    Spectators watch the shuttle Atlantis ascend for the last time from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 8. (Shawn Thew / EPA) Back to slideshow navigation
  9. Back to Earth

    The space shuttle Atlantis blazes a trail back home through the atmosphere in this photograph, captured by the crew aboard the International Space Station on July 21. Airglow over Earth can be seen on the horizon. (NASA via EPA) Back to slideshow navigation
  10. Night landing

    The space shuttle Atlantis glides down from a moonlit sky to the runway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 21. Atlantis' touchdown marked the end of a 30-year odyssey for NASA's shuttle fleet. (Pierre Ducharme / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
  11. On the beam

    A glowing laser shines forth from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, in a picture captured by ESO Photo Ambassador Gerhard Hüdepohl. The beam energizes sodium atoms high in Earth’s mesosphere, causing them to glow and creating a bright dot that looks like a star to observers on the ground. That artificial star serves as a guide for the telescope's adaptive optics system. (ESO) Back to slideshow navigation
  12. Does 'Pacman' have teeth?

    In visible light, the star-forming cloud cataloged as NGC 281 in the constellation of Cassiopeia appears to be chomping through the cosmos. Astronomers nicknamed NGC 281 the "Pacman Nebula," after the famous Pac-Man video game of the 1980s. This infrared view from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, released Oct. 26, reveals jagged rows of "teeth" that are actually pillars of interstellar dust. (NASA / JPL-Caltech / UCLA) Back to slideshow navigation
  13. Getting the rover ready

    NASA engineers stand by a conical shell that will help protect the Curiosity rover, a robot the size of a car, from the searing temperatures of atmospheric entry when it lands on Mars next year. This picture of the rover preparations was taken at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on April 4. Curiosity was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in November and is due to land on Mars in August 2012. (Damian Dovarganes / AP) Back to slideshow navigation
  14. Millipedes on Mars

    Martian sand dunes ripple across this false-color image from the high-resolution camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. What's fascinating about this image, released Oct. 17, are the ridges running the length of the dunes, creating the spectacular illusion that we're looking at millipedes. This is a good example of what's called "pareidolia," where our brain interprets a pattern as representing a familiar object - such as the Face on Mars. (NASA/JPL/University of Arizona) Back to slideshow navigation
  15. Walking on a mock Mars

    A mock mission to Mars "landed" on a simulated Red Planet on Feb. 14, and in the days afterward, volunteer crew members went on three make-believe Marswalks. The simulated surface was actually a giant sandpit, built inside a Moscow research institute. The exercise was the climax of a 520-day isolation experiment aimed at studying how a future real-life crew would handle the psychological stresses of a Mars mission. (Lightroom Photos / Zuma Press) Back to slideshow navigation
  16. Celestial snow angel

    The bipolar star-forming region called Sharpless 2-106, or S106 for short, looks like a soaring, celestial snow angel in this image from the Hubble Space Telescope, released Dec. 15. The outstretched "wings" of the nebula record the contrasting imprint of heat and motion against the backdrop of a colder medium. Twin lobes of super-hot gas, glowing blue in this image, stretch outward from the central star. A ring of dust and gas orbiting the star acts like a belt, cinching the expanding nebula into an hourglass shape. (NASA / ESA / STScI / AURA) Back to slideshow navigation
  17. Outer-space ornament

    The moon hangs over Earth's limb like a holiday ornament in a picture from the International Space Station.. Original tweet from Oct: 21, 2011: "#TGIF Here's a beautiful moon shot to start your weekend #NASA #ISS" (Ron Garan / NASA) Back to slideshow navigation
  18. Golden Gate ... to space?

    A new Virgin America A320 jet, aptly named "My Other Ride Is a Spaceship," flies in tandem with the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane and its mothership over the Golden Gate Bridge on April 6. The aircraft landed at San Francisco International Airport, becoming the first planes to arrive at the new $388 million, 640,000-square-foot Terminal 2. SpaceShipTwo is expected to begin rocket-powered suborbital test flights during 2012 - not from San Francisco, but from the Mojave Air and Space Port near Los Angeles. (Mark Greenberg / Virgin America) Back to slideshow navigation
  19. A little lunar base

    Hillary Livingston adds the finishing touches to a scale-model lunar base camp in the "Beyond Planet Earth" exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York on Nov. 10. The exhibition looks forward to the next 50 to 100 years of spaceflight, with the intention of fueling dreams of colonizing the moon and Mars. (Piotr Redlinski / New York Times via Redux) Back to slideshow navigation
  20. After the landing

    An aerial view shows vehicles with their headlights on converging on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in northern Kazakhstan after its landing on Nov. 22. The capsule brought NASA astronaut Michael Fossum, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Volkov and Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa back to Earth from the International Space Station. (Shamil Zhumatov / Reuters) Back to slideshow navigation
  21. Galactic firestorm

    The fiery birth of stars is chronicled in this view of the galaxy Centaurus A, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on June 16. (NASA/ESA via AFP - Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
  22. In the dish

    Engineers carry out maintenance on the focus box inside the 76-meter dish of the Lovell Telescope on June 21 in Holmes Chapel, England. (Christopher Furlong / Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigation
  23. Groovy view of Vesta

    This image obtained by the framing camera on NASA's Dawn spacecraft shows the south pole of the giant asteroid Vesta. The probe entered orbit around Vesta on July 16 for a year's worth of observations. Scientists are discussing whether the circular structure that covers most of this image originated by a collision with another asteroid, or by internal processes early in the asteroid's history. Images in higher resolution might help answer that question. (NASA) Back to slideshow navigation
  24. A falling star in autumn

    An Orionid meteor streaks through the skies above French Creek State Park in Pennsylvania early Oct. 22, with the reds, yellows and oranges of autumn reflected in the trees below. (Jeff Berkes) Back to slideshow navigation
  25. Colorful crash

    The Antennae are a pair of colliding galaxies about 70 million light-years away in the constellation Corvus. This color-coded image, released Oct. 3, combines views from the Hubble Space Telescope and the newly inaugurated ALMA radio telescope array in Chile. (ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)) Back to slideshow navigation
  26. That's heavy, dude

    An unmanned Boeing Delta 4 Heavy rocket rises from its launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Jan. 27. The heavy-lift launch vehicle sent a spy satellite into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office. This was the largest rocket ever launched from the West Coast. (Bryan Walton / AP) Back to slideshow navigation
  27. Monster blast from the sun

    When an M-3.6-class flare occurred near the edge of the sun, it blew out a gorgeous, waving mass of erupting plasma that swirled and twisted over a 90-minute period on Feb. 24. The event was captured in extreme ultraviolet light by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. Some of the material blew out into space, and other portions fell back to the surface. (SDO Goddard Space Flight Center) Back to slideshow navigation
  28. Quartet of moons

    Four Saturnian moons, from tiny to huge, make an appearance amid the planet's rings in this composition from the Cassini orbiter, released Oct. 24. Bright Dione is in the foreground, with Titan in the background. The dot just to the right of Saturn's nearly edge-on rings is Pandora, and Pan is just a speck embedded within the rings, to the left of Titan and Dione. (NASA / JPL-Caltech / SSI) Back to slideshow navigation
  29. Lights, camera, action

    Norwegian photographer Tommy Eliason captured this amazing view of the northern lights, the Milky Way and a meteor streaking across the sky over Ifjord, Norway, on Sept. 25. The year was notable for producing frequent auroral displays. (Tommy Eliassen / Caters News Agency) Back to slideshow navigation
  30. Pool practice

    With the aid of scuba divers, spacesuit-clad astronaut trainees take part in drills in a pool at Russia's Star City cosmonaut training center outside Moscow on Feb. 18. Underwater training simulates conditions of weightlessness and is a part of space crew training. (Sergey Ponomarev / AP) Back to slideshow navigation
  31. Chinese ship seen from space

    This Dec. 8 satellite image provided by the DigitalGlobe Analysis Center shows the Chinese aircraft carrier Shi Lang (a.k.a. Varyag) sailing in the Yellow Sea, approximately 60 miles (100 kilometers) south-southeast of the port of Dalian, China. (Digitalglobe / AP) Back to slideshow navigation
  32. The glow below

    A picture taken from the International Space Station on Sept. 17 shows two docked Russian spacecraft with the southern lights below. The auroral display is caused by the interaction between solar particles and Earth's magnetic field. (NASA via AP) Back to slideshow navigation
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Project Sanchez is Now a Rescue Operation | NBC New York

Project Sanchez is Now a Rescue Operation

Another four interceptions bring the meaningful part of the Jets season to an end

    Getty Images

    At one point during the fourth quarter of Sunday's 31-14 loss to the Patriots, it seemed appropriate to start looking up the last player to have two five-interception games during the same season. Mark Sanchez had just tossed his fourth of the game and there was plenty of time remaining for him to get picked off again. It didn't happen, but our research did pay off in another way.

    Joe Namath was picked off five or more times in eight different games. That note seems like one to chew on a Monday morning that represents the start of the "playing out the string" portion of your Jets schedule.

    When Sanchez was drafted in April, there was a lot of talk about how the Jets wanted him to be the next Namath, although this probably wasn't the kind of impression they had in mind. It's either heartening or depressing to know that you can have so many days like that and still go on to be the best quarterback in franchise history, but either way there's a lot of football ahead of Sanchez.

    What he does with that football is a bit of a mystery right now, though. There are moments -- his 29-yard touchdown pass to Jerricho Cotchery on Sunday, the fourth quarter against the Jaguars -- where Sanchez has looked like the total NFL quarterback package. They are coming fewer and farther between and the bad moments overwhelmed him on Sunday. He overthrew receivers and underthrew them. He had happy feet in the pocket and held onto the ball too long. He tried to force passes into coverage and didn't throw balls away when nothing was available.

    All of that is to be expected from a rookie, even one that won his first three starts. What's troubling is that Sanchez makes the same mistakes over and over again and looks no better in Week 11 than he did in Week 6 against Buffalo. The game seems to be moving too fast for him right now, raising a real question of whether or not he might benefit from some time on the bench. Maybe watching the games would give him a chance to step back, digest what he's learned and benefit from a different perspective.

    Or it could make things worse and polish off whatever's left of his confidence. It's a tough call, but it is one that the Jets need to make. There's been enough good to think that Sanchez can be a good, even great, quarterback in the NFL. Maximizing the chance of that happening has to be job one for the rest of the season, even if that means Kellen Clemens under center and preemptively pulling the plug on their slim playoff hopes.

    The Jets made this season about their quarterback when they drafted Sanchez and installed him as the starter. It's even more about him now that he's the only good thing that could possibly come out of it.

    Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to and in addition to his duties for

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text:
Child Killed in Maryland Apartment Fire | NBC4 Washington

Child Killed in Maryland Apartment Fire

    Fire officials in Maryland identify the boy killed in Wednesday's apartment fire in Montgomery Village. (Published Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014)

    A 4-year-old child died in a two-alarm fire in Montgomery County, Md., Wednesday afternoon, police said.

    More than 80 firefighters were dispatched to a garden apartment in the 18200 block of Lost Knife Circle in Montgomery Village about 4 p.m. They reported heavy smoke and fire conditions extending from the second floor to the top of the three-story building.

    Child Killed in Maryland Fire

    [DC] Child Killed in Maryland Fire
    News4's Jackie Bensen is live from Montgomery County, where dozens have been displaced and a young child was killed following a two-alarm fire.
    (Published Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014)

    Several people were trapped and had to be rescued. Four-year-old Lancelot Quarshie perished in the fire.

    Quarshie's aunt spoke with News4, and said her brother was badly burned trying to rescue his son.

    "My brother tried to go inside [to save his son]," Elizabeth Martey said.

    The bulk of the fire was knocked down in 20 minutes, and Ride On buses provided shelter.

    A man rescued from a balcony was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Another man was taken to a specialty center with unconfirmed injuries. Two other children were taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

    The fire damaged 12 units at the building, displacing about 40 residents. The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental. The fire started in the kitchen but the cause is unknown.

    The fire caused $750,000 in damages to the structure and $300,000 to the contents.


text:
Japan Recovery: How To Donate | NBC4 Washington

Japan Recovery: How To Donate

    Vehicles and the rubbles cover a road in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan, Saturday, March 12, 2011, after being washed away by an earthquake-triggered tsunami. The powerful tsunami created by one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded swept away Japan's east coast Friday. (AP Photo/The Yomiuri Shimbum, Miho Iketani) JAPAN OUT, CREDIT MANDATORY

    After the massive earthquake and tsunami devastated parts of Japan, the American Red Cross sprang into action, offering plenty of ways you can help.

    If you want to make a donation to the victims of Japan, or for any other humanitarian effort, just head over to the Red Cross website.

    You can also use your cell phone to help out.  Just text REDCROSS to 90999 and you'll make a $10 donation.

    The Salvation Army is also accepting donations.  Text "Japan" or "Quake" to 80888 to make a $10 donation (Please respond "YES" to the Thank You message received.)  You can also call 800-SAL-ARMY.

    Va. Native Experiences Worst Japan Quake

    [DC] Virginia Native Experiences Worst Japan Earthquake
    Karyn Zaayenga, from the Arlington/Chantilly area, experienced the earthquake while working as a missionary with The Evangelical Alliance Mission in Musashino area of Tokyo. She talked with us via Skype.
    (Published Friday, March 11, 2011)

    Donate online at www.salarmydc.org or donate.salvationarmyusa.org.

    If you're looking for U.S. citizens living or traveling in Japan, officials say the best way to locate them is to contact the State Department at 888-407-4747.  You can also go to the Red Cross Family Links website.

    Local Japanese Community Reacts to Earthquake

    [DC] Local Japanese Community Reacts to Earthquake
    Members of the Japanese Christian Community Center in Rockville spoke to NBC4's Kimberly Suiters about the tragedy.
    (Published Saturday, March 12, 2011)


text:
Jerry Sandusky Denied New Trial in Penn State Child Sex Abuse Case | NBC4 Washington
National & International News
The day’s top national and international news

Jerry Sandusky Denied New Trial in Penn State Child Sex Abuse Case

    Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky's appeal for a new trial on child sex abuse convictions was denied. (Published Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013)

    Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky should not get a new trial after being convicted of sexually abusing 10 boys, a Pennsylvania appeals court ruled Wednesday.

    The unanimous decision by a three-judge Superior Court panel came barely two weeks after they heard oral arguments by Sandusky's lawyer and a state prosecutor.

    Defense lawyer Norris Gelman said he planned to ask the state Supreme Court to review the case.

    Sandusky had argued his trial lawyers did not have sufficient time to prepare, a prosecutor made improper references to him not testifying on his own behalf and the judge mishandled two jury instructions.

    The opinion by Judge Jack Panella said trial judges have discretion about whether to allow pretrial delays, and that in Sandusky's case the judge carefully considered the continuance requests.

    "The decision does not reflect a myopic insistence upon expeditiousness in the face of Sandusky's request; it was not an arbitrary denial," Panella wrote.

    Sandusky had wanted the trial judge, John Cleland, to give jurors an instruction about the amount of time it took for nearly all of the victims to report their allegations. Panella wrote that Cleland should have evaluated the need for such a jury instruction based on each victim's age and maturity, but Cleland's failure to do so did not harm Sandusky.

    "The trial court specifically instructed the jury that they were to consider any possible motives of the victims in coming forward," Panella wrote. "The vigorous cross-examination of the victims and arguments by defense counsel, when combined with the trial court's instructions on credibility, clearly defined the issues for the jury."

    The issue related to Sandusky not testifying was not properly preserved for appeals court review, Panella wrote.

    The appeals court also turned down another jury instruction claim, related to weighing a defendant's good character against the allegations.

    Sandusky, 69, is serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence at a state prison in southwestern Pennsylvania. If he does not get the convictions overturned, he is likely to die in prison.

    Messages left for a spokesman for the attorney general's office were not immediately returned.


text:
July 28, 2010

Courtesy of Quinnipiac Athletics

HAMDEN, Conn. –
Quinnipiac University Director of Athletics Jack McDonald has announced that Men’s Ice Hockey Head Coach Rand Pecknold has signed a contract extension through the 2014-15 season. Terms of the contract have not been disclosed.

“I’m very excited with my new contract extension. I look forward to another five years at Quinnipiac, and hopefully beyond,” Pecknold said. “I’m thankful to President John Lahey, Vice President Mark Thompson and Director of Athletics Jack McDonald for the resources and support that have made Quinnipiac successful.  I’m very excited for the upcoming year at the TD Bank Sports Center.”

This past season, Pecknold’s 16th behind the Bobcats’ bench, Quinnipiac reached new heights as they ascended to its all-time highest national ranking in program history, fourth in the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Division I polls. Pecknold led the Bobcats to season-opening wins against nationally-ranked Ohio State on the Buckeyes home ice as the Bobcats went on to win 12 of their first 13 games. Along the way, Quinnipiac knocked-off nationally-ranked Cornell in an ECAC Hockey match-up at the Big Red-friendly confines of Lynah Rink, and Massachusetts on the TD Bank Sports Center.

"Rand and his staff continue to elevate our men's ice hockey team to national prominence,” McDonald said. “I am pleased that he will continue to guide the program to be successful on the ice and in the classroom while also making an impact in the community.”

Quinnipiac went on to clinch home-ice in the ECAC Hockey Tournament, with the first-round clinching victory serving as Pecknold’s 300th of his career. His next win came in the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals against Union in Schenectady, N.Y., in the longest game in the history of college ice hockey. Pecknold is one of four coaches in Quinnipiac history reach the 300-win mark, joining former athletic director and men’s basketball head coach Burt Kahn, and current head coaches, Mike Quitko of men’s and women’s tennis and baseball’s Dan Gooley.

In 16 seasons as head coach at Quinnipiac, Pecknold has accumulated the most wins of any coach in program history and is a two-time finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the top Division I college hockey coach. Pecknold guided Quinnipiac to two MAAC regular-season titles, one Atlantic Hockey regular-season title, one MAAC tournament title and the first-ever NCAA berth in program history in 2002.

Pecknold is currently 252-159-39 (.611) at the Division I level with a combined 301-201-47 (.591) mark at both the Division I and Division II levels. His win total (301) and winning percentage (.591) over the past 16 years rank first all-time at Quinnipiac. Included in that overall mark is an astounding ledger of 170-88-33 in conference play at the Division I level.

The Bobcats are coming off their 14th consecutive non-losing season which includes ten 20-win marks in the past 12 seasons, including five of their last six  - all at the Division I level. In addition, Quinnipiac ranks in the top 15 of all NCAA Division I men's ice hockey programs in wins (227) over their first 12 years (1998-2010) at the Division I level. In that span, Quinnipiac also has the third best power-play percentage (20.6%) of any Division I men's ice hockey program.


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Getting Out of Debt

If you’re trying to get your finances in order, steer clear of scams that could drive you even further into debt.
  • Watch out for debt negotiation or debt settlement scams.
Avoid companies—including out-of-state lawyers—that offer to eliminate or cut your debts by negotiating with your creditors.  These operations typically collect large upfront fees but reach very few settlements with creditors, leaving you deeper in debt. Under North Carolina law, it’s illegal to collect any upfront fee for debt settlement services.
  • Avoid debt consolidation that could lead to foreclosure.
Another option that has risks is consolidating your debt through a second mortgage or a home equity line of credit. Remember that these loans require you to put up your home as collateral. If you can’t make the payments or if your payments are late, you could lose your home.
To get your debts under control, try the following instead:
  • Contact your creditors to discuss your options for repayment.  Most companies are willing to set up special arrangements to help.   Be realistic about how quickly you'll be able to pay back what you owe before you agree to a payment plan.
  • Talk to a non-profit credit counselor.   If you're unable to stick to a budget or if you can't work out a repayment plan, consider contacting a credit counseling service.  Find an accredited, non-profit credit counselor in your area by contacting the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at 1-800-388-2227 or
  • Consider a debt management plan if recommended by a non-profit credit counselorIn a debt management plan, you deposit money each month with the credit counseling organization. The organization then uses that money to pay your bills according to a payment schedule the counselor develops with you and your creditors. Your creditors may agree to lower interest rates or waive certain fees, but check with them to confirm these offers. You may have to agree not to apply for or use any additional credit while you’re participating in the plan.
  • The fees that credit counselors can charge to set up and administer a debt management plan are restricted by North Carolina law. Credit counselors cannot charge more than $40 to set up a debt management plan, and counselors can charge monthly administrative fees of no more than 10% of the monthly payment, up to a maximum of $40 per month.
  • Consider contacting a local bankruptcy attorney if your debt situation is especially difficult.
We Can Help
Contact us to report a debt settlement scam or call toll free within North Carolina at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.


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National Center on Secondary Education and Transition

Cultural and Linguistic Diversity:
Implications for Transition Personnel

PART II — CLD Youth with Disabilities in Transition

Defining and labeling ethnic/racial groups is often a controversial topic. Members of a group may reject the definitions and labels by outsiders and may also disagree among themselves about what they should be called. This Essential Tool uses U.S. Census Bureau ethnic/racial categories, because socioeconomic data collected by the federal government is almost always reported according to these categories. The categories are White (non-Hispanic), Hispanic, Black (non-Hispanic), Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan Native (the categories are listed in descending order of population size).

Of course, within each racial/ethnic category there are numerous distinct subgroups, each with a unique historical and cultural background. There are nearly 300 American Indian tribal groups; the Hispanic category includes people of different racial backgrounds (including Black and White) from regions spanning thousands of miles; and the Asian/Pacific Islander category combines persons with roots in the highly diverse regions of South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific Islands. As might be expected, one problem with ethnic/racial categories is that they can obscure important differences among subgroups. For example, on a variety of socioeconomic measures (e.g., education, income, health, etc.), Asians as a group tend to score above the U.S. national average while Pacific Islanders tend to score below the average. However, these differences become hidden when the two groups are combined in the reporting of data, and their strengths and needs can become obscured.

In addition to the great diversity among subgroups within the U.S. Census Bureau’s ethnic/racial categories, there are many variables among individuals within subgroups on a wide range of attributes, such as degree of identification with their traditional culture versus American mainstream culture and their facility with standard English—an estimated 18% of the U.S. population speak a language other than English at home (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003a). These considerations strongly support the idea that individualization is an essential ingredient for cultural competence. At the same time, however, the process of individualizing services and supports will be enhanced when transition personnel are aware of and understand the broader cultural context in which individual youth and their families live.

This part of the Essential Tool provides a broad statistical comparison of primary ethnic/racial groups, followed by descriptions of challenges that tend to be more serious for CLD youth. These challenges tend to be most significant for youth and families living in conditions of poverty and marginalization, whether they are of White or CLD heritage (Greene & Nefsky, 1999). CLD populations, however, tend to have much higher rates of poverty.

Statistical Comparisons of Ethnic/Racial Groups

Table 1 provides a statistical snapshot of U.S. ethnic/racial groups on a variety of population, disability, and education indicators. Two differences stand out between Whites and the CLD groups as a whole. One is that all of the CLD groups have median ages much lower than Whites. This means that larger percentages of CLD group members are of school age. In addition, projections of the U.S. population for 2020 and 2050 indicate that CLD groups are growing at a faster rate than Whites. These population trends have considerable significance for educators as the proportion of CLD students grows in classrooms across the country. As schools serve a growing number of CLD students, they will need to enhance their cultural competence in order to support positive outcomes for all their students.

Table 1. Comparisons by Race/Ethnicity on Selected Indicators

Proportion of Total U.S. Population Indicators
(Columns total approx. 100% across rows)

Pacific I.

Am. Indian/
Nat. Alaskan

% of U.S. population, 20001

% of U.S. population, projected for 20202

% of U.S. population, projected for 20502

% of students from 6-21 years old in special education, 2000-013

% of all postsecondary students, 20004

% of 4-year college students, 20004

% of 2-year college students, 20004

% of full-time postsecondary faculty, 19975

% of full-time postsecondary administrators, 19975

Within-Group Proportion Indicators
(Columns independent of each other)

Pacific I.

Am. Indian/
Nat. Alaskan

Median age in years, 20001

% below poverty level, 20014

% of students from 5-15 years old who have a disability, 20006

% of persons from 16-64 years old who have a disability, 20006

% of students 6 to 21 years old in special education, 2000-013

% of college students reporting disability, 1995-967

% obtaining high school diploma, 1999-20003

% dropping out of high school, 1999-20003

% of persons 18-24 years old (prime college age), 20001

% of high school completers ages 18-24 enrolled in college, 20018

% graduating from 4-year college within 6 years, 19985

Note. In comparing numbers, it should be remembered that different sources may use different definitions of ethnic/racial categories and different methods of determining membership in categories.
1 U.S. Census Bureau (2001b).
2 U.S. Census Bureau (2000).
3 U.S. Department of Education (2002).
4 Wirt et al. (2003).
5 Harvey (2001).
6 U.S. Census Bureau (2003b).
7 Horn and Berktold (1999).
8 Snyder and Hoffman (2003).

The second major difference between White and CLD groups is that CLD groups (with the exception of Asians/Pacific Islanders) have much higher rates of poverty than Whites. According to the 2000 census, about 9.9% of Whites and 10.2% of Asians/Pacific Islanders live below the poverty level, compared to 21.4% of Hispanics, 22.7% of Blacks, and 24.5% of American Indians/Alaskan Natives (Wirt et al., 2003). Poverty has a negative impact on a host of factors relevant to academic achievement (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002). Poverty also is associated with higher disability rates across all age groups due to such factors as limited availability or accessibility of health insurance and medical care, including prenatal care, greater exposure to environmental toxins, and higher likelihood of employment in physically dangerous jobs (Fujiara & Yamaki, 1999; Smart & Smart, 1997).

The poverty rate for students with disabilities has been estimated as 28% compared to 8% for those without disabilities (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001a). The National Academy of Sciences conducted a comprehensive analysis of the literature on special and gifted education placements (Donovan & Cross, 2002). The authors concluded that overrepresentation of some CLD groups in certain special education categories, and underrepresentation in gifted education programs, is primarily related to higher poverty rates. At the postsecondary level (college, community or technical college, or trade school), it appears that many barriers to education success for CLD persons with disabilities also are related more to the effects of poverty than to cultural or linguistic factors. For example, one study found lack of money to be the greatest “contextual barrier” faced by CLD families seeking access to postsecondary education for their children (Geenen, Powers, Vasquez, & Bersani, 2003). Another example of a poverty-related barrier is that residents of high poverty neighborhoods are the least likely to have computers and Internet access at home (Wilhelm, Carmen, & Reynolds, 2002).

Barriers to postsecondary education faced by many CLD youth with disabilities may limit their transition options. Their relatively low rates of attending postsecondary education programs are reflected in Table 2, which shows that the proportion of college students reporting a disability is considerably lower for each of the CLD groups (with the exception of American Indians/Alaskan Natives) compared to Whites. In addition, compared to their White counterparts, CLD college students with disabilities are more likely to abandon their studies or to take longer to complete a postsecondary program (Blackorby & Wagner, 1996).

Table 2. Percentage of 1995-96 Undergraduates Who Reported a Disability, by Race/Ethnicity*

% Reporting Disability

Disability Type

White, non-Hispanic

Black, non-Hispanic

Asian/Pacific Islander

American Indian/
Native Alaskan

All students

*Percentages for “disability type” do not add up to 100% because some students reported multiple disabilities.
**(--) Sample size too small for a reliable estimate.
Adapted from Horn and Berktold (1999), Table 2, p. 8.

Strengths to Build On for Transition Success

There has been a paradigm shift in a range of social service fields, including special education, regarding the idea of building on strengths rather than focusing on deficits (Dunst, Trivette, & Deal, 1994; Osher, 1996). The core assumptions underlying strengths-based approaches include:

  • All youth have strengths;
  • The motivation of youth may be enhanced when others point out their strengths; and
  • Failure of a youth to acquire a skill does not mean a deficit but instead indicates that opportunities and appropriate instruction to obtain the skill have not been provided (Epstein & Sharma, 1998).

Positive behavioral supports are an example of a strengths-based approach for people with severe disorders whose behavior limits their successful functioning in integrated settings. This approach works best when functional assessment is used to identify and address factors surrounding the individual that contribute to the behavior problem. These factors could be how the education or service system works, how the classroom or other setting is organized, or a lack of specific skills on the part of service personnel. In addition, the individual’s strengths (e.g., special abilities, hobbies, preferences, personal relationships, etc.) are identified and used as the basis for promoting desired behaviors and replacing negative ones (Warger, 1999). Positive behavior supports have been found to produce better outcomes than trying to reduce negative behaviors by using aversive techniques such as seclusion and restraint (National Task Force on Behavior Management, 2001).

What strengths do CLD youth with disabilities commonly have that can be used to support transition success? One strength that tends to be prominent across all ethnic/racial groups is family affiliation. When the family is working well, its members support and look out for each other, and together they build up and share the benefits of what is called “social capital” (Harper, 2001). Social capital refers to aspects of the social environment that people can use to improve or sustain how they are doing in important life domains, such as health, education, employment, housing, and transportation. Social capital consists of such things as formal and informal social networks, group membership, trust, reciprocity, and civic engagement. Most of the social capital available to youth is usually what has been developed by their families by establishing relationships with various individuals, other families, and organizations in their community. The greater the level of social capital, the greater the capacity of youth and families to receive and share information, advice, financial support, emotional support, etc. Research indicates that people with higher levels of social capital are more likely to be “housed, healthy, hired, and happy” (Woolcock, 2001, p. 12).

Challenges Commonly Faced by CLD Youth with Disabilities in Transition

The remainder of this part of the Essential Tool describes a number of challenges that tend to be especially difficult for youth with disabilities who also come from CLD backgrounds. Transition personnel should be aware of these challenges so they are better able to recognize and address them. Some of the most common and significant challenges are briefly described below, along with suggestions for addressing them. These challenges are typically most significant for youth from low-income backgrounds of all ethnicities. In addressing these challenges, transition personnel are actually helping to increase the social capital of youth and their families and communities. The specific challenges described relate to social inclusion, self-determination, self-advocacy, academic achievement, high school completion, English proficiency, technology access, and financing postsecondary education. Table 3 provides a summary of the challenges. Additional resources available on the Internet are described at the end of the Essential Tool.

Social Inclusion

What many students like best about high school is being with their friends and having an active social life. Students who are able to develop and maintain strong social networks in high school are likely to do so after high school as well, and thereby gain natural supports for achieving desired transition outcomes (Halpern, 1994; Sitlington, Clark, & Kolstoe, 2000). However, as most school personnel are well aware, many students with disabilities have trouble making and keeping friends, due to such factors as lacking social skills or being ignored by nondisabled peers (Forness & Kavale, 1996; Vaughn, Elbaum, & Schumm, 1996).

Students with disabilities who also come from CLD backgrounds may be at even greater risk of social isolation due to the “double whammy” of membership in two minority groups (Hollins, Downer, Farquarson, Oyepeju, & Kopper, 2002). Some CLD youth may face discrimination because they behave in ways that are natural and accepted in their home and community, but that are not considered acceptable at school (Cartledge & Loe, 2001). A related factor is that CLD youth, as well as White youth from low-income families, may also lack exposure to and experience in “mainstream” social situations, and therefore lack knowledge and confidence in such situations (Middleton, 1999). This challenge may be even greater for those who lack command of standard English, because they grew up speaking another language, or nonstandard English, at home (Salend & Salinas, 2003). In addition, some CLD youth develop an “oppositional” social identity and alienation from the American mainstream culture as the result of past experiences of discrimination (Ogbu, 1990) and tend to interact only with peers within their own CLD group, thus limiting their social network options (Clark, 1991).

Social isolation may have a negative effect on school engagement and academic performance and may also lead those who feel isolated to form “deviant” peer groups that encourage members to engage in oppositional, delinquent, and/or risky behaviors (Dodge et al., 2003). As a result, youth are more likely to drop out or be expelled, and therefore lose opportunities to gain the attitudes, skills, and knowledge needed for successful transition from high school (Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995).

Implications for Transition Personnel Regarding Social Inclusion

Many high school students with disabilities have solid social skills and active social lives. However, if youth with disabilities feel socially isolated in high school, then they are likely to also have difficulties establishing supportive social networks after high school, and therefore less likely to achieve positive outcomes in college, at work, or in the community (Halpern, 1994; Sitlington, Clark, & Kolstoe, 2000). In taking an individualized approach, transition personnel need to work with each youth and his or her family to understand the basic reasons for social isolation and to identify strengths and resources that can help achieve greater social inclusion (Black & Ornellas, 2001). Unfortunately, this is often a difficult problem for which there are no easy solutions.

Teaching social skills to youth is often recommended. A number of prepackaged programs are available, offering features such as role-playing activities or videotapes that model skills. However, when the results of a large number of studies on the effectiveness of social skills programs are combined and analyzed (an approach called meta-analysis), these programs seem to lead to small gains, if any, in social skills (Gresham, Sugai, & Horner, 2001; Quinn, Kavale, Mathur, Rutherford, & Forness, 1999). One possible reason for the lack of positive outcomes is that the specific skill deficits and learning strengths of students may not have been well matched to program content. In other words, the more that social skills training is individualized, the more likely it is to be effective. With regard to CLD youth, lack of cultural competence in instruction is another possible reason for ineffectiveness of social skills programs. Cartledge (1996) provides a good overview of how to enhance cultural competence in social skills instruction such as through a cooperative (group) learning approach, because it more closely matches how learning tends to occur in CLD communities.

One way to achieve individualization and provide intensive support is to use a paraprofessional (such as an educational aide or a skills trainer) to work one-on-one with the youth on specific skills and in real situations as often as possible. This can include paraprofessionals with similar cultural backgrounds to the students, who can provide special help in bridging two cultures. However, this option is expensive and likely to be available only for a limited number of youth with more severe disabilities (Mueller & Murphy, 2001). The use of mentors can be a cost-effective alternative approach that also supports individualization (Rhodes, Grossman, & Resch, 2000). Mentors may be peers, adult volunteers, or school staff. They are not likely to be specially trained in the area of social skills. Rather, they can support youth to gain social skills by establishing a relationship of mutual trust and respect, so that youth naturally want to imitate the attitudes and skills modeled by their mentors. In fact, mentors have great potential to support youth in addressing all the challenges discussed in the next sections (Stader & Gagnepain, 2000).

In addition to supporting youth to gain social and other skills, both paraprofessionals and mentors may play important friendship roles with youth who have disabilities and a limited social network. For some youth who are socially isolated, it may be very helpful to create a “circle of support” consisting of key persons in their lives, including peers, relatives, and personnel who provide services (Cotton et al., 1992). The circle of support approach is used primarily for youth with more significant disabilities, often with a focus on addressing emotional or behavioral challenges, such as depression and low self-esteem, that may both contribute to and are caused by social isolation (Rainforth, York, & Macdonald, 1997). Although a circle of support may initially be somewhat artificial as a social network, it may well develop into an authentic one as members get to know each other and collaboratively support a young person whom they all care about. Circles of support can be especially appropriate for CLD youth with disabilities, since natural supports and professional expertise on relevant cultural issues, and linguistic challenges can be identified and included. Ideally, circles of support or teams are established during high school and continue after a youth exits high school, helping to ensure a smooth transition (Gartin, Rumrill, & Serebreni, 1996).

In addition to the individual and small group strategies described previously, school-wide strategies have also been developed to promote social inclusion. This is accomplished by establishing a climate of acceptance and respect for diversity, ideally beginning in elementary school when students are less likely to have already developed discriminatory attitudes (Keith & Fink, 2004). School-wide positive behavioral support (PBS) programs (also called effective behavioral support [EBS] programs) focus on defining acceptable behaviors and creating a school and classroom climate that promotes those behaviors. PBS/EBS programs were originally developed to replace aversive techniques for controlling severe behaviors of people with disabilities or mental illness. This is an approach that produces better outcomes than relying mainly on discipline (e.g., detentions, suspensions, expulsions, etc.) for unacceptable behaviors (Lewis & Sugai, 1999). These programs typically emphasize mutual respect and acceptance of diversity through a team approach involving school staff at all levels (Todd, Horner, Sugai, & Sprague, 1999). In addition to school-wide use, the approach can be used effectively by school personnel in single classrooms (Lewis & Sugai, 1999).

The field of special education has increasingly focused on self-determination over the past decade or so. Self-determination has been defined as “that condition in which personal behavior emanates from a person’s own wishes, choices, and decisions” (Freedberg, 1989, p. 33). According to Wehman (1996), the practice of self-determination is a critical difference between people without disabilities, who generally have self-determination skills and opportunities, and people with disabilities, who often lack them.

Research indicates that youth with disabilities who have good self-determination skills achieve better postschool outcomes than those who lack such skills (Wehmeyer, Agran, & Hughes, 1998). One important reason for promoting self-determination is that youth who actively participate in setting their own goals and planning their own services are likely to be more motivated to strive for those goals and be more engaged in those services (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Two things are needed for self-determination. The individual has to have the capacity (in the form of appropriate attitudes, skills, and knowledge) to behave in a self-determined manner, and the social environment has to provide the opportunity to make real choices without interference from others (Mithaug, 1996). Opportunity is a property of the social environment, and without it people with disabilities are unlikely to develop the capacity (Moloney, Whitney-Thomas, & Dreilinger, 2000). Some CLD youth with disabilities may grow up with few opportunities for self-determination, especially if they are from low-income backgrounds that limit available choices, or if individual choice and self-expression are not culturally valued in their families or communities.

Skills needed for self-determination include evaluating one’s own abilities and limitations, setting goals, identifying options, accepting responsibility, communicating preferences and needs, and monitoring and evaluating progress (Field, Martin, Miller, Ward, & Wehmeyer, 1998). Numerous programs and curricula have been developed to provide youth with disabilities with these and related skills, and some have been shown by research to be effective in enhancing self-determination (Karvonen, Test, Wood, Browder, & Algozzine, 2004; Kohler, 1998). One recommended practice is to have students with disabilities actively participate in developing their own IEPs/ITPs, preferably running the planning meetings (Bremer, Kachgal, & Schoeller, 2003).

However, virtually all available self-determination programs and curricula are based on American mainstream values that may be at odds with the values of CLD cultures. Self-determination programs and curricula may therefore have to be adapted if they are to be relevant and effective for many CLD youth. This issue will be discussed further in Part III, where the concept of self-determination is used to illustrate some of the key differences often found between “individualistic” American mainstream culture and CLD cultures that are “collectivistic” in orientation.

An example of this contrast is provided by the American mainstream value of independent living, which holds that people should become self-sufficient and establish their own households when they reach adulthood. Based on this perspective, transition personnel might well believe that the best course for a young adult with developmental disabilities is to move from the family home to supported living and, eventually, independent living. In many CLD cultures, however, independent living is not seen as a milestone of adulthood, and young adults may be expected to continue living at home and contributing to the well-being of the extended family. If that is the case, then independent living may not be an appropriate transition goal.

Implications for Transition Personnel Regarding Self-Determination

The importance of self-determination to transition success means that transition personnel should make sure that needs in this area are identified and addressed for each and every youth on an individualized basis that takes into account the cultural values of the youth and family. However, personnel should be aware that efforts to promote American-style self-determination may “incite controversy among families from cultures that hold opposing beliefs and values for their offspring” (Sands & Wehmeyer, 1996, p. 337). In addition, personnel may find there is ongoing conflict within some CLD families as youth adopt American mainstream values while their elders focus on maintaining cultural traditions. Personnel who come across situations of family conflict may face delicate decisions about whether to push for self-determination and related values or to honor family desires that may limit personal choice and self-determination. Some recommended approaches for dealing with such issues will be presented in Part IV.

On the other hand, transition personnel should certainly not stop promoting self-determination because of worries about such outcomes. Only a small proportion of families are likely to react negatively. Rather, personnel serving CLD youth should strive to use culturally sensitive ways to impart attitudes, skills and knowledge that support self-determination. As will be discussed in Part III, it is possible to expand the concept of self-determination beyond the usual focus on the individual to address how the youth can also meet obligations to the family and community.

Unfortunately there are very few self-determination curricula designed to be culturally sensitive. One option is to adapt existing curricula. An excellent resource in this regard is provided by the Self-Determination Synthesis Project, which has collected information on numerous self-determination programs and curricula available in the United States. The Project identified about 50 interventions shown by data-based research to be effective in imparting specific self-determination skills. For each intervention the project staff then developed a “starter lesson plan” of several pages describing lesson objectives, setting and materials, lesson content, teaching procedures, and evaluation methods. These lesson plans can be downloaded free on the Internet at http://www.uncc.edu/sdsp/sd_lesson_plans.asp, where the specific skills taught by each lesson plan are also listed.

Self-advocacy is the ability to recognize and express one’s strengths and needs and to seek out and obtain services and supports needed to achieve one’s goals (Battle, Dickens-Wright, & Murphy, 1998). Self-advocacy is often considered to be a self-determination skill, but is worth considering as a valid topic because of the shift in responsibility that occurs when youth with disabilities exit the public school system (Stodden & Dowrick, 2001). Students with disabilities served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 automatically have their needs assessed, and services and supports are planned and provided for them. However, when people with disabilities graduate from high school with a regular diploma or age out, IDEA no longer applies, and they must take the initiative themselves in order to benefit from the rights and protections of Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. If adults with disabilities need accommodations or supports at work or in college, then they must inform the appropriate officials of their disabilities, provide documentation, and propose reasonable options for accommodations (Cullen, Shaw, & McGuire, 1996).

Effective self-advocacy requires assertiveness and problem-solving skills. For youth with disabilities, additional knowledge and understanding is also required, including self-awareness of disability, self-acceptance of disability, and knowledge of rights and resources (Deschaps, 2001; Hicks-Coolick & Kurtz, 1997). A variety of programs and curricula have been developed specifically to foster self-advocacy skills (Roessler, Brown, & Rumrill, 1998). However, culturally related factors may increase the challenge of achieving effective “mainstream-style” self-advocacy for some CLD youth with disabilities. For example, being assertive is considered negative in many CLD cultures, especially if done by people who are young or low in the social hierarchy. Other common CLD values at odds with the ideal of self-advocacy include not disclosing personal challenges and not asking strangers for help–and when the decision to seek help is made, it is typically done by friends or relatives rather than on one’s own (Hampton, 2000).

Implications for Transition Personnel Regarding Self-Advocacy

Implications regarding self-advocacy are much the same as the implications presented above for self-determination. For example, a CLD youth may increase conflict within the family if he/she self-advocates in a way that is too confrontational according to traditional values. Self-advocacy training therefore needs to include a focus on how to interact appropriately in different settings. As for self-determination, there are few culturally sensitive curricula for teaching self-advocacy skills. The Self-Determination Synthesis Project is a good resource, since a number of the starter lesson plans at its Web site (http://www.uncc.edu/sdsp/sd_lesson_plans.asp) address self-advocacy skills. One of the listed interventions is unique because it was developed specifically for low-income CLD high school students (Balcazar, Fawcett, & Seekins, 1990; Taylor-Ritzler et al., 2001).

Academic Achievement and High School Completion

Making good academic progress and completing high school are important for transition success, because those outcomes open doors to employment and postsecondary education. However, students with disabilities drop out of high school at substantially higher rates than their peers without disabilities. Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians/Alaskan Natives have the highest dropout rates among students with disabilities, with the highest rates being among those with limited English proficiency (Hauser, Simmons, & Pager, 2000). Unfortunately, schools often contribute to dropout through practices that make certain students feel unwelcome, especially those with emotional or behavioral challenges (Orfield, Losen, Wald, & Swanson, 2004). Being suspended or expelled is one of the top three school-related reasons for dropping out (DeRidder, 1991). Moreover, suspension is a moderate to strong predictor of dropping out—more than 30% of sophomores who drop out have been suspended (Skiba & Peterson, 1999). Although schools may thereby rid themselves of what are considered “problem” youth, the result is that these youth often end up failing to gain the attitudes and skills they need to be productive, contributing members of their communities and are more likely to engage in antisocial activities (Civil Rights Project, 2000).

In addition to the issue of completing high school, the issue of the quality of the education provided is also very important. For youth with disabilities who do complete high school, their chances for transition success are further strengthened if they have been included in general curriculum classes and if they have been supported to meet high academic standards (President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education, 2002). IDEA stresses the need to substantially increase the participation and progress of students with disabilities within the general education curriculum, which in turn makes it more possible for them to qualify for a diploma rather than a certificate of completion. Having a diploma is necessary to qualify for a wide range of employment and postsecondary education opportunities.

Implications for Transition Personnel Regarding Academic Achievement

Transition personnel are probably keenly aware of the dropout problem for youth with disabilities. Perhaps they have been trying to address the individual challenges faced by each of their students who may be at risk of dropping out. While supporting individual students is important, progress in increasing graduation rates is likely to depend on broader efforts at the school and system levels.

Two areas of need are particularly relevant for CLD youth with disabilities. One area is that of expectations. Youth with disabilities are often not expected to do well academically or to gain the attitudes, skills, and knowledge needed to attend college or obtain quality employment (Thurlow, 2002). Expectations for CLD youth with disabilities are sometimes even lower, due to stereotypes about their CLD group (Bakken & Aloia, 1999; Cartledge, 2002). However, according to the IDEA, many years of research and experience have shown that outcomes for students with disabilities are enhanced by holding high expectations and supporting them to access the general education curriculum in the regular classroom. Ideally, youth with disabilities are exposed from an early age to a climate of high expectations that spans school, home, and community settings, with peers, school staff, parents, and community members all expressing expectations that all youth will master the general curriculum to the best of their abilities and complete high school. If such a climate does not yet exist, transition personnel can work with other school staff and family members to make sure high expectations are reflected in IEPs and ITPs and frequently conveyed to youth.

Another area critical to improving high school completion rates is the cultural competence of instructional and related-services personnel. Cultural competence has been defined as a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, in an agency, or among professionals and enable effective services and supports in cross-cultural situations (Cross, Bazron, Dennis, & Isaacs, 1989). Lack of cultural competence in instruction and related services is widely considered to be an important reason for the generally poorer overall academic and transition outcomes of CLD youth with disabilities (Nguyen, Coutinho, & Oswald, 2000). Many CLD youth drop out because they experience a mismatch between their culture and that of the school (Franklin & Soto, 2002). Instructional methods may not match their learning preferences, the curriculum may seem irrelevant to their lives, or their behavior may be misinterpreted (Banks, 1996; Ladson-Billings, 1995). Part IV will offer approaches and tools for enhancing cultural competence in the transition planning process.

In response to the growing diversity of America’s population, cultural competence is being promoted in all service-providing fields (e.g., education, health, social services, sales, etc.). The following key points about cultural competence in health care are also very relevant for educational and transition services. Think of “education” or “transition” in place of “health” and “health care” in the following passage:

Although issues of “cultural competence” or “cultural and linguistic appropriateness” in health care often are framed as “minority” issues, they are, in fact, human issues affecting all people. Everyone has a culture and a cultural background that shapes one’s views about health and illness. Similarly, everyone has a language and language needs. However, because some cultural and linguistic needs are met while others are not, the issue becomes yet another of disparity in addressing the health needs of certain groups—most often racial and ethnic minorities. This disparity directly affects the ability to access high-quality health services (COSMOS Corporation, 2003, pp. iii-iv).

English Proficiency

An important component of cultural competence is being able to effectively communicate with and support people with limited English proficiency. The proportion of the U.S. population speaking English as a second language is growing. According to census data, the number of 5- to 24-year-olds who speak a language other than English at home more than doubled between 1979 and 1999, from 8% to 17%, and the percentage reported to speak English with difficulty increased from 3% to 8%, primarily as the result of increasing immigration of Hispanic peoples (Wirt et al., 2003). Spanish is most frequently spoken by 5- to 24-year-olds who speak a language other than English at home (72%) and by those who speak English with difficulty (78%). It is notable in Table 2 that among Hispanic postsecondary students with disabilities, 16.3% report having a “speech impairment” compared to fewer than 2% for Whites or Blacks, which may be related to the high proportion of Hispanic students for whom English is a second language. There are also many CLD students who may have difficulty with standard English because they grew up speaking a nonstandard form of English, such as Ebonics in urban Black neighborhoods (Baugh, 2000) or Pidgin in Hawaii (Sato, 1985). The category of students with disabilities who tend to face the most difficult challenges in mastering English are students who are deaf or have hearing impairments. These challenges are likely to be even greater for such students whose family members have limited English proficiency (Schirmer, 1994; Kuder, 2003).

Implications for Transition Personnel Regarding English Proficiency

Supporting English proficiency is likely to be a priority for some youth because a good command of English is generally essential for transition success in the United States. Transition personnel should ensure that the English language needs of all students are addressed. This may be difficult in schools that lack services and supports in this area, but transition personnel may be able to address this issue within IEPs by justifying the use of outside resources, such as hiring a tutor. If improving spoken English skills is a priority, then natural supports (peer or adult volunteer tutors or mentors) may be an option, by involving youth in real-life or simulated situations where appropriate English can be modeled and practiced (Allen, DiBona, & Chavez-Reilly, 1998). This approach may be especially helpful for youth who lack the confidence or opportunities to practice standard English in real-life settings.

Technology Access

Access to assistive technology and information technology is often critical to the academic and transition success of youth with disabilities. Assistive technology (AT) refers to equipment or systems that increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of people with disabilities (Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and 1998, as amended). Examples include wheelchairs, telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDD), voice devices that “speak” when words are typed or keys touched, software and hardware that make computers accessible to people with sensory impairments, and accessible instructional software (on CDs or other media) (Hasselbring & Glaser, 2000). A variety of AT devices and systems help students with learning disabilities and other learning challenges access information and learning opportunities, such as spelling and grammar checkers, screen readers, writing organization software, and speech input. The Internet and other technologies can also be used to link youth with disabilities to mentors, role models, and peers with whom they would otherwise be unable to communicate, located in their own community, nationally, and even internationally (Burgstahler, 1997; Burgstahler & Cronheim, 2001).

Concerning information technology, the digital divide is an issue for many CLD students with disabilities. The digital divide refers to the great contrast between relatively high rates of computer ownership and use among higher income people compared to lower income people. Overall, computers and computer-based information and services are less available to people who are of CLD heritage, have disabilities, are of low socioeconomic status, or live in rural areas (Kaye, 2000; National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 1999). Youth with more than one of these characteristics are especially likely to need support to gain the high level of computer access required for success in today’s educational settings. It has been estimated that among people with disabilities, 38% of Asian/Pacific Islanders, 27% of Whites, 19% of Hispanics, and 11% of Blacks have computers in their homes (Kaye, 2000). In addition, many CLD youth with disabilities might attend poorly funded high schools that either do not provide extensive access to and training in the use of computers or do not have access to assistive technologies (Darling-Hammond, 2001).

The digital divide also extends to Internet access; only 25% of America’s poorest households are online, compared with 80% of households earning more than $75,000 per year (Dickard, Honey, & Wilhelm, 2003). In our increasingly digital world, people without computer and Internet skills may be technologically illiterate (International ICT Literacy Panel, 2002). Without access to the Internet, CLD youth with disabilities may be isolated from potential social supports and economic opportunities (Wilhelm, Carmen, & Reynolds, 2002). Internet access is increasingly required to perform research for school assignments and participate in course activities online, and it also expands opportunities for social interaction and skills development through e-mail, online chat, and interactive games. Distance-learning courses delivered via the Internet also provide a viable option for youth whose disabilities make it difficult to travel to campus for classes (Burgstahler, 2003).

Implications for Transition Personnel Regarding Technology Access

During IEP development, the technology access issues of students with disabilities should be identified and addressed so they can progress academically and complete high school. However, AT and computer needs of youth with disabilities might change after they leave high school. Transition planning should therefore include in-depth examination of the technology-related needs that are likely to arise in different transition settings, whether at work, postsecondary education, or in community living. For example, a youth headed for college might need a motorized wheelchair in order to independently move around campus or a computer and appropriate software to be able to work efficiently in his or her dorm room. In this example, the transition team should explore options with the youth and family for obtaining items of substantial expense. For some youth this might include entering the vocational rehabilitation system or contacting organizations that support people with disabilities to access technology (see descriptions of additional Internet resources at the end of this Essential Tool). In general, transition personnel should ensure that youth and their families have the capacity and/or the support of knowledgeable individuals to meet technology access needs after high school.

Financing Postsecondary Education

Financial barriers often cause low-income youth, both with and without disabilities, to decide not to attend postsecondary education programs or to drop out of or interrupt their programs if they do attend (Choy, 2000). CLD youth with disabilities are more likely than their White peers to come from low-income backgrounds and therefore face financial barriers to postsecondary education programs. In addition, the postsecondary education options of CLD youth with disabilities from middle-class backgrounds may also be limited by financial barriers. Numerous federal, state, and private programs offer grants, loans, scholarships, tuition waivers, and work-study assistance specifically for students from low-income backgrounds, and in some cases to students with disabilities, however, youth and their families are often unaware of these opportunities and therefore fail to take advantage of them (Horn, Chen, & Chapman, 2003).

Implications for Transition Personnel Regarding Financing Postsecondary Education

It is possible for almost any youth in America to obtain a postsecondary education, although some may require substantial support to address difficult barriers. Transition personnel should make sure that youth and families know that there are usually a number of different sources of support to address financial barriers, including vocational rehabilitation programs, culturally-oriented scholarship programs, and others. Some relevant resources available on the Internet are provided at the end of this Essential Tool. This section summarizes supports that may be available through the Social Security Administration, because many families and personnel are not aware that these federal benefits can be used to finance postsecondary education.

The Social Security Administration provides Supplementary Security Income (SSI) to people with disabilities who meet income and resource eligibility criteria and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) to those unable to work because of disabilities. During 1999-2000, approximately 8% of all college students with disabilities received either SSI or SSDI funds (Berry & Jones, 2001). However, many eligible youth with disabilities do not take advantage of these programs, in part because transition personnel often lack expertise to provide information as well as guidance in dealing with complex application procedures (Johnson, 2002).

Since SSI and SSDI benefits are modest, many student recipients may need to work to afford postsecondary education. However, an area of particular concern and confusion for many recipients of SSI and SSDI is whether these benefits might be reduced or ended if they work (Brooke, 2002). A number of Social Security programs exist to encourage beneficiaries to enter the work force, including Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE), Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS), Special Payments for People Who Work, Continued Medicaid Eligibility, Study Abroad Provision, Student Earned Income Provision (for students up to age 22), Blind Work Expense, and Trial Work Period Policy (TWP) (Golden & Jones, 2002; Jensen, Silverstein, & Folkemer, 2002). Unfortunately, many beneficiaries do not know about the various work incentives, which are highly underutilized as a result (U.S. General Accounting Office, 1999).

The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 also offers options to people with disabilities to overcome various employment barriers (Silverstein, 2002). Many SSI and SSDI recipients, for example, are eligible for services and financial support from vocational rehabilitation agencies to attend postsecondary education programs. In 1998, about 17% of vocational rehabilitation cases that were closed successfully had been supported to attend colleges or universities and about 15% to attend business or vocational/technical training institutions (Gilmore, Bose, & Hart, 2001).

The challenges reviewed in this section that commonly impact CLD youth with disabilities in transition are summarized in Table 3 along with some of the possible responses of transition personnel. While it may be possible to address these challenges on an individual basis, solutions for most of them really require action and change at the broader school or system level. Transition personnel can contribute by advocating for change and also encouraging youth and families to communicate their opinions and needs to the appropriate decision-makers.

Table 3. Challenges that Often Impact CLD Youth with Disabilities and Possible Solutions

What Transition Personnel Can Do

CLD youth with disabilities may not be well included in the social life of the school.

  • Provide individualized social skills training.
  • Link youth with peer or adult mentors to support social skill development.
  • Advocate establishment of school-wide climate of acceptance.
  • For youth with more severe disabilities, create “circles of support.”
  • Involve family and community.

CLD youth with disabilities may lack attitudes, skills, and knowledge for self-determination and self-advocacy.

  • Support youth to meaningfully participate in, and preferably lead, their IEP/ITP planning meetings.
  • Conduct training using culturally sensitive self-determination and/or self-advocacy curricula and include family and community in the training.
  • Link youth with peer or adult mentors to model attitudes and skills.

CLD youth with disabilities may be at risk for poor academic achievement or dropping out.

  • Convey high expectations to youth.
  • Link youth with mentors to encourage commitment to academic excellence.
  • Advocate for increased cultural competence of instruction.
  • Seek the input of cultural experts.
  • Advocate for disciplinary approaches that do not encourage youth to drop out.

CLD youth with disabilities may have poor English proficiency.

  • Access school or community English tutoring programs.
  • Link youth with mentors to practice English.

CLD youth with disabilities may lack access to assistive and/or information technologies.

  • Identify technology needs of youth for different transition settings.
  • Support youth/families to identify and access needed technology resources.

CLD youth with disabilities may lack financial resources for postsecondary education.

  • Support youth/families to identify and apply for sources of financial aid.
  • Support youth/families to identify and apply for Social Security Administration programs.

Table of Contents

Part I – Essential Tool Overview
Key Questions
Intended Audience
How This Essential Tool Is Organized
Ensuring Practices Presented Are Evidence-Based

Part II – CLD Youth with Disabilities in Transition
Statistical Comparisons of Ethnic/Racial Groups
Strengths to Build On for Transition Success
Challenges Commonly Faced by CLD Youth with Disabilities in Transition

Part III – Continuum of “Individualistic” and “Collectivistic” Values
Alternative Views of People as Independent or Interdependent
Contrasts Between Individualistic and Collectivistic Values
Implications for Transition Personnel: The Example of Self-Determination
Youth and Family Involvement in the Transition Planning Process

Part IV – The Culturally Sensitive Individualization of Services and Supports
Cultural Reciprocity
Person-Centered Planning

Other Resources Available on the Internet
Assistive Technology
Career Development and Employment
Cultural Competence
Dropout Prevention
Financial Supports
Limited English Proficiency
Person-Centered Planning
Positive Behavioral Supports
Postsecondary Education
Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy
Social Inclusion
Strengths-Based Assessment

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Citation: Leake, D., & Black, R. (2005). Essential tools: Cultural and linguistic diversity: Implications for transition personnel. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, National Center on Secondary Education and Transition.

Permission is granted to duplicate this publication in its entirety or portions thereof. Upon request, this publication will be made available in alternate formats. To request an alternate format, please contact: Institute on Community Integration Publications Office, 109 Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, (612) 624-4512, icipub@umn.edu.

This document was published by the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET). NCSET is supported through a cooperative agreement #H326J000005 with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the U.S. Department of Education Programs, and no official endorsement should be inferred. The University of Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Education, and the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition are equal opportunity employers and educators.


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Educators Meet in Washington to Discuss Alternative Pay

By Cindy Long

The National Education Association kicked off its Alternative Compensation Summit in Washington today -- an event packed with research findings and regional discussions on enhancements to the single salary schedule and alternatives to teacher pay based solely on student test scores.

Attendees of the the two-day summit came from around the country, bringing their best ideas and strategies as the issue of alternative compensation takes hold of the debate around teacher effectiveness and performance.

“This is a tough and sometimes controversial topic to talk about,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, whose welcoming remarks opened the summit. “We have affiliates on all sides of the issue. But this is an important conversation to have and that’s why this summit is so important.”

When it comes to alternative pay systems, we know one thing for sure, Van Roekel said: “If you don’t have the buy-in of educators, any system pursued is destined for failure.”

He said that now is not the time to simply say no, but to move the debate toward pay systems that can make a difference. Such systems might compensate teachers who agree to mentor new colleagues or offer incentives to teach in hard-to-staff schools, for example.

“At the end of the day, the question isn’t how to differentiate pay between teachers,” said Van Roekel. “The question is how to pay teachers a salary that encourages the creation of great public schools for every student.”

  • anc_dyn_links2...4...6...8...How Should We Compensate?
  • anc_dyn_linksExamining Merit Pay

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The Alnwick Poison Gardens

Deadly Gates

The Alnwick Poison Gardens in Alnwick, England was established in 2005 by the Duchess of Northumberland. The grounds contain nearly 100 deadly plants that produce poisons or hallucinogens. Some are so dangerous, they are displayed only behind glass. And yes, there are opium poppies, cannabis, and magic mushrooms as well, but you can't get close to them. Read about the poison gardens and other strange gardens that are (or once were) open to the public around the world in a list called Gardens of Death and Other Horticultural Marvels at Atlas Obscura. Link

(Image credit: Flickr user Jax60)

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Rhododendrons are horribly poisonous, but they're in everybody's yard around here. I wonder how many people know just how deadly they are. I don't think I'd have them in a yard with little kids, personally.
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I somehow read that horizontally all the way across at first, as if there's a dark ominous voice speaking with an even darker echo going, "These plants.. (these plants...) can kill... (can kill...)."
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Meteorite Crashes Through Family's House | NECN

Meteorite Crashes Through Family's House

    The space rock caused a loud impact heard across several towns (Published Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014)

    (NECN/NBC: Jeff Saperstone) - When Larry Beck heard a loud noise on his roof Friday night, he never suspected it was a meteorite crashing down from outer space.

    "All the sheet rock was broken apart and it was on the floor," said Beck.

    That’s exactly what scientists at Yale say this softball size rock is after they examined it this Tuesday afternoon.

    "The darkening really peaked my interest that this was something that came down through the atmosphere at a very rapid speed and was vaporizing in its outer shell," said Beck.

    Larry’s friend John Bagioni, a meteorologist came over to inspect the rock for himself.

    It’s heavy, solid black on the outside, gray and somewhat crystallized on the inside - all the signatures of a space rock.

    "For an astronomer, I’m a meteorologist but I know a fair amount of astronomy, this is like winning the lottery," said Bagioni.

    The meteorite crashed into Larry’s home around 10:30 pm Friday night.

    At first he thought a piece of concrete fell from an airplane since he's right over the Bradley flight path.

    Wolcott Police even called in the FAA to investigate.

    Luckily, Larry was on the other side of the room watching television.

    The rock never fell all the way through - a copper pipe stopped it.

    Scientists say once in the atmosphere, meteorites can travel between 200 and 400 miles per hour an out-of-this-world story on a quiet street in Wolcott.

    "My wife says it can only happen to us," said Beck.

    A loud boom was reported in several towns across Connecticut about the same time the meteorite crashed through the roof - some scientists think the two events could be connected.


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