For the first time in its history, Indianapolis’ Marion County has five African American superintendents in leadership, united in the goal of closing the achievement gap.

The Expectations Project, in partnership with Light of the World Christian Church, hosted an event called The African American Parents’ Education Engagement Initiative.

Indianapolis’ CBS affiliate, WISH-TV covered the event. Watch the news segment here:

The event brought these superintendents together with parents of school aged children from across Indianapolis. More than 400 parents gathered to discuss relevant topics in breakout sessions with these superintendents, including:

• Parental Support in Helping Children Succeed
• Surviving the Standardized Testing Era
• Understanding the Common Core State Standards

High school graduation rates for African American students in Indiana continue to decline while state graduation rates increase. Parents and faith communities can play a critical role in helping their children beat these odds. Events like these help empower parents to play an active role in the academic lives of their children and mobilize faith leaders to play a greater role in ensuring students receive a high quality education.