MADISON (WKOW) -- Representatives from the U.S. Department of Education visited Madison Saturday for a talk about the city's racial achievement gap.
They heard many members of the community speak candidly about ways to close that gap.
The latest numbers show the graduation rate for African-American students in Madison at 53 percent compared to 87 percent for white students.
"The main thing is that they are really pulling together and are seeing the need for empowerment and shared responsibility for our students, " said Dept. of Ed. representative Cynthia Dorfman.
One possible solution mentioned is the Schools of Hope program used in Madison and Sun Prairie. The program includes one-on-one reading and math tutoring from volunteers.
