Guest Columnist Emil Ekiyor

Indiana’s Learning Evaluation and Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) measures student achievement and growth according to Indiana Academic Standards for English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

The recent Indiana Department of Education ILEARN data shows that Black student scores are far from where they need to be. In grades 3-8, only 19.7% of Black students were proficient in English, 16.2% in math, 10.9% in both English and math, 13.1% in science, and 15.8% in social studies. These numbers have been similar, if not worse, over the last decade. And what’s worse, people are not upset about it. As a community, we have come to accept this kind of data, and we make excuses for why the data is the way it is.

According to a 2018 report by the Education Commission of the States, the period between preschool and third grade is a tipping point in a child’s journey toward lifelong learning — from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” If children do not have proficient reading skills by third grade, their ability to progress through school and meet grade-level expectations diminishes significantly. Children not reading proficiently by third grade are four times less likely to graduate from high school on time. Living in poverty makes them 13 times less likely to graduate on time.

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce released a new economic vision for the state titled “Indiana Prosperity 2035.”

The second pillar of the plan is K-12 education. The desired outcome is “Significant, arguably dramatic increases in the proficiency of Indiana students in math and language arts; expanding pre-K educational programs; increasing educational opportunities and achievement for minority students.“

A few goals listed under education are:

• Increase from 31% to 70% of students proficient in the math and English/language arts sections of the ILEARN tests.
• More than 90% of students will be proficient in reading by the third grade.
• Implement a universal, statewide, publicly funded pre-K educational program to increase access significantly.

I applaud the Indiana Chamber and the 40-person task force that created these bold goals. Now, the question is, how do we achieve these goals, especially with our MVPs (most vulnerable populations)? In our Black communities around Indiana, I assert the Black church must be involved in PreK – 3^rd grade education. The good news is that we do not need new funding or laws for the Black church to be more involved in Indiana’s PreK – 3rd grade education. The system and budget are already in place.

On March 26, 2013, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled in Meredith v. Pence, a landmark 5-0 decision, that the Choice Scholarship Program does not violate the state constitution and that constitutional prohibitions against government funding of religious entities do not apply to entities providing primary and secondary education. In Meredith v. Daniels, a Marion County Superior Court denied a motion for a preliminary injunction and then granted summary judgment on January 13, 2012, in favor of the program.

Today, the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program allows students in low- and middle-income families to receive vouchers for attending private schools. Parents who want their students to receive Christian education now have an opportunity to do just that. Attending a private Christian school is no longer just a privilege for the wealthy. This ruling should have been a game-changer in the Black community.

According to a recent Indy Star article, “White students are using the voucher program the most at 62%, while Hispanic students are the second most at 19%. Only 9.5% of Black families have taken advantage of this opportunity.

Those who know and understand the history of the Black church know that the Black church is undoubtedly the most influential institution in the Black community. Historically, the church has taken a leadership role in the community by serving as the mouthpiece, advocate, and defender. It has always been the processing center for the community. Whether the issues were social, political, economic, or educational, the Black church has always sparked conversations, shared ideas, solved problems, and acted. It is directly responsible for many of the most significant gains in racial equity in American history.

The Black church, one of the most influential institutions in the Black community, has primarily been on the sidelines in conversations concerning how to educate Black students in Indiana’s schools. Some of the top K-12 schools in Indiana are Christian schools, so we have plenty of data to show how a Christian education can impact young people. We have examples of Christian schools connected to Black churches that we can look to as models.

• Eastern Star had the Jewel Academies, and Black families still talk about how the Jewel Academy prepared their children for the world.
• Today, we have Turning Point Schools Indy (TP Schools), founded by Pastor Tim Harris and his wife, First Lady Tanya Harris. The school sits in the heart of Post Road on the far east side of Indianapolis and shares a campus with Turning Point Church.
  • The school has earned an “A” from the Indiana State Board of Education for four consecutive years.
  • It received the 2019 Educational Excellence Award from the Indianapolis Urban League.
  • During the 2018-2019 school year, 100% of the 3rd graders passed IREAD-3.

I believe in choice and the need for traditional public and charter schools. I believe in our educators and the work they put in daily. However, we cannot only have public options in our Black communities. We need REAL CHOICE! The state of Indiana has created the conditions that encourage choice. This is not a plea for new funding because the dollars and system are already in place. This is a plea to take advantage of an opportunity we are not fully utilizing.

We must give our children a fighting chance. We need the Black church to laser focus on PreK-3rd grade years as the foundation for all subsequent learning and development. Most churches in Black communities already operate daycares with little funding. Adding vouchers for K-3 students can help improve and subsidize preschools in church schools. This is an opportunity to innovate in our communities. We cannot continue to double down on the status quo if we want to achieve the bold goals set in Indiana Prosperity 2035.

Emil Ekiyor grew up in Nigeria. His life experiences in both Nigeria and America gave him a unique perspective on the gaps in Black communities in Sub-Saharan Africa and in the USA. These experiences and desire to close the wealth and opportunity gaps for African Americans and Africans are the driving forces behind the creation of InnoPower Indy and his advocacy in education. Ekiyor is a former NFL player and serves as a Friends of Education board member.

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