CNN aired a special on Friday, August 30th hosted by Soledad O'Brien that looked at African American students in education today and the gap in achievement between these students and their white counterparts. The special - Great Expectations: A Black in America Special - followed the stories of three at-risk students for a year at Harvest Prep/Seed Academy in Minneapolis where Direct Instruction is utilized. 

Earlier in the day, Ms. O'Brien sat down with CNN's morning show to discuss the documentary

and the state of education for African American students. Eric Mahmoud, co-founder of Harvest Prep/Seed Academy, is featured talking about the achievement gap and the high rate of failure in Minneapolis - over 70 percent of African American students in Minneapolis taking the state assessment fail. In addressing this issue at Mahmoud's schools, they frequently test students - referred to as "drill and kill" by critics. Mahmoud's response? "We definitely drill, but we don't kill...I think that is a negative connotation that they associate with working hard."

Click on the image above to see the video of the CCN morning show segment featuring Mr. Mahmoud. For more information on Harvest Prep/Seed Academy, visit www.seed-harvest.org.

CNN has not released a full-length recording of this special, but you can access a transcript of the show here.