ATLANTA (AP) -- A federal education official plans to participate in a panel discussion at the annual conference of the 100 Black Men of America in Atlanta.

Jim Shelton is assistant deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement.

The discussion is titled "High Performing Schools: Closing the Opportunity Gap for Black Youth."

The panel will focus on evidence-based practices and advocacy efforts to ensure that underserved youth have access to high-performing schools that prepare them for higher education.

100 Black Men of America began in New York in 1963 with a group of successful black men from various fields.

The organization's aims to implement programs designed to improve the quality of life for African Americans and to enhance educational and economic opportunities for youth, families and communities.