| For decades, the achievement levels for disadvantaged students, students of color, non-Asian minority students, and English Language Learners fall behind the academic performance levels of their White and affluent classmates (Darling Hammond, 2007). The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which requires all students to be proficient in both English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics by 2014 created horrendous demands on schools to increase student achievement and close the gap between all students. The challenge of NCLB is inflated even more for the State of California as the state has experienced a dramatic change in demographics over the last few decades.;This study employed a qualitative single case study design focused on one high performing urban elementary school setting in a city twenty miles east of Los Angeles, California. The purpose of this case study was to examine the programs, practices, and instructional strategies implemented to promote student achievement and close the achievement gap. For the purpose of this study, "achievement gap" was defined as the persistent disparity in academic performance between groups of students, particularly between affluent, White, or Asian students and students of poverty, color, minority students, and second language learners.;Four data collection methods were utilized to triangulate the data and analyze the findings. The methods used included document reviews, teacher and administrative surveys, interviews, and field observations.;The findings of this study were organized by internal and external factors identified to influence student achievement. The internal factors included instruction, curriculum, safety, and relationships. The external factors, those that occur outside of the school setting, were family, environment, income, and health. The research findings identified common practices utilized to close the achievement gap. These included highly qualified teachers, a standards-based curriculum, professional learning through collaboration, the use of data from frequent formative and summative assessments, and a culture of response to student learning. |
