The purpose of this study was to determine ways "Digital Biographies," a Project Based Learning Unit, developed 21st century skills while simultaneously supporting NCLB accountability standards. The main goal of this study was to inform professional practice by exploring ways to address two separate, seemingly opposing, demands of education in the 21st century: developing important skills students need to be successful in the workforce and addressing the heightened accountability standards of No Child Left Behind. Additional goals include: adding to the research literature examining Project Based Learning's effectiveness and to shed light on ways other teachers can enhance learning opportunities for special populations. The goal of action research is to develop a certain type of knowledge that focuses on professional practice. To achieve the primary goal of this study, a mixed-methods action research model was used to gather and analyze data from a total of 26 subjects as they participated in a PBL unit. The study group was comprised of 13 students categorized in two or more special populations. The comparison group was comprised of students not identified as belonging to any of the special populations groups. Standardized assessments, a teacher reflective journal, and rubric scores were analyzed to determine the ways PBL can support both the development of 21st century skills and NCLB accountability standards. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine the interaction effect of the standardized assessments. The teacher reflective journal was transcribed and coded to reveal overarching themes. Rubric scores from the teacher researcher and from a validation group were also analyzed. As evidenced by varied data, "Digital Biographies" proved to support NCLB accountability standards by increasing student achievement in reading and the FCAT success probability rate. It showed promise in developing technology and 21st century skills such as learning and innovation skills and information and technology skills. Additionally, it demonstrated a positive result in terms of closing the technology achievement gap between underserved students and their peers, especially in the area of constructing and demonstrating knowledge. Recommendations for classroom implementation and future research are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]