Although economically disadvantaged and minority students made some gains in their academic achievement performance, education reforms still fail to close the academic achievement gap between them. A discussion of the factors that influence the achievement gap is presented and provides some professional development implications. According to the author, these factors are the following: (1) economic conditions; (2) funding; (3) family involvement; (4) cultural differences; (5) expectations; (6) grouping arrangements; and (7) English language acquisitions. A fundamental shift in teachers' knowledge, skills, and assumptions about children in high-poverty schools and students who are culturally and socioeconomically diverse is needed for the achievement gap to narrow. Teacher professional development must introduce the study of the role of culture and daily experiences in human development and learning. Educators must know and value students' past, present, and future cultural experiences as a central component in the formal teaching and learning equation. Growing evidence suggests that the role of culture and daily experiences in human development is an important dynamic to be understood, and the cumulative evidence supports the need to introduce the study of the role of culture in learning into professional development programs. Closing achievement gaps requires the education community to rethink assumptions, beliefs, values, policies, and traditional practices in order to create opportunities to educate all children.