The focus of this study was planning methods and instructional practices that educators use to address the needs of students affected by poverty. The problem addressed in this study was identifying common themes among classroom instructional strategies and classroom environmental factors that produce positive gains in student achievement. Those impacted by relevant data include school personnel who are seeking to provide a more equitable education for all students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine if educators' knowledge of students' socioeconomic status affects instructional practices and which practices promote the greatest academic gains among low socioeconomic status students. The study was framed through three relevant theories, social constructivism, interpretivism, and self-determination theory, allowing one to become aware of the need for a teacher-driven education to become a student-driven one. A qualitative case study to gain sense of participants' lived experiences was the chosen research method. Sixteen total classroom teachers serving in tested areas participated in focus groups and individual interviews to discuss how educators' knowledge of students' socioeconomic status affects instructional planning and which instructional practices promote the greatest academic gains among low socioeconomic status students. All data was transcribed and coded for common themes. Classroom observations were conducted with a smaller number of participants to view noted instructional practices. Results revealed that participants do not utilize any specific instructional practices for low socioeconomic status students and place more focus on students within the lowest quartile. Implications from the study include the idea that, despite the knowledge that socioeconomic status can have adverse effects on students, participants did not factor this into instructional planning; instead, they focused on those students who affect accountability ratings. Future practice recommendations include providing educators with more information about which students are most affected by poverty and helping to bridge the gap between schools and the community. Future research recommendations include identifying which students within the lowest quartile also are affected by poverty and conducting larger scale studies in a broader range of districts, including those in more affluent areas. [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.]