There is currently much conversation on the issue of the achievement gap as scholars, politicians, and educational leaders continue to grapple with educational inequity and underperformance of students in urban neighborhoods who are mostly Black and Latinx as compared with higher performing students, mostly white, in suburban neighborhoods. This study used qualitative research methods including interviews, focus groups, and artifact collection to conduct a comparative analysis between middle school English Language Arts classes in an underperforming school in Dobytown, N.J. and a high performing, gifted and talented school in the very same neighborhood. Both schools service minority students; but have yielded very different results. Drawing on literature about racism and social justice in education, and using the theoretical perspective of Critical Race Theory as a lens from which to view the data, I gained new insight into the role of privilege in determining the achievement gap as I was able to discover how the humanity of privilege and the dehumanization of underprivilege are major contributing factors. I investigated the teaching methods and approaches used at a gifted and talented school as compared to those employed at an underperforming school to determine to what extent these methods promote or prevent high performance; and I learned how project based learning provides students with analytical skills, critical thinking skills, and problem solving skills that prepare them to be project leaders and leaders in business, politics, and civics. Furthermore, I intended to learn if these practices can be replicated because failure to address the phenomenon of the achievement gap will continue to cause Black and Latinx communities to suffer, academically, economically, socially, and politically. Such social ills burden not just the communities in question, but the entire nation. Amelioration of this phenomenon could only strengthen and be for the benefit of the country. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]