Despite national attention for academic success, data shows that students with disabilities in the Appoquinimink School District do not share in this success. The district boasts a large enrollment in AP courses and high scores in both the state standardized tests and AP exams. However, students with disabilities consistently perform well below their typical peers. The low percentage of students in AP courses may not come as a surprise to the reader; however, when digging deeper into enrollment data, one may find even more surprising data within Honors versus College Preparatory enrollment. Data shows that most students with IEPs in the Appoquinimink School District, when given the choice, select College Preparatory classes as opposed to Honors or AP at the high school level. The primary purpose of this dissertation in practice is to identify ways in which the middle school can improve instructional practices to increase the number of students selecting advanced courses at the high school level. It also aims to examine the correlation this may have on the existing achievement gap. If the district continues to place students into more restrictive settings, but the performance gap continues, it is possible that there may be a correlation between access for students with disabilities to the general education curriculum and their achievement. [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.]