High quality teaching--providing children with support, feedback, and positive communication--is associated with closing the achievement gap between minority and majority children. It is important for students in teacher preparation programs to understand changes in curricular approaches to diversity--from the color-blind approach, to multiculturalism, to anti-bias curriculum--to help them better understand factors related to the current achievement gap. Strategies are suggested for acknowledging differences between children from different cultural groups without developing a "pedagogy of poverty," that may result in lowered expectations of children from minority and low-income families.