examine the perceptions teachers hold about students with disabilities, students who are racially and ethnically diverse, students using English as a second language, students labeled "at risk," students placed in both "high" and "low" academic tracks, and students in urban schools; highlights how students who traditionally have been denied access to challenging work and educational opportunities can be supported to participate in academic instruction; and provides ideas for recognizing and challenging inequities, offers a framework for fostering access to academics for students with a range of strengths and needs, and explores pragmatic ways of increasing academic success for all learners.