This booklet presents information on the achievement gaps in education between white, Asian, and economically advantaged students and their African American, Hispanic, Native American, and economically disadvantaged peers. It provides examples from higher education, district, and school levels and summarizes available resources and tools to help all schools meet their goals of closing the achievement gap. "Identifying and Eliminating the Achievement Gaps: A Research-Based Approach" (Ginger M. Reynolds), serves as a companion to two audio CDs. It examines the achievement gap and discusses in- and out-of-school factors that contribute to the gap, noting strategies for closing the gap at various educational levels. "Programs with Promise," describes efforts in five schools or counties to close the achievement gap. "NCREL Tools and Resources for Closing Achievement Gaps" includes an annotated listing of school improvement Web sites that allow schools and districts to view disaggregated achievement patterns for minority, limited English speaking, and low income students and to take steps to compare student performance to performance in similar districts or schools. Two accompanying audio CDs contain interviews with leaders in the education field, including Claire Smrekar, John Diamond, Pedro Noriega, Edmund Gordon, among many others, that offer perspectives on the issue of closing the achievement gap. (Contains 36 references.) (SM)