What constitutes effective reading instruction for urban and ethnically diverse learners has been the topic of a great deal of debate. Particularly, during this time of sweeping mandates and increased calls for accountability. The response from urban schools to The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) serves as the backdrop for this paper which will examine reading instruction through the eyes of four urban elementary teachers. Data were collected through interviews, observations, focus groups, and document analysis. Findings address the impact of teachers' culturally responsive approach to reading acquisition, the implementation of research-based culturally responsive reading instruction strategies, and the role of race, culture and language in teaching and learning.