Students with intelligence test scores between 70 and 85 frequently fall into the gap between general and special education. Students with borderline intellectual functioning are a large population at-risk for school failure. Recent educational trends (e.g., the use of response to intervention models of special education eligibility, implementation of inclusive education, and the accountability components of No Child Left Behind) have increased awareness and may serve as a catalyst for improving the education of students with borderline intellectual functioning. However, students currently receive few supportive educational services. An educational programming framework is developed for improving the education of students with borderline intellectual functioning in response to recent educational trends. Effective instructional practices can build academic resilience skills to ameliorate the important, but often-ignored, risk factor of borderline intellectual functioning.