This playbook draws from the findings of "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades," the largest empirical study of this grade level conducted to date. The "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades" study was designed to find out what higher-performing schools do differently. The result is a compelling set of specific, actionable practices that set higher-performing schools apart-- regardless of student background or grade configuration. This playbook does not cover every important aspect of a middle grades education, nor is it a detailed "how-to" manual. Rather, it supplements other leadership materials to provide a broader perspective. In this spirit, the report will periodically refer to work by others that may also help students gain ground in the middle grades--and, in the process, better prepare them for high school and beyond. [For the report "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better. A Large-Scale Study of Middle Grades Practices and Student Outcomes. Initial Research Report," see ED508673.]