In September 1998, the Math Science Education National Board held a convocation on middle grades mathematics that was co-sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the National Middle School Association (NMSA), and the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The convocation was structured to present the teaching of middle school mathematics from two points of view: teaching mathematics with a focus on the subject matter content, and teaching mathematics with a focus on the whole child and whole curriculum. This book discusses the challenges before the nation's mathematical sciences community to focus its energy on the improvement of middle grades mathematics education and to begin an ongoing national dialogue about middle grades mathematics education. Chapters include: (1) "Mathematics in the Middle: Building a Firm Foundation of Understanding for the Future" (Glenda Lappan); (2) "The Middle School Learner: Contexts, Concepts, and the Teaching Connection" (Thomas Dickinson); (3) "Reflections on Middle School Mathematics" (Nancy Doda); (4) "Mathematics Content and Learning Issues in the Middle Grades" (Kathleen Hart); (5) "Using Video of Classroom Practice as a Tool To Study and Improve Teaching" (Nanette M. Seago); (6) "Teaching and Learning Mathematics in the Middle Grades: Student Perspectives" (Linda Foreman); (7) "The Organization and Structure of Schools at the Middle Grades: A Principal's Perspective" (Adapted from the Transcript of Remarks by Stephen O. Gibson); (8) "The Organization and Structure of Schools at the Middle Grades: The Role of Development, Subject Matter, and Teacher Professional Development" (Mary Kay Stein); and (9) "Improving Achievement in the Middle Grades in Mathematics and Related Areas: Lessons from the Project on High Performance Learning Communities" (Robert D. Felner, Minsuk Shim, Steven Brand, Antoinette Favazza, and Anne Seitsinger). (ASK)