This handbook provides guidance for California educators to help them implement a standards-based education for young adolescents. The book contains helpful information for school personnel about what they need to know and do to make standards-based education a success. It examines such issues as school culture, classroom organization, differentiated instruction, accelerated learning opportunities, the school environment, and the knowledge and skills needed by teachers and principals. The chapters are: (1) "California's Middle Schools" Poised for World-Class Performance"; (2) "Standards-Based Education Takes Center Stage: Content and Performance Standards"; (3) "Assessment Takes Center Stage"; (4) "Accountability Takes Center Stage"; (5) "Middle School Philosophy Takes Center Stage: Defining and Affirming Authentic Middle Schools"; (6) "Creating a School Culture To Sustain Standards-Based Education"; (7) "Team Teaching: Made to Order for Standards-Based Middle Schools"; (8) "Instructional Significance of Research on How Students Learn"; (9) "Providing Time for Standards-Based Education"; (10) "Academic Literacy: Key to Equal Access and High Standards of Achievement"; (11) "Social Promotion and Grade Retention: Issues and Challenges"; (12) "Creating High-Quality After-Hours Academic Programs in Middle Schools"; (13) "Health, Safety, Resilience, and Civility: Correlates of High Academic Achievement"; and (14) "Standards-Based Professional Development at the School Site." Each chapter is followed by "Professional Reflections" on the chapter's content. Most chapters have appendixes with supplemental information. (Contains 16 figures and 89 references.) (SLD)