This "Informed Educator" draws content from several reports as well as a PowerPoint presentation that describe findings from a study conducted by EdSource and its research partners from Stanford University and the American Institutes for Research. The project--Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better--focused on identifying middle grades policies and practices that differentiate higher- from lower-performing schools. Although the study was conducted in California, the findings have important implications for middle grades education across the nation. (Contains 3 figures and 1 footnote.)