The transitions students make during their years of schooling are usually major events in their lives and in the lives of their parents. The stresses created by these transitions can be minimized when the new environment is responsive to each particular age group. This digest presents a brief overview of some of the issues involved in the transition from elementary to middle level school, including all middle grade and junior high school configurations, and provides suggestions for transition programs and activities. The digest delineates common concerns identified by students and specific challenges identified by teachers. It focuses on social, organizational, and motivational factors related to dealing with school transitions. Guidelines for planning effective transition programs are listed, including establishing a transition protocol that can be replicated and updated easily and asking participants to evaluate the transition programs. The digest also gives examples of several transition activities for use in designing a transition plan, including the distribution of school handbooks to families, and exchange of letters between students in the sending and receiving schools. The digest concludes by noting that effective middle level transition programs establish a sense of belonging among the multiple constituencies involved, respond appropriately to incoming students' needs, and provide multiple opportunities to develop a meaningful role during the transition process and to maintain that role throughout the school year. (Contains 12 references.) (Author/KB)