Based on current research, many students in the middle grades (6-8) have not performed at their highest academic levels. In 2011, more than one-half of eighth graders in 16 Southern states scored basic or below basic on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Alternatively, effective principal-leaders strategically demonstrated practices transforming schools into institutions of learning and improved student performance. To support the development and refinement of middle grades leadership expertise, educational leaders in the state collaborated to design a Middle Grades Leadership Academy (MGLA). The following Five Critical Practices synthesize the research findings and are critical to increased student learning: Focus on the direction, build a powerful organization, give life to data, ensure student-focused vision and action, and lead learning. In addition, educational leaders correlated and aligned the Five Critical Practices with the standards of the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC), National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), Alabama Standards for Instructional Leaders, and State Department of Education: Alabama Plan 2020.