For schools to be effective learning organization, their teachers and leaders need to continuously evaluate what is working and what is not. Some recent research shows that such reflection might be particularly important in the middle grades--a crucial time to identify and intervene with students at risk of later academic failure. To make the best decisions, educators need to have access to timely assessment and other data, such as attendance and behavior records. Data availability and use are crucial to improving academic outcomes at high-performing schools. The extensive use of assessment data by principals and teachers signals a culture shift in higher-performing schools to a more intense focus on student outcomes. Districts play a crucial role in making ongoing evaluation of progress effective at the school level. They do this by enabling schools to access student assessment data quickly and in a usable form, and by making reflection on common benchmarks for student learning not only possible, but also expected.