The purpose of this study is to describe an alternative means of estimating school effectiveness, referred to as an "absolute year" of schooling and demonstrate its usefulness as a measure of school effectiveness in the middle grades. More specifically, the study investigated (a) whether the absolute schooling effect in math and reading outcomes varied across a statewide sample of 53 secondary schools (e.g., middle, intermediate) and (b) whether differences in school variables explained the variability in the absolute-schooling effect. (Contains 3 figures, 1 table, and 3 notes.)