This article defines school improvement, looks at indicators of quality schools, discusses the characteristics of the middle level child and proposes practical strategies which blend research data and school level practices for the middle level learner. In order to clearly understand the school improvement movement at the middle level, one must be aware of the research and practical implications at the holistic level of public education as described in the research literature. Educational reform reports, research on effective schools, characteristics of the middle level learner, and practical strategies to improve learning must be reviewed, synthesized and blended. The discussion explores the effects of the educational reform reports, the research on effective schools, the characteristics of the middle level learner and the effective strategies that blend the research with the reality of learning. (Author/JD)