This report discusses the improvement initiatives in Boston (Massachusetts) middle schools triggered by the work of the Boston Compact to promote education-business collaborations to improve the public schools and provide better job and college-going opportunities for Boston students. Section 1 describes a study that was initiated to learn whether business-sponsored education activities, which originally focused on the high schools, had moved down to the city's middle schools. The following programs are discussed: (1) the Boston Compact; (2) the Compact Ventures Program; (3) the Boston Plan for Excellence; (4) community social service agencies; and (5) the School Department. Section 2 discusses relationships between middle schools and various Boston businesses, and the services and assistance the schools have received through those relationships. Section 3 presents brief case studies of seven middle schools. Section 4 reviews statistical data on change in the schools along the following dimensions for 1984-85 and 1987-88: (1) student achievement; (2) percent of students taking the MAT (Metropolitan Achievement Test); (3) attendance; (4) suspensions from school; and (5) dropout rate. Section 5 considers the middle schools' capacity to implement an improvement agenda that calls for the following changes: (1) strengthen the academic curriculum; (2) increase personal student-adult contact; and (3) produce high expectations for students. Eight figures are included. (JS)