This information digest provides an overview of some areas of agreement between the fields of gifted education and middle school education, some areas of tension, and some promising directions that could engage educators in mutual planning of appropriate services for all middle school students, including the gifted. Shared beliefs include the value of instruction that is theme based, is interdisciplinary, and fosters student self-direction and independence. Problems between gifted and middle-level education exist in the areas of excellence versus equity, emphasis on heterogeneity, use of labels, ambiguity about appropriate middle school curricula, use of cooperative learning as an instructional strategy, attention to affective needs of early adolescents, and general tension. For each problem area, promising directions are listed, such as emphasizing appropriately differentiated instruction in heterogeneous classrooms, emphasizing problem-based strategies rather than skill-focused strategies in cooperative learning activities, planning for both achievement and belonging for advanced learners, and acknowledging strengths and contributions of both practices. (Contains 18 references.) (DB)