This report recommends that states raise their standards for entering a teacher education program and for earning a teaching license. This report links student achievement with how well teachers are prepared and the ongoing training they receive. It looks at teaching in the middle grades today, examining whether teachers have the content knowledge needed to teach their assigned classes, and noting that most states set the passing scores on teacher assessments so low that they offer little assurance of high quality teacher trainees. The report discusses what prospective teachers need to know in order to enter a teacher preparation program, discusses how states can attract the best and brightest to teaching careers, and describes how to improve teacher preparation for middle grades teaching. Following a discussion of how to improve teacher retention, renewal, and recertification, the report examines ways to support good teaching through continuous improvement, describes good professional development, and examines the climate for change. The report makes a series of recommendations for states and districts to consider as they focus on improving education in the middle grades. The recommendations include upgrading teachers' knowledge in specific subjects and improving their knowledge of young adolescents and how they learn best. (SM)