Carnegie Corporation's landmark 1989 report, "Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century," focused national attention on the long-neglected needs of adolescent youth. In the following decade, hundreds of middle grades schools implemented "Turning Points" principles, and many others adopted similar and complementary measures. Based on these experiences, "Turning Points 2000" refines the ideas contained in the original report by blending the wisdom of both the latest research and the best practice. This volume, written by the principal author of the original report along with one of the main leaders in implementing its principles, synthesizes critical lessons learned from educators attempting to improve middle grades education across the country over the past decade, and bridges the gap between education researchers and practitioners by translating a wealth of recent research into practical guidance for front-line educators. The volume emphasizes that in addition to structural changes in the classroom and schools, educators must also make substantial, far-reaching changes in curriculum, student assessment, and instruction to improve student learning. The chapters are: (1) "'Turning Points': A Decade Later"; (2) "'Turning Points 2000': A Design for Improving Middle Grades Education"; (3) "Curriculum and Assessment To Improve Teaching and Learning"; (4) "Designing Instruction To Improve Teaching and Learning"; (5) "Expert Teachers for Middle Grades Schools: Pre-Service Preparation and Professional Development"; (6) "Organizing Relationships for Learning"; (7) "Democratic Governance To Improve Student Learning"; (8) "A Safe and Healthy School Environment"; (9) "Involving Parents and Communities"; and (10) "Taking Action: Challenges and Opportunities." (Contains 409 references.) (HTH)