This article presents a framework for school administrators developed by Mesa Unified School district used in identifying and assisting the subtly struggling adolescents. Mesa's "safety net" approach targets middle grades students in the midst of their formative, pre-high school experience. Here, it is stated that the first step to identify a school's existing safety nets and to develop meaningful strategies for its borderline at-risk middle grades students is to find out who they are. Thus, the authors state that these safety nets should be designed to specifically target student needs in each unique setting; they must take into account the social and cognitive developmental needs of youngsters; they must be interventions with clearly identified, measurable goals; and they must be based upon the ongoing use of student data for constant modification and action. (Contains 1 figure.)