Historically, middle schools have existed much like the neglected middle child in a family. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has changed that position as middle schools are the focus of a growing number of research studies and of intense outcome-oriented attention. This book presents the STELLAR (Students and Teachers Engaged in Literacy Learning and Respect) model for middle school job-embedded collaborative professional development. A literature review of the characteristics of professional development, a compilation of site documents from one school district in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, and a summary of focus group interview data from teachers in the district''s middle schools informed the development of this middle school model of professional development. Analysis of structured interviews from district administrators and middle school principals guided revision of the model so as to make it viable for implementation in their middle schools.