In this issue brief, we present a short summary of research findings about school grade configurations and their relationship to the academic and socioemotional development of K-12 students.

Overall, the research suggests that 1) there is no single best grade configuration option, 2) all transitions are disruptive (though they can be mitigated by supportive environments), and 3) middle schools may not support student achievement and well-being as much as other grade configurations.

We conclude with key questions the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) considered when deciding how to streamline the number of grade configurations in the future.