The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the type of grade configuration and racial climate of a school on the academic performance and discipline of middle school aged students. Specifically, this study was concerned with the predictive power of the type of grade configuration (stand-alone middle school vs. non-transition school), racial climate (predominantly Black, White, or Hispanic school population), academic performance (attendance rate, retention rate, State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness pass rate), and disciplinary referrals (in school vs. out-of-school) of middle school students. The sample consisted of 121 campuses (41 predominantly populated Black, 40 predominantly populated White, and 40 predominantly populated Hispanic schools), in which 61 are stand-alone middle schools and 60 are schools that do not require students to make a physical transition through the middle grades. Multiple regression was conducted to assess if grade configuration and school climate predict the academic performance and discipline of middle school students. Four hypotheses were formulated and tested at the .05 level or better. The study revealed that the variables grade configuration and school climate were independent predictors of the attendance rate, standardized test scores, and number of disciplinary referrals of middle school students. Furthermore, the study revealed that the variables grade configuration and school climate were not independent predictors of the retention rate of middle school students. This study provided implications for counselors, encouraging the creation of transitional programs for students entering into a stand-alone middle school environment, implementation of multicultural training for faculty and staff to address and reduce racial bias in academic and disciplinary actions, and advocacy for programs that reduce disproportionality in disciplinary practices, and close achievement gaps such as school-wide, comprehensive Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]