The following schools were included in the Middle School Matters Institute’s inaugural cohorts. Schools were selected to receive year-long support through a competitive process sustained by grant funding (2013-2016).
- Advanced Studies Magnet–Haut Gap Middle School (Charleston County SD; Johns Island, SC)
- Alpine Middle School (Alpine ISD; Alpine, TX)
- Ann Richards Middle School (Dallas ISD; Dallas, TX)
- Audie Murphy Middle School (Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD; Alamo, TX)
- Baytown Junior High (Goose Creek Consolidated ISD; Baytown, TX)
- Etiwanda Intermediate School (Etiwanda SD; Etiwanda, CA)
- Elliot Grant Middle School (Corpus Christi ISD; Corpus Christi, TX)
- Frank B. Agnew Middle School (Mesquite ISD; Mesquite TX)
- Heritage Intermediate School (Etiwanda SD; Fontana, CA)
- John Glenn Middle School (San Angelo ISD; San Angelo, TX)
- Lindale Junior High (Lindale ISD; Lindale, TX)
- Lyndon B. Johnson Middle School (Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD; Pharr, TX)
- Sterling B. Martin Middle School (Corpus Christi ISD; Corpus Christi, TX)
- Paul Revere Middle School (Houston ISD; Houston, TX)
- Robert E. Lee Middle School (San Angelo ISD; San Angelo, TX)
- Roosevelt Middle School (Erie SD; Erie, PA)
- Stephen F. Austin Middle School (Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD; San Juan, TX)
- Trinity Middle School (Trinity ISD; Trinity, TX)
- Uplift Mighty Preparatory (Uplift Education; Fort Worth, TX)
- Walter L. Wilkinson Middle School (Mesquite ISD; Mesquite, TX)
- Walter Woodward Elementary School (Manteca Unified SD; Manteca, CA)