ACT data (The Forgotten Middle, 2009) show that fewer than two in ten eighth graders are on target to be ready for college-level work by the time they graduate from high school! Two in ten! One way to prepare middle-schoolers for successful high school and college experiences is by implementing authentic assessment through challenging products. This session explores the power in products, including an introduction to a protocol for developing and assessing products that incorporates consistent indicators and components, a performance scale that removes the learning ceiling, and a three-tier system that encourages differentiation.