; (II) develop the competencies of— (aa) the ability to acquire and use deep content knowledge to solve problems; (bb) critical thinking; (cc) effective communication; (dd) self-direction; and (ee) the ability to collaborate; and (III) make a successful transition to academically rigorous secondary school coursework that prepares students to graduate from secondary school ready for higher education and a career. (B) Plan components A middle grades improvement plan described in subparagraph (A) shall also describe how the State educational agency will do each of the following: (i) (I) Align State standards and assessments for middle grades education with State standards and assessments for secondary schools and prepare students to take challenging secondary school courses and successfully engage in postsecondary education. (II) Coordinate, where applicable, with the activities carried out through grants under section 6201(c)(1) of the America COMPETES Act ( 20 U.S.C. 9871(c)(1) ) for alignment of P–16 education, as defined in section 6201(b) of such Act. (III) Support the transition from elementary school to the middle grades through programs that promote successful social, emotional, and cognitive development. (ii) Provide professional development to school leaders, teachers, and other school personnel in— (I) addressing the needs of diverse learners, including students with disabilities and English learners; (II) using challenging and relevant research-based best practices and curricula; (III) using data to inform instruction