This 1988 survey of the elementary/middle school principalship is the sixth of its kind, with similar studies having been conducted in 1928, 1948, 1958, 1968 and 1978. The surveys provide an account of the factors that affect the status and characteristics of the K-8 principal. An 8-page instrument was mailed in the spring of 1987 to 2,414 randomly selected National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) principals. A follow-up study was mailed to the total sample, with 834 responses received, representing a response rate of 34.5 percent. What emerged from the data is a profile of the typical K-8 principal. He is a white male in his late forties who has been a professional educator for 22 years and a principal for 11 years. A NAESP member, he holds a master's degree and state certification. He has an 11-month contract at a salary of $40,000, with a 50-hour work week. Unsatisfactory student performance is his greatest potential job security problem. He exercises discretionary control over 17 percent of the school budget and believes that the authority he is given to run his school is appropriately balanced with the degree to which he is held responsible when things go wrong. As a group, elementary school principals are satisfied in their job, confident in their skills, and upbeat about their future. (JAM)