In 1988, the Johns Hopkins Center for Research on Elementary and Middle Schools conducted a survey of over 1,700 middle school principals. This survey was part of an effort to analyze the content and skills that middle grades students are taught, the instructional methods through which they are taught, and the influences of school, community, and student body characteristics on curriculum and instruction. Course areas surveyed included academic subjects, practical and fine arts, and exploratory courses. Teaching practices surveyed involved basic skills and active learning as they applied to English, mathematics, science, and social studies. School characteristics surveyed included grade organization, and school and class size. Information on the school's community, students' ethnicity, and students' family economic background was also gathered. Analyses of responses indicated that school structure and location, and the economic backgrounds of students, affect the kinds of courses and instruction provided. (BC)