The relationship of the middle-level writing curriculum to four influences on English language arts teachers' writing practices and instructional programs are explored in this report. The four variables include school organizational structure, philosophical commitment to middle-school programs, policy structure, and teacher characteristics. The research focuses on three questions: the type of middle-grade writing curriculum and instruction; program differences among school organizational types; and the relationship among organizational school type, philosophical commitment to programs, and teacher characteristics. A survey questionnaire was developed to gather data on teacher characteristics, the writing curriculum, school programs, and pertinent policies. Personal interviews, document analysis, focus groups, and field testing were used to develop the survey instrument. The questionnaire was administered to a random stratified sample of counselors, principals, and teachers in 300 schools with four grade-span configurations: K-8; 6-8; 7-8; and 7-9. The total school response rate was 59 percent, or 178 responses. Findings indicate that middle-grades writing curriculum is most frequently a part of the core curriculum. Significant differences among school grade-span types regarding the level of program implementation are influenced by the level of philosophical commitment; as school grade spans include lower-lower-grade levels, the level of commitment to the program increases. A conceptual model of latent variables that impact the middle-level writing curriculum--teacher characteristics, philosophical commitment, writing curriculum, policy, and school grade-span organization--is developed. Sixteen tables and six figures are included. (53 references) (LMI)