The study described in this paper investigated the relationships between school district and community demographic characteristics, choice of school desegregation strategy, and strategy effectiveness. Respondents from 132 school districts in the Southwestern United States were asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning district and community demography and the choice and effectiveness of strategies used by their communities to desegregate the public schools. Desegregation goal areas examined in the questionnaire included: (1) student and/or faculty racial balancing; (2) promotion of community involvement; (3) crisis prevention and resolution; (4) multicultural/multiethnic curriculum; (5) compensatory education; (6) positive race relations; (7) staff development; and (8) administrative procedures. Initial findings indicate the existence of significant relationships between characteristics such as the attitudes of district and community leaders toward desegregation, community attitudes, teacher ethnicity, student ethnicity, and strategy choice and effectiveness. Based on the findings, it is suggested that desegregating districts should take into account differences in culture, historical desegregation issues, and community attitudes toward the particular minority groups of concern. (Author/GC)