The Black Country is a region comprised of four local educational agencies (LEAs) in the West Midlands, England. School-league table data for the period 1992-94 were collated to form a data matrix. Using cluster analysis, 11 types of schools were identified. An analysis of electoral ward census data yielded six types of localities. Both typologies were combined to form the data matrix in order to determine the relationship between location and school characteristics. The matrix is a potential method for defining the effectiveness of school-improvement initiatives against their baseline data. The paper also discusses the potential implications for identifying process variables and appropriate school-performance indicators, as well as how to accomplish this by comparing within-cell and across-cell variations. The method may make possibile regional studies within and between European Union member states. Six figures and five tables are included. (LMI)