Once Troubled, Now Triumphant: Compton Unified Sets New Standard in Student Success
(How one district rewrote its narrative delivering $4.1M in scholarships and soaring graduation rates)
With more than $4.1 million in college scholarships awarded to students in the graduating class of 2025, Compton Unified School District (CUSD) has silenced many longstanding critics and emerged as a national leader in elevating student performance for more than a decade.
A school system once scarred by perpetually low student achievement, dismal facilities, corruption allegations, district bankruptcy, cheating scandals, among other bad news is now being recognized for reaching some of the greatest gains in academic testing in the state of California, higher graduation rates, along with college enrollment.
“We focused on the basics, starting with the belief that every child can and will succeed if provided the support and quality instruction they need to do so,” said CUSD President, Micah Ali. “My mission has always been to ensure that every scholar in Compton has access to world-class education and opportunity. I believe transforming a system starts with transforming expectations — for students, staff, and our entire community.”
Student data gets analyzed at all levels. Teachers meet weekly with their colleagues in their schools. Principals at each academic level—elementary, middle and high school—gather every four to six weeks with one another and with Supt. Brawley.
Reading and math test scores are heavily emphasized and evaluated in the district, along with graduation rates, college preparation, absenteeism and suspension rates. Added to that, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math) initiatives helped to forge partnerships with Apple, Verizon, Boeing, Microsoft, Digital Promise and Google, which has led to CUSD producing award winning schools.
Appropriately dubbed “The Compton Turnaround”, it was reported on the EdSource website that between 2022 and 2024, Compton Unified saw a steady rise in students’ performance on standardized tests in math, and their reading scores saw a significant jump as well—all on the heels of the pandemic. Today, Compton students are reportedly scoring more than half a grade level better in math since 2019 and approaching half a grade level better in reading.
In 2013, when Dr. Darin Brawley was named CUSD superintendent, he had every confidence that the district—populated with mostly low-income students or students of color—could find its way out of a crisis condition.
When he took the lead, the CUSD graduation rate lagged at 58%. Today, it is 93%. During that time, only 14% of its students met the requirements for entrance to the University of California and California State University systems. That number has shot up to 88%, meeting the A-G requirements for college admission.
“This is not your Compton of 30 years ago,” insists Dr. Brawley. “Drop the narratives about gangster rap or professional athletes and start paying attention to student achievement.”
To get the district out of the woods, Brawley focused on financial stability and launching a student-centric, data-informed culture of learning. “We developed a fiscal stabilization plan and implemented cuts,” explained Brawley, who worked closely with the governing board’s budget committee. They identified approaches to solving the crisis in a way that would have minimal impact on student achievement. “We were able to bring a plan to the governing board and right the ship financially,” he added.
Within the superintendent’s first year, all structural deficits were resolved and that enabled CUSD to give academics the attention it needed, while paving the way to a district-wide transformation.
Relying heavily on tutoring, and immediate in-person and in-class help, CUSD deploys more than 250 tutors daily to a system comprised of 40 sites and just over 17,000 students. Some of the campuses offer tutoring before, during and after school, as well as Saturday and summer programs.
“Dominguez High School (DHS) has a lot of great teachers and staff,” says class of 2022 graduate Le Airah Bailey, who had to lean on the support of DHS faculty to finish her education amid the Covid pandemic shutdown. “They helped me get through my four years for sure…I [graduated] in a white robe thanks to them.”
The focus on preparing students for testing has endured some criticism from educators who argue that the district is putting all of its emphasis on students’ test preparation rather than educating them completely, a tactic they claim impedes rather than helps students.
“Our success is about nurturing confident, creative thinkers who are prepared for life beyond the classroom,” counters Ali, a Compton native. “We agree that testing is just one metric but are also unashamed in lifting up the fact that we also expanded arts, leadership, wellness, and student voice initiatives.”
Joseph Flores, a tutor with CUSD who majored in math at Cal State LA contends, “We’re reinforcing what [Compton students are] learning…We are really keying in on any type of (math or reading) concerns they might have and really just making sure that they get all their questions answered before they forget.”
Flores and Ali agree with Brawley that assessing students’ progress through testing is critical to the district’s progress. “Our testing is aligned to state standards that determine whether or notkids have mastered the information. And for a teacher or anyone, an administrator, a politician, to say that [we are just prepping] kids for a test, I think it’s laughable,” Brawley told EdSource.
According to Ali, “We wanted teachers and principals alike to take ownership over the impact of their instruction and support on students, not just be facilitators and hope for the best. I am proud to say that they have truly risen to the challenge and are utilizing the data chats with a growth mindset.”
While Bailey was a student, she admits she struggled at times to stay motivated but credits the inspiration of school staff, along with the expectations of her mother—who “does not play when it comes to education”—for keeping her to task.
“I felt like I did a good job maintaining my grades,” Baily recalls. “But sometimes I waited to the last minute when knew reports cards or progress reports were coming and I believe that would [drive me to] stay on top of my work and just get it over with before last minute.”
She continues, “From the time I started elementary, valuing education has always been important to my family. As I got to middle school, I realized that without education I won’t get anywhere.”
Another contribution to the boost in student performance is the investments made in facility upgrades. There are studies that show how run-down schools lower test scores, therefore Ali, Brawley, and CUSD’s governing board prioritized making building improvements which began with repairing the tracks (for track and field), roofing, concrete, and solar projects.
Among the improvements is Compton High School’s brand new $200 million campus. Of which $10 million was donated by Hip-hop legend and entrepreneur Dr. Dre. The new school will serve up to 1,800 students and includes cutting-edge academic, athletic, and creative spaces built to inspire and educate a new generation of students. One feature to note is the Andre ‘Dr. Dre’ Young Performing Arts Center. The center has a 1,200-seat theater and multiple creative studios aimed at developing student talent in the performing arts.
“I was an artistic kid in school with no outlet for it,” said Dr. Dre at the school’s grand opening ceremony. “I knew I had something special to offer the world, but with nothing to support my gift, schools left me feeling unseen.” Although he didn’t complete his high school requirements in the traditional way, Dr. Dre went on to say, “It’s a certain kind of grit that gets cultivated navigating these streets and that grit carried me further than I could ever imagine…I am also excited to see the kind of talent that emerges when grit is paired with a first-rate education.”
The new Compton High School emphasizes much more than the arts. It will also include new facilities and programs such as a modern gymnasium and aquatics center, state-of-the-art football stadium and track, classrooms equipped for construction, manufacturing, and robotics; in addition to programs in graphic arts, culinary arts, A/V technology, and communications.
“Having someone of Dr. Dre’s stature believe in our young people and support his home community sends a message that their dreams are real, worth investing in, and within reach,” Ali expressed. “It shows the world that the Compton community supports our own community and our educational vision.”
The Compton High School class of 2025 made history, as the first to graduate at the new campus. The ceremony was the school’s 127th commencement and became even more memorable with a surprise visit from Vice President Kamala Harris, who attended as the personal guest of Student Board Member MyShay Causey. The graduate sent a letter to the former Vice President’s husband and Harris surprised Causey and showed up.
Harris did not formally address the audience but made herself available for photo ops and to greet and congratulate graduates. All four CUSD high schools held their 2025 commencement ceremonies in June and reported that close to 90% of its overall seniors walked across the stage to receive diplomas.
At Compton High School 283 seniors graduated and 87% were accepted to 2- and 4-year colleges. Dominguez High School graduated 445 seniors and 96% were accepted to college. 100% of Compton Early College High School’s 121 graduates were accepted to 4-year colleges, and Centennial High School graduated 233 students with 92% accepted to 2- and 4-year colleges.
“There was a time when Black students had a significant achievement gap compared to others,” Brawley observed. “Now, for the last couple of years, they’re graduating at the highest percentage rate of all our students.” Compton’s Early College High School is rated No. 32 in the state of California, and 273 nationally.
Another proud moment for the district this year is the National School Boards Association (NSBA) announcement that CUSD was named a 2025 Magna Award Grand Prize winner. The Magna Awards recognize school districts and their leaders for innovative, out-of-the-box thinking to address district challenges. CUSD was honored for its “Compton Goes to College!” program, a groundbreaking initiative designed to remove educational inequities and ensure every student has the support they need to graduate high school and access college opportunities, leading to its current 93% graduation rate and 88% college enrollment rate.
“This year’s winners demonstrate the profound impact that visionary school boards and educators can have on their communities,” praised Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, NSBA Executive Director and CEO. “From expanding mental health services to promoting college access and supporting students with autism. We are honored to showcase their outstanding work and hope they inspire others to think boldly in support of student success.”
The US Department of Education has named CUSD a Blue Ribbon School for academic performance. Other accolades decorating the district turnaround have come from U.S. News and World Report, and LA County’s Top Performing Public Schools list.
“I believe that visible, tangible progress sustains hope,” Ali asserts. “By celebrating every victory, sharing transparent data, and reminding everyone that transformation is not only possible — it’s happening here…people are seeing and feeling the results.”
Scroll the Facebook pages of CUSD and one post after another highlights the myriad successes of students from elementary to high school.
Bailey, who is featured among fellow CUSD graduates on the social media site, has gone on to study nursing at Cal State Long Beach. She says she knew she had to stay on top of her schoolwork to “make sure I get to where I am now.” She is making her mother, an LPN, and so many others very proud.
“Seeing scholars’ faces light up when they master a new concept or envision new possibilities reminds me why this work matters,” Ali says. “This is especially so now that I’ve had the opportunity to celebrate seniors who have graduated after matriculating from kindergarten to high school in Compton schools since its turnaround…to see them step across the commencement stage into a bright future of college, career and opportunity, totally confident and completely prepared for success. Quite remarkable and humbling indeed. Truly special.”
