Stable Superintendents Linked to Stronger Student Scores

Compton Unified has improved under Superintendent Darin Brawley, who has led the district since 2012 and introduced practices including in-school tutoring and regular assessments. The district is among just 78 of the nation’s 500 largest to have maintained stable leadership since the pandemic. An analysis found that students in districts without leadership changes from 2019 to 2025 gained at least a month more learning in reading and math than students in districts with turnover; the advantage in math was nearly two months in women-led districts.