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Stable leadership also could be a factor for Compton: Brawley joined the school system as superintendent in 2012 after leading school-turnaround efforts as a deputy superintendent in Adelanto.

“When I first got here,” Brawley said, “every surrounding district was kicking our tail, whether it was Lynwood, Paramount, L.A. Unified, Bellflower — you name it. They were all outperforming us. So we began literally bench-marking their performance so that our performance would become better. And we started establishing smart goals to produce better results.”

“We wanted Compton Unified to become one of the best districts that we could within the districts that we benchmark ourselves against,” Brawley said.

Brawley’s presentation includes a list of school districts across the state with a poverty rate similar to the 93% of Compton students who qualify for a free or reduced-price school lunch because of low family income.

California’s own test data back up Brawley’s claims, while also making clear that challenges that lie ahead.