Educators at Laurel Street Elementary in Compton have committed to “showing students love, giving students grace, having high expectations, and holding students accountable.” The everyday application of this formula has resulted in high attendance rates, low chronic absenteeism, low rates of disciplinary incidents, and high rates of academic success across multiple indicators for all student groups, at all grade levels (transitional kindergarten through grade eight).

At Laurel Street, “showing students love” means creating an environment in which students and their families feel welcome, respected, safe, listened to, and valued. Students and parents reported that school personnel cared sincerely and wanted the best for all students. Students perceived that the wealth of curricular and extra-curricular activities (e.g., art, technology, chess, robotics, eSports, athletics) was evidence of educators caring enough to create engaging, exciting learning opportunities. Relatedly at Laurel Street, “giving students grace” meant taking the time to teach students how to handle difficult situations and live up to strong behavioral and academic expectations. The school provides counseling services and a variety of interventions for students who need more support.