Summary:
The city of Willingboro, New Jersey is home to two middle schools: Willingboro Memorial Middle School and James A. Cotten Intermediate School. Both schools are struggling academically, with low proficiency rates on state assessments and low statewide rankings compared to the state averages.
At Willingboro Memorial Middle School, only 30.5% of 7th graders and 27.4% of 8th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 55.7% and 55.3%, respectively. In Mathematics, only 10.4% of 7th graders and 3.3% of 8th graders were proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 33.8% and 17.8%. The school performed better on the Algebra I assessment, with 44.5% of students proficient or better, but only 2.9% of 8th graders were proficient or better in Science, compared to the state average of 18.6%. At James A. Cotten Intermediate School, the academic performance is even lower, with only 22% of 5th graders and 13.2% of 6th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, and only 9.9% of 5th graders and 5.9% of 6th graders proficient or better in Mathematics.
Both schools also face challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, with Willingboro Memorial Middle School at 27.6% and James A. Cotten Intermediate School at 28.4% in the 2021-2022 school year. The per-student spending at Willingboro Memorial Middle School is notably higher than at James A. Cotten Intermediate School, but this does not seem to be translating into better academic outcomes. The student populations at both schools are predominantly African American and Hispanic, highlighting the need for equitable access to quality education and resources in the Willingboro Public School District.
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