The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in Math. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Riletta Twyne Cream Early Childhood Center
Riletta Twyne Cream Early Childhood Center serves young children in Camden, New Jersey, from prekindergarten through third grade. As a school that ends at grade three, it does not have a high school graduation rate, and the state testing results that exist cover only one grade level, so the picture of academic performance is necessarily a narrow one.
The school is part of the Camden City School District and sits in a dense, post-industrial city directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. Camden’s economy has shifted sharply away from its historic manufacturing base toward healthcare and education, with institutions like Cooper University Hospital, Rutgers-Camden, and Rowan University now anchoring the downtown. Poverty rates remain high, and the city has seen a modest population decline over recent decades, even as waterfront redevelopment projects and corporate relocations have drawn investment. Housing values in the area are well below national and state benchmarks, and rents are relatively low, reflecting the economic realities of the city.
The school itself enrolls a student population that is primarily Black and Hispanic, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is concentrated heavily in prekindergarten, with smaller numbers in each successive grade through third grade, which is typical for a school that serves as an early childhood center. Detailed data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the supports it provides for those groups.
In terms of academic performance, the state testing data that is available comes from a single cohort of third graders taking the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment. In math, roughly one in five students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, the share was smaller, closer to one in seven. These results place the school in the bottom quartile among districts in Camden County when looking at overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. It is important to note that this measure reflects only one grade and one year of testing, and many students in the school are in prekindergarten through second grade, where no state testing occurs. Older science testing data from several years ago, when the school served a wider grade range under a different name, showed no students reaching proficiency, though that assessment used different cut scores and a different school configuration.
A parent considering this school should understand that it is fundamentally an early childhood center. The academic program is aimed at the youngest learners, and the testing results that exist reflect only the tail end of that span. The school does not offer the range of courses or pathways that a middle or high school would, because it is not designed to. What matters most for families here is the quality of the early learning environment, the readiness skills children develop before moving on to elementary schools in the district, and the wraparound supports available. The available data does not speak directly to those questions, so a parent may want to visit, talk to staff, and observe classrooms to get a fuller sense of what the school offers.
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