James F. Cooper Elementary School, Cherry Hill NJ

Original Research by School Decision on James F. Cooper Elementary School

James F. Cooper Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the Cherry Hill School District. It is one of a dozen elementary schools in a district that families choose for the combination of a suburban setting and proximity to Philadelphia. Cooper is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It has just over a quarter of a thousand students, making it a school where most families will recognize each other.

The student body is predominantly white, with a significant Asian American share and smaller numbers of students who are Black, Hispanic, or multiracial. About one in six students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate on the lower side for a community that is largely professional and managerial. The school serves a relatively low-poverty population compared with many schools in Camden County.

On state assessments, Cooper shows a notable spread across grade levels. Fourth grade scored as a clear strength, with a large majority of students meeting proficiency in both math and English language arts. Third grade and fifth grade did not reach that same level; their proficiency rates were lower, and the gap is wide enough that a parent may want to ask the school how instruction changes between grades and what support is available for students who are not yet at the bar. Fifth-grade science results were also lower than the math and ELA results at that grade, which is worth noting because science is tested only at fifth grade here, so there is not another grade’s data to compare against. Across all tested grades and subjects, Cooper’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among elementary schools in Camden County, meaning that while individual grade-level results vary, the school performs well relative to its neighbors.

No data was available on chronic absenteeism or on the share of students with disabilities or English learners. The district did not appear to have a recent public referendum, curriculum overhaul, or boundary change in the available records. The absence of that kind of news is not unusual for a steady suburban district.

Cherry Hill itself is a large suburban township without a traditional downtown. The Cherry Hill Mall functions as a de facto commercial center. The housing stock is mostly mid-20th century subdivisions and ranches, with a mix of older homes and newer townhouse developments. Home values in the area are well above the national median. The median listing price in the county has been rising, and the market is active, with homes going under contract relatively quickly. The Asian American population, and particularly a Korean American business corridor along Route 70, has grown noticeably in recent years. Many residents commute to Philadelphia or Camden. The township runs a well-regarded public library and maintains extensive parkland.

What Cooper offers is a standard suburban elementary experience within a district that has a reputation for solid academics. The school’s fourth-grade results are strong, and the overall comparison is favorable. The lower third-grade and fifth-grade numbers are a reason for a parent to inquire about instructional consistency and intervention. For a family looking at Cherry Hill’s elementary options, Cooper is one of several similar schools; the differences between them are likely to come down to the specifics of the building’s staff and program rather than a radically different academic profile.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 62% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 58% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 61% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 339%

School 39% · District 53% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 473%

School 73% · District 62% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 64% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Science

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 41% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolCherry Hill School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income21%Higher-income47%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income29%Higher-income50%22 pp gap