The top reported proficiency rate is 66% in English language arts. The lowest is 45% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on William P Tatem Elementary School
William P Tatem Elementary School is one of the neighborhood elementary schools serving the Collingswood Public School District, a compact borough just east of Philadelphia with a walkable downtown, a mix of Cape Cod and Victorian homes, and a PATCO Speedline station that connects residents to Center City. The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade and is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet.
The student body at Tatem is predominantly White, with a notable Hispanic population, a smaller Black share, and a modest share of students who identify as two or more races. The proportion of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is below what many districts in the region report. Specific counts for students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the data we reviewed, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its special education and language support programs.
In terms of academic performance, Tatem posts results on the state’s NJSLA assessments that sit comfortably above the midpoint for Camden County. Across tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Camden County, a strong showing. In English language arts, proficiency rates reached a high across the third and fourth grades, with a slightly lower rate in fifth grade. Math results followed a similar pattern, with the highest proficiency in third grade and lower but still above-average rates in fourth and fifth. Science, tested only at fifth grade, showed a proficiency rate that was lower than the school’s math and ELA figures. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how science instruction and curriculum are structured in the upper elementary grades.
Because Tatem serves only elementary grades, there are no graduation rate metrics or secondary-level measures to report. The school does not offer high school programs or pathways, so parents considering the full K-12 picture would want to look at Collingswood’s middle and high school as well.
The school is embedded in a borough with a lively civic and cultural scene. Knight Park sits across from the high school, and the downtown corridor along Haddon Avenue hosts restaurants, galleries, a farmers’ market, and events like Porchfest and monthly art walks. Housing values in the area have risen, reflecting broader regional pressure, and the county’s housing market has seen an increase in active listings and pending sales. A parent moving to the area will find a traditional street grid, a range of housing from older single-family homes to newer lofts and condos, and a commute to Philadelphia that is short by train.
We looked for recent district-level changes such as budget shifts, curriculum updates, or referendums that would be relevant to a family considering the school, but the available research did not surface any lasting parent-relevant changes in the past few years. The district’s strategic priorities and programmatic evolution were not described in the data we had, so those details are not included here.
Overall, Tatem is an elementary school in a well-regarded suburban district, with academic performance that is solidly above average for its county. The student body is not highly economically diverse compared with many nearby districts, and the school’s results in math and reading are consistently strong, though science is an area where the numbers are softer. For families already in Collingswood or looking to move to a dense, walkable borough with good transit access to Philadelphia, Tatem represents the elementary entry point into a district whose reputation in the region is positive, even if some specific program details and recent changes remain lightly documented in the public record.
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