By Jennifer Mrozowski
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Thirty-seven Greater Cincinnati schools are considered to be persistently under-performing by the federal government and must offer parents the option to transfer their children out of those schools this school year.

Of those, 29 are in the Cincinnati Public School district.

Ohio has 191 schools in the category, up from 161 last year. Kentucky has 27, one less than last year, and Indiana has 117, down from 156.

SCHOOLS NEEDING IMPROVEMENT

The following schools have been designated low-performing by federal and state standards. The schools are required, effective this year, to give parents the option to transfer their children to a higher-performing school within that district, space permitting. Some schools are required to offer tutoring services, depending on the number of years they have been low performing. Butler County Hamilton City - Madison Elementary. Middletown City - McKinley Elementary. Hamilton County Charter schools (Cincinnati) - A.B. Miree Fundamental Academy, Greater Cincinnati Community, T.C.P. World Academy. Cincinnati City - Academy of World Languages, Bramble, Central Fairmount, Chase, Gamble, Hays/Porter/Washburn, Heberle, Hoffman, Hyde Park, John P. Parker, Lafayette Bloom Back on Track Accelerated Middle, Losantiville, North Fairmount, Oyler, Pleasant Hill, Pleasant Ridge, Project Succeed Program (Elementary), Quebec Heights, Roberts Paideia, Rockdale, Roselawn Condon, Rothenberg, Schwab, South Avondale, Vine, Washington Park, Whittier, Taft (Elementary), Windsor. Mount Healthy City - Frost Elementary, Rex Ralph Elementary. Kenton County Covington Independent - Latonia Elementary.

The schools considered under-performing did not meet federal requirements for school improvement that are part of President Bush's landmark education legislation, signed in 2002. The requirements for improvement vary from state to state.

Despite the label, some of the schools have improved their academics and educators caution that parents should talk to their principals on whether transfer is the best option for their child.

Most of the Greater Cincinnati School districts that have schools on the list say they've sent letters to parents notifying them of the option to transfer their childrent.

Some schools will also have to offer tutoring services to children in the schools and others will have to make plans to overhaul their schools, such as replacing key staff or developing a new instructional plan.

Cincinnati Public School district expects to send 10,000 letters to parents and guardians this week.

"The letter encourages parents to call their principal and have a conversation about what the options are under the law," said Cincinnati Public Schools spokeswoman Janet Walsh. "But it's also a means of having conversation about the individual progress of a child."

The schools that are considered under-performing have missed their state goals for at least two years in a row within the last three years. However, some schools may have actually met their goals last year, but it takes two years of improvement to be removed from the list of under-performing schools.

Frost Elementary in Mount Healthy school district met the state goals this year but still falls on the list because it did not meet its goals the two years before.

Officials there caution against giving up on the school and its staff.

"I think the fact that they made adequate yearly progress this past year is a good sign they're moving in a positive direction," said Mount Healthy Schools Superintendent David Horine. "I would recommend that (the students) stay at Frost and we will continue to improve the quality of the education they are getting."

The goals for 2002-'03 for Ohio schools were:

• In fourth grade: 40.5 percent of students proficient or above in reading and 35.9 percent in math.

• In sixth grade: 36 percent proficient or above in reading and 36.8 percent in math.

• In ninth grade: 78 percent proficient or above in reading and 53.1 percent in math.

• Graduation: 73.6 percent or improvement over last year.

• Attendance: 93 percent or improvement over last year.

In Kentucky, the same schools as last year are on the list, except one that closed.

Despite the fanfare about last year's list of underachieving schools, few parents took advantage of the option to transfer. Of more than 7,000 students eligible to transfer in Cincinnati Public Schools, just about 50 transferred.

"Just as a label on a kid doesn't tell the whole story, a label on a school doesn't tell the whole story," said Jo Anne Friedmann, compliance officer for federal programs for Cincinnati Public Schools

Don Bowling, a Mount Healthy parent whose child attends Rex Ralph Elementary, said he would not consider moving his fourth-grade daughter out of the school even though it's considered under-performing.

"I think Rex Ralph is one of the better schools in the Mount Healthy school district," he said. "Many people just look at test scores and use that to judge the school itself. But you have to look at makeup of children in the school."

Most of the children at Rex Ralph are considered poor. The school also has a high rate of students moving in and out during the year, he said.

For his daughter, Rex Ralph was the right choice, Bowling said. His daughter receives special education at the school.

When she came to Rex Ralph in first grade, she could barely read, he said. Other students were far ahead of her, but now, she's nearly reading at grade level thanks to the attention and hard work of the staff, Bowling said. "There's plenty of support for children who are struggling," he said.

The schools that are labeled under-performing also will be offering additional support to students.

Debbie Alberico, spokeswoman for Middletown City Schools, said McKinley Elementary received a $158,000 federal technology grant to improve math. The school also improved in many areas. While just 38 percent passed fourth-grade reading, that was an improvement of 9.4 percent more students over the previous year, she said.

E-mail jmrozowski@enquirer.com