Seven Greater Cincinnati schools are among 17 in Ohio that will learn in February whether they have been selected for on-site visits in the U.S. Department of Education's national Blue Ribbon School Recognition Program.

        Applications from Cincinnati Public Schools' School for Creative and Performing Arts, Lakota's Hopewell and Liberty junior schools, Mariemont High School, Forest Hills' Turpin High School, Mason High School and Winton Woods Middle School are being forwarded to Washington for review.

        No schools in Northern Kentucky or Southeast Indiana were selected to represent their states in the national competition.

        Criteria include academic achievement, challenging curriculum, leadership, community and parent involvement and leadership.

        “Just completing the application demonstrates that the school is committed to quality,” said Lakota Superintendent Kathleen Klink.

        Since the program began in 1982, three Lakota schools — Lakota High, Hopewell Elementary and Shawnee Elementary — have won the national recognition. Freedom Elementary has earned the honor twice. Cincinnati's SCPA was also recognized at the national level in the competition 18 years ago.

        Officials at SCPA are hoping their submission of above-average PSAT college test scores will be accepted because the students don't take standardized tests. Unlike other schools where gaps exist between scores of students from different cultures, the gap is very small on the PSAT scores of SCPA students, said Principal Jeff Brokamp.

        “African-American and white students score roughly the same,” Mr. Brokamp said. “I think it's because we (prepare) a program for each student that looks at their talents and skills,” Mr. Brokamp said.

        National Blue Ribbon schools will be announced in May after evaluators complete and review the on-site visits that will take place at selected schools in February and March.

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