By Jennifer Mrozowski
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Cincinnati school district is poised to climb out of "academic emergency" when state report cards are released in August, superintendent Alton Frailey said Wednesday.

That would be the first time in two years the 38,800-student district has shed the emergency label, the lowest of five state rankings for student performance on state tests, student attendance and graduation rates.

Last year, Frailey called the rating unacceptable and announced an initiative the district called "Building Excellence" to improve student achievement.

The scores are not final yet, but the district is counting on gains from last year.

"When you look at what we have done this year and the things we have learned along the way and that we have focused on, I am very confident we will not be in academic emergency this time around," he said. Frailey made the remarks during a press conference Wednesday wrapping up the school year that ends May 28.

He outlined steps the district has taken to improve student achievement, down to the basics of getting kids to come to school regularly and on time. For the "Count Me In" campaign, principals and social workers called parents at home when students didn't show up for school and rewarded classes that achieved 100 percent attendance.

Some other initiatives included:

• Aligning the district's lessons with what the state says students should know at each grade hevel.

• Testing students regularly to assess what they know, analyzing the testing data and then tailoring lessons to where students are deficient.

• Holding four districtwide training days for teachers.

• Improving discipline by creating alternative placement centers so troubled students can still learn in a school setting instead of being expelled to their home.

• Launching the $1 billion building project to renovate and rebuild 66 schools over the next decade.

Board president Florence Newell said she's pleased with the strategies to improve education.

"The items the superintendent pointed out today are all really important initiatives that will move the district forward," she said. "Whether we've moved quickly enough is yet to be seen."

Frailey acknowledged there have been some bumps this year, including a continuing contract dispute with the teachers union and declining enrollment that is forcing the district to rethink the scope of its billion-dollar project.

But he said his team is committed to improving education for Cincinnati's students, and he's optimistic the district will work out its problems.

"I know that I'm here to serve children," he said. "Nothing is going to deter me from that."

E-mail jmrozowski@enquirer.com