By Sherri Drake Silence, Jane Roberts - The Commercial Appeal -

The state education department has flagged 109 Memphis City Schools and five Shelby County Schools for failing to meet federal academic standards.

The Tennessee Department of Education released its 2010 report card on student achievement this morning -- two months later than usual after the state raised the bar on what students must know. Schools and districts must meet performance standards in 37 categories at each grade level to be deemed in “good standing” under federally mandated No Child Left Behind standards.

To phase in the stricter test requirements, the state dramatically lowered the percentage of students that needed to pass this year in order to meet federal progress requirements. That helps account for Shelby County Schools scoring A’s on its report cards despite the precipitous drop in student scores. Memphis City Schools report card had failing marks.

According to the 2010 report card, 44 percent of county schools’ K-8 students and 19 percent of city schools’ K-8 students scored proficient or advanced in math, compared to 34 percent in the state. And 61 percent of the county’s K-8 students and 33 percent of the city’s K-8 students scored proficient or advanced in reading, compared to 51 percent in the state.

In 2009, 95 percent of K-8 students in SCS scored proficient or advanced in math and reading and 85 percent of MCS students scored proficient or advanced in math and 82 percent scored proficient or advanced in reading.

Fifty-five percent of SCS high school students and 34 percent MCS high school students scored proficient or advanced in math, compared to 49 percent in the state. And 79 percent of county high school students and 52 percent of city high school students scored proficient or advanced in reading, compared to 70 percent in the state.

In 2009, 95 percent of SCS high school students and 78 percent of MCS high school students scored proficient or advanced in math and 98 percent of SCS high school students and 91 percent of MCS high school students scored proficient or advanced in reading.

While the city schools’ graduation rate climbed to 70.8 percent from 62.1 percent – an 8.7 percent increase from 2009 to 2010, SCS graduation rates dropped more than five percent from 96.3 percent to 91.2 percent.