Governor Beebe, Sen. Joyce Elliott to speak at Academic Signing Day

Academic Signing Day Set for May 23

The Public Education Foundation, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, and its Create Little Rock will host the sixth annual Academic Signing Day Program at 10:30 am on Monday, May 23rd. The program, sponsored by Centennial Bank, will be held at the Governor’s Mansion and will conclude by noon.

Those gathered will be welcomed by Barbara Graves (Member, Board of Directors, Centennial Bank) and hear a keynote address from Governor Mike Beebe. Additional remarks will come from State Senator Joyce Elliott, Dr. Morris Holmes (Superintendent, Little Rock School District) and Joe Hilliard (President, Public Education Foundation of Little Rock) will also speak.

Academic Signing Day honors students who are the top academic graduates in the Little Rock School District. The event will be patterned in the same manner in which an athletic student would sign at the college of his or her choice. Students have the opportunity to introduce themselves and highlight the colleges and universities of their choice.

Academic Signing Day defines student learning as the number one objective in local schools and offers an opportunity for the general public to take note of the high level of student achievement produced by the local public school system. In the past, the event has garnered media coverage from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Times, and the local television stations, and the same is expected this year.

To be selected to participate in Academic Signing Day, students must: 1) have a cumulative 4.0 grade point average from 9th through 12th grade; 2) be the valedictorian or salutatorian or third or fourth highest academically ranked student in their class; 3) be a senior 2011 National Achievement Semifinalist; 4) be a National Hispanic Scholar; or 5) be a National Merit Semifinalist.

In 2011, the Public Education Foundation anticipates honoring approximately 79 graduates, many of whom are bound for colleges and universities in the region and state, including University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix College, Arkansas Tech University, and University of Arkansas - Fayetteville. Scholars will also be attending institutions such as Columbia, Dartmouth, New York University, Princeton, Spelman, Stanford and Yale.