Academic Signing Day set for May 21, 2012

Gov. Mike Beebe to address 2012 honorees

The Public Education Foundation, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, and its Create Little Rock initiative, will host the seventh annual Academic Signing Day Program at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 21. The program, sponsored by Entergy, will be held at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion.

Those gathered will be welcomed by Hugh McDonald, President and CEO of Entergy Arkansas and hear a keynote address from Governor Mike Beebe. Additional remarks will be made by Frank Scott of First Security Bank and Dr. Morris Holmes, Superintendent of the Little Rock School District.

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 they will be attending.

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 2012 National Achievement Semifinalist; 4) be a National Hispanic Scholar; or 5) be a National Merit Semifinalist.

In 2011, the Public Education Foundation honored approximately 79 graduates, many of whom now attend 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 also attend institutions such as Columbia, Dartmouth, New York University, Princeton, Spelman, Stanford and Yale.