WHEREAS, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is a professional association of educators in English studies, literacy, and language arts; and

WHEREAS, NCTE sponsors the Achievement Awards in Writing to recognize excellence in English teaching and student achievement; and

WHEREAS, NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing publicly recognize writing excellence based on students’ samples of their own best prose or verse and on impromptu themes written under supervision; and

WHEREAS, in selecting the 2006 winners, judges looked for writing that demonstrated effective and imaginative use of language to inform and move an audience; and

WHEREAS, 2,080 high school juniors were nominated by their schools to participate in the 2006 program and 606 were chosen as outstanding writers:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Alabama State Board of Education does hereby commend Grace Hong of Vestavia Hills High School in the Vestavia Hills City School System for receiving the NCTE Certificate for Superior Writing, as well as her teachers and parents, for this achievement.

Done this 9th day of November 2006