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Thank you, Secretary Sullivan, for that kind introduction and for your leadership. We've both had the honor of serving in cabinets under presidents named George Bush.

I also want to thank Wil Bryant for putting together this conference and for his leadership at the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

It's an honor to be here to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. HBCUs are an important part of our national heritage. Your schools educated generations of African-Americans during a time when other schools turned these students away just because of the color of their skin.

Out of your ranks came leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., who led the fight against segregation, and Thurgood Marshall, who helped open America's schools to students of all races. Today, your schools are continuing that legacy. You are educating the next generation of leaders, and you are continuing to open your doors to those in need. And I want to thank you for coming together to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

This storm destroyed schools, homes and entire communities. Hundreds of thousands of students will be unable to go back to their own schools for weeks or even months. I've been in close contact with state and local school officials in the affected areas. And I'm listening to what schools and students need so we can provide fast, streamlined relief from the federal level. President Bush has asked me to work with the Office of Management and Budget to develop a plan to marshal funds to affected schools and colleges in the Gulf region as well as schools taking in displaced students. We'll be announcing that plan in the near future.

I know some of your schools were severely damaged by this storm. Dillard University, Xavier University, and Southern University at New Orleans were especially hard hit. I'm glad to see Dr. Hughes from Dillard here today. I want you to know that President Bush and I are committed to supporting you during this difficult time. Your schools are national treasures. And they must be rebuilt.

Last week, I met with leaders from over 50 national education organizations, including the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education [NAFEO]. And I want to thank Lezli [Baskerville] for attending. We discussed how we could work together to help schools and students affected by this storm. And President Swygert, who is here today from Howard University, talked about how we all must help institutions like Dillard, Xavier, and Southern University at New Orleans get back to the business of educating students as soon as possible. I couldn't agree more. We need all hands on deck to help.

In this time of loss, we've seen the strength of the American spirit. Americans have responded to hardship with courage and generosity, just as they always do. Yesterday, we observed the fourth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11. We saw real evil on that day, but we also saw real heroes rise up to save lives and to defend this nation.

We're seeing that same spirit once again. Grambling State University sent a fleet of buses to rescue stranded students and staff members from Xavier University in New Orleans. The Grambling buses drove hundreds of people to safety.

Your schools have come together like family during this difficult time. And you've set an example for the entire country. I want to thank NAFEO for launching the HBCU Visiting Student-Evacuee Program.

HBCUs, like many other schools across the country, are reaching out to enroll displaced students. And we're going to work with you to ensure these students continue to receive federal student aid. We're also going to let students in affected communities delay repaying student loans. In other words, we're going to do everything we can to help these students now, and we'll worry about the fine print later.

As a mom, I've been impressed and touched—but not surprised—by the outpouring of support that we've seen from the education community. It's just another example of the dedication of America's educators.

On Thursday, Mrs. Bush and I traveled to Southaven, Miss.. The city has opened its arms as well as its schools to displaced families and children from New Orleans. One man said he had been treated so well that he felt like he was on a Carnival Cruise. And parents kept saying how relieved they were to have their children back in school.

School provides children with a sense of structure, and the hurricane victims are in desperate need of that sense of normalcy right now. In the coming weeks, hundreds of thousands of displaced students of all ages will be enrolling in new schools across the country.

And these schools are going to need additional resources such as books, clothes, and other supplies. I'm working with state and local officials to make sure schools have adequate resources to accommodate displaced students.

The Department of Education has also launched the Hurricane Help for Schools Web page on our Web site at ed.gov. The page is a forum where companies and organizations can reach out to help schools in need of additional supplies. Schools can post what they need along with their contact information. And companies and organizations can respond to those needs by sending resources directly to schools. It's going to be a clearinghouse of resources to help.

Mrs. Bush is helping us spread the word about the site through public service announcements, which are now airing across the country. Americans want to reach out to help these children, and we want to make sure that support gets to those who need it.

We're committed to ensuring that schools have the resources to give these students the quality education they deserve. And where it makes sense, we'll give states and districts more flexibility with certain provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. Right now, we're taking a look at highly qualified teacher provisions. We want to work with states to allow displaced teachers to work in other states.

At the same time, we must not write off an entire academic year for these students. We want schools to welcome them with high expectations. When we passed the No Child Left Behind Act four years ago, we made a commitment to raise the bar for all of our children—no matter their race or income level or zip code. And in the wake of this tragedy, it's more important than ever that we keep this commitment for all of our children.

Earlier this summer, I hosted a roundtable with Dr. Dorothy Height and other African-American leaders to discuss how we could do a better job reaching out to the African-American community. We must close the achievement gap between African-American and white students. And we're making real progress.

In July, we got the results of the latest Nation's Education Report Card. It shows how students have fared in reading and math over the last three decades. And as I'm sure you've heard, the results are impressive.

• Nationally, reading scores for 9-year olds increased more over the last five years than in all the years between 1971 and 1999 combined. African-American students led the way with a 14-point increase. As a result, the achievement gap between white and African-American students is at an all-time low.
• In math, 9- and 13-year-olds' scores reached all time highs, too. Math scores for African-American 9-year olds increased 13 points since 1999.

Back in Texas, we like to say, "In God we trust—all others bring data." And with this data, we can see we're moving in the right direction. More students are learning. Scores are rising. And the achievement gap is closing. In other words, No Child Left Behind is working.

We still have more work to do. In October, Mrs. Bush will be leading the first ever White House Conference on Helping America's Youth at Howard University. I want to thank Howard for hosting this important conference. We're bringing together policymakers, researchers, educators, mentors, and parents to discuss how we can help children stay in school and succeed in life

As you know, far too many students are leaving high school unprepared for college. A recent study from ACT found that less than half of high school students graduate ready for college-level math and science. As a result, American businesses and universities must spend billions of dollars each year on remedial education just to teach students the basic skills they should have learned in high school. And fewer than one in five African-Americans has a bachelor's degree.

We must help more students—and especially more African-American students—realize the dream of college. I recently had the pleasure of dropping my oldest daughter off at college for the first time. I miss her a whole lot—though it's nice to have some hot water for my morning shower again. But seeing her start college was the proudest moment of my life. And I want all parents to have the chance to feel that pride.

About 80 percent of the fastest-growing jobs require at least some postsecondary education. And competition around the world is only growing stiffer. We need to do more to help our students keep up.

On Thursday, the Senate took a good first step by moving forward with reauthorizing the Higher Education Act. I'm glad to see the House and Senate are acting on the president's call to make sure America continues to be the world leader in math and science. We want to provide additional financial support for low-income students studying these important subjects.

And we must make the dream of college more affordable for all of our students. Senator Enzi is sponsoring a good proposal to increase Pell Grant aid for low-income students over the next five years. And we must make this aid available year-round for students who want to accelerate their studies and graduate early. We should send students a clear message. If you work hard in school, you will have the opportunity to graduate from college.

For well over a century, HBCUs have kept that promise for thousands of students who otherwise might not have had a chance to attend college. President Bush and I want to make sure you have the resources to continue extending opportunity to students today. That's why we're providing you with record levels of support. The president's 2006 budget proposal increases total funding for HBCUs and Historically Black Graduate Institutions to nearly $300 million.

As you all know, education is not just another political issue for Americans. It's a value that we all hold close to our hearts. It's what we all want for our children. It's the key to the American dream. And we must keep that dream alive for all of our children. It's more important than ever in times of hardship. School can be a source of great hope for families putting their lives back together.

I want to thank you for providing that hope for displaced students and their families. You're opening your doors to those in need and providing a quality education, just as you always have. And I want you to know that we're committed to doing everything we can to help you. Thanks again.

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