    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [August 21, 2004]
    [Pages 1728-1729]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    August 21, 2004

        Good morning. In the coming weeks, children across our Nation will
    begin a new school year. They're looking forward to meeting new teachers
    and learning new subjects and making new friends. And thanks to good
    schools and good policies, we can all be confident this year will be a
    year of achievement for America's students and families.
        Two-and-a-half years ago, I signed the No Child Left Behind Act, a
    bipartisan law that is challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations
    in public education. My budget for next year increases school funding to
    $37 billion, a 49-percent increase since 2001. And we're insisting on
    results in return. We are leaving behind the broken system that shuffled
    children from grade to grade, even when they were not learning the
    basics. We're requiring regular testing, providing extra help for
    children falling behind. We're giving information and options to
    parents. We are holding schools accountable for the progress of every
    child.
        We are already seeing hopeful results. Math scores are up from
    fourth and eight

    [[Page 1729]]

    grades across the country. Fourth graders in urban schools are showing
    strong gains in both reading and math. And from Georgia, North Carolina,
    and Maryland, to Illinois, Wisconsin, and New Mexico, minority children
    are improving test scores and narrowing the achievement gap.
        We recognize that some schools have catching up to do. That is why
    we are making extra resources available to the schools that need the
    most help. We are empowering parents, getting local education experts
    involved, and offering tutors to striving students. And to help the most
    disadvantaged students, we have boosted Title I funding to an
    unprecedented $12.3 billion, an increase of 41 percent since I took
    office.
        One Federal grant went to Asheville City Schools in North Carolina,
    the home district of Ira B. Jones Elementary School. Two years ago,
    Jones did not meet standards under the new law. So district leaders used
    more than $200,000 dollars in Federal aid to help Jones hire a reading
    coach, train additional teachers, increase parent involvement, and start
    an extended-day program for struggling students. This past school year,
    their efforts paid off. Jones met its target for yearly progress. This
    is how a fourth grade teacher described her reaction: ``We screamed and
    yelled. We were absolutely thrilled.''
        We want to see that kind of achievement at schools around the
    Nation, both in the primary grades and in our high schools. So I'll work
    with Congress to pass my proposals to help high school students
    struggling in reading and math. We will expand Advanced Placement
    programs at low-income schools. We will ensure that high schools offer a
    rigorous curriculum in English, math, science, and social studies, so we
    can be certain a high school diploma means something. We will expand the
    use of the Internet to bring high-level training to students around the
    country.
        These plans will build on the results we have seen these past 2
    years. The pattern is clear and encouraging. The No Child Left Behind
    Act is bringing progress and hope to America's students, parents, and
    educators. We are gaining momentum, and we will not turn back.
        By ensuring a quality education for every child, we meet an
    important duty to the next generation. We're giving young people the
    confidence and skills they need to succeed in higher education and to
    fill the jobs of the 21st century. Education is the gateway to a more
    hopeful future, and we will make sure that gate is open to all
    Americans.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 8:50 a.m. on August 20 at the Bush
    Ranch in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August 21. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    August 20 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.