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Learn lessons from the rise—turn the tide for your students! 

Mississippi was once ranked last in the nation for reading achievement, but today has turned the tide. Despite the pandemic, the state reached the national average for 4th-grade reading on the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress and scored above the national average in 2022. The folks on the ground will tell you this was no "Mississippi Miracle," but due to much hard work over many years and some strategic policies and actions, that created a perfect storm. 

In this on-demand webinar, two key players share the long view of literacy in Mississippi and how this work CAN be replicated to raise literacy achievement for all students. Join Dr. Kymyona Burk, Mississippi’s former state literacy director and now a senior policy fellow at ExcelinEd, and Kelly Butler, CEO of the Barksdale Reading Institute, as they share this journey with Laura Stewart, Chief Academic Officer 95 Percent Group.  

Webinar highlights include: 

  • Discovering how it's possible to move the needle for all students
  • Examining the “non-negotiable" components necessary to make meaningful change 
  • Focusing on professional learning to transform instruction 
  • Creating a cohesive plan to keep all stakeholders moving in the same direction: state policymakers, teacher training, higher education, district and building leaders, classroom teachers, families, and communities
  • Accessing downloadable resources shared during the live event 

 

Complete this form to watch the on-demand webinar.

Meet your Webinar Facilitators

Burk Headshot_2020Dr. Kymyona Burk, Senior Policy Fellow for Early Literacy at the Foundation for Excellence in Education 

Dr. Kymyona Burk, Senior Policy Fellow for Early Literacy at the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), supports a comprehensive approach to K-3 reading policy by assisting leaders in building or improving K-3 reading policies and implementation. Prior to this position, she served as the Executive Director for the Office of Teaching and Learning in the Jackson Public School District, Jackson, MS. 

20230314_KellyButler-9 (3)Kelly Butler, Chief Executive Officer at the Barksdale Reading Institute 

Kelly Butler is Chief Executive Officer at the Barksdale Reading Institute (BRI). She holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard University. Before joining BRI, Kelly served as a teacher in the Greenwich, CT, public schools and has worked extensively with various non-profit organizations in social service, health care, and education in program development, support, and evaluation.