Kelly Butler is Senior Advisor to ReadingUniverse.org, a large-scale legacy project of the Barksdale Reading Institute (BRI), where she served as Chief Executive Officer. The Institute concluded operations in June of 2023 having contributed significantly to Mississippi’s rise in reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP 2019, NAEP 2022). Reading Universe is housed at WETA, PBS’s flagship station in Washington, D.C. amidst a suite of award-winning literacy websites supporting evidence-based practices for teachers of reading and writing.
During her tenure at BRI, Kelly initiated the original Reading Universe concept to provide high quality professional development to educators in Barksdale schools and educator preparation programs. Butler authored three statewide studies on Teacher Preparation for Early Literacy Instruction which propelled The Path Forward, a multi-state initiative focused on preparation and licensure. Kelly is an advisor to the Mississippi Reading Panel, the Mississippi Reading Clinic, The Path Forward, the Southeast Region’s Education Laboratory, and the Education Advocacy Center; and is a board member for Springboard to Opportunities and Deans for Impact. She holds a master’s degree in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University. She lives in Jackson, Mississippi.