What happens when strategic philanthropy meets evidence-based practice?

The "Mississippi Miracle" is a powerful reminder of how strategic philanthropy—backed by clarity, data and commitment—can transform education. This article highlights 8 key lessons from mega-donor Jim Barksdale, who with his wife, Sally, made a $160 million investment in literacy which turned schools in his home state from sources of shame to pride (The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Mississippi Today).

From the outset, the Barksdales didn't just give—they set a bold, focused goal: to dramatically improve literacy across Mississippi. What began as a $100 million pledge evolved into a sustained multi-year commitment, showing that true change takes patience, persistence, and vision.

Jim and Sally treated their giving as an investment. They established the Barksdale Reading Institute as an independent entity that demanded demonstrable, quantifiable progress. The Institute emphasized phonics-based instruction and sound reading pedagogy, tackling the root challenges of early literacy. Data from the initiative helped build confidence in what was effective, inspiring policy shift and governmental buy-in.

Barksdale’s approach focused on creating durable institutions and models, like the Barksdale Reading Institute, that could outlast the initial funding. The “Mississippi Miracle” became a replicable example, not only in its state, but beyond, through partnerships and shared lessons that other states and funders could draw upon. It is also an example of how strategic philanthropy can reach far beyond a single grant or project to shape systems.

These donors had a clear objective, backed by data and a long-term commitment to change. That’s exactly what TPI-US believes, and it’s what we bring to our inspections, partnerships, and system-level engagement. Together, with funders, nonprofits, state leaders, and educators, we can engineer miracles wherever effective teaching is not yet the norm. 

TPI-US has long championed the same principles: data-driven inspection, continuous improvement, and relentless ownership of teacher preparation quality. Our work helps teacher prep programs identify what’s working and what isn’t, providing actionable, evidence-based recommendations that translate into improved outcomes for new teachers and ultimately, their students.

TPI-US is proud to have partnered with the Barksdale Reading Institute as well as leaders like Kelly Butler, and Kymyona Burk of ExcelinEd to better prepare teachers to teach reading effectively. Together, we’re bringing literacy strategies informed by the Science of Reading into teacher preparation—and ensuring programs are held to a high bar of implementation and accountability.