Former Netscape CEO James L. Barksdale and his wife, Sally, are donating $100 million to help the University of Mississippi Foundation promote literacy reform throughout the state.

With the money, the foundation will create the Barksdale Reading Institute as a joint venture between the University of Mississippi School of Education, the Mississippi Department of Education and seven other university education schools in the state.

The program aims to improve reading skills of Mississippi's youth by improving the way children are taught to read.

Barksdale says such reading reform programs do work, but only with proper implementation. That is why he wants the institute and the Mississippi Department of Education to be in charge of the program.

With outside research studies available and help from the Barksdales, the state education department developed the Mississippi Reading Reform Model.

To implement that model, parts of the Barksdale gift will be awarded by the institute to colleges of education at Alcorn State University, Delta State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State University and the University of Southern Mississippi.

These schools will hire more reading faculty members to improve reading instruction for teachers in training and teachers already in the field.

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http://www.pnnonline.org/volunteers/reading1006.cfm First Union literacy initiative brings volunteers to schools nationwide

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