Sandra L. Baxter, joined the staff of the National Institute for Literacy in 1999. In 2001, she was designated Interim Director and in June 2005, she was appointed Director to the Institute. Dr. Baxter is responsible for managing the Institute’s daily operations. Under Dr. Baxter’s guidance, the Institute has undertaken new work on early childhood, adolescent, and adult reading. Prior to assuming the posts of Interim Director and Director, Dr. Baxter directed the Institute's national reading research dissemination campaign, The Partnership for Reading. The Partnership, a collaborative effort of the Institute, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, seeks to make scientifically-based reading research accessible to the public and to facilitate the application of research to instructional practice. Since its inception, the Partnership has distributed more than 20 million print publications about reading, including copies of the National Reading Report.

Prior to joining the Institute's staff, Dr. Baxter was a senior evaluator at the U.S. General Accounting Office where her work focused on federal education policy and programs. Dr. Baxter began her career working in community-based programs for disadvantaged youth and adults where she advised students on college admissions and financial aid requirements.

She earned a doctoral degree in education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and holds a master’s degree from Loyola College and completed her undergraduate education at Howard University.