UIU professor to co-chair state math curriculum team
FAYETTE, Iowa (November 2, 2007) - Maureen Busta, professor of mathematics at Upper Iowa University (UIU), and Sue Runyon, Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA) mathematics consultant, have been named co-chairs of the K-8 Mathematics Core Curriculum Team for the Iowa Department of Education. The team has been assigned the responsibility of writing a mathematics curriculum that will be used as a model for Iowa schools.
The K-8 Mathematics Core 
Curriculum Team is part of an overall Project Lead Team that consists of representatives from Iowa business and industry, school administrations, state universities, private and community colleges, the Iowa Association of School Boards, Iowa State Education Association, Department of Education, AEAs and LEAs.
Busta and Runyon's team will meet regularly with a panel of classroom teachers, AEA mathematics consultants, local district curriculum leaders and staff from various universities to read and review research that will be used to write the curriculum.
This taskforce was organized in response to legislation (Senate File 588) that was enacted earlier this year to ensure that all Iowa students grades K-8 have access to a rigorous and relevant curriculum, to define the most critical curriculum, and to provide educators with a tool for assuring that essential mathematics is being taught.
The K-8 Mathematics Core Curriculum Team is scheduled to report its work to the Project Lead Team by late January, 2008.