National Math Stars (NMS) has selected 17 exceptional students from Iowa to participate in its 10-year, fully funded academic initiative designed to support gifted young mathematicians across the country.

In Iowa, our National Math Stars will begin as rising fourth graders in a program that provides individualized support aligned to student strengths and interests through twelfth grade. Each National Math Star has a budget tailored to their learning and financial needs - support that may exceed $100,000 over the course of the program. Students benefit from a dedicated family advisor, free weekly math mentoring, advanced technology and educational resources, pathway exploration and counseling, STEM summer experiences, family and community events and more. 

“With Governor Reynolds’ comprehensive Math Counts Act and our first-in-the-nation partnership with National Math Stars, Iowa continues to advance evidence-based math instruction to meet the needs of all learners,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “We are so proud of our extraordinary semifinalists, and we congratulate Iowa’s 17 National Math Stars - the most of any state in the Midwest. Encouraged by their dedicated families and teachers, our 2025 National Math Stars will start as rising fourth graders in this transformational program that will provide them personalized support through graduation.”

The Iowa Department of Education is excited to announce an upcoming professional learning opportunity aligned with the goals of House File 784 (HF 784), which prioritizes high-quality instruction in early numeracy. Build Math Minds -- The Flexibility Formula provides an overview of the components of the professional learning including asynchronous modules and opportunities for digging deeper in synchronous virtual sessions.

This professional learning series is designed to strengthen mathematics instruction by building fluency and deepening conceptual understanding among educators. Developed by nationally recognized mathematics educator Christina Tondevold, The Flexibility Formula supports teachers in helping all students develop a strong foundation in number sense.

This professional learning opportunity is part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring that all Iowa students develop strong mathematical foundations. Additional support will be provided for schools identified for comprehensive support.
Please have your district’s designated point of contact complete this registration form to begin the registration process. Once the district contact has registered, they will receive instructions for teachers on registration. For any questions, contact April Pforts at april.pforts@iowa.gov.

House File 784 requires the development of a personalized mathematics plan for any K–6 student identified as “persistently at risk” in mathematics. The Department has developed a statewide template and technical assistance document to support educators in designing targeted, data-informed plans that address the individual needs of students. Plans should include clear instructional goals, research-based strategies, and a progress monitoring system. Plans also ensure ongoing communication with families and provide scaffolds to maintain access to grade-level content.

For any questions, contact Christi Donald at christi.donald@iowa.gov.

The Iowa Academic Standards for Mathematics Guidebook has been updated, along with crosswalks and spreadsheets. Plus, a brand-new video series now condenses the learning into just over two hours for easier access.

New Resource Alert:

Explore this K–6 resource packed with visual tools and models to deepen conceptual understanding and guide educators in choosing effective representations for teaching and professional learning.

Want to dig deeper? Explore the Iowa Academic Standards for Mathematics Implementation Resources Guidebook for strategies, tools, and examples to support implementation.

Questions? Contact April Pforts (april.pforts@iowa.gov) or Christi Donald (christi.donald@iowa.gov).

K–5 Math Educators: Join Dr. Marian Small for a Day of Fraction Learning!

Date: Monday, October 20, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Location: The Huxley Learning Center, 1551 Highway 210, Huxley, IA

Join internationally renowned math educator Dr. Marian Small for Uncomplicating Fractions—a hands-on workshop designed to help K–5 teachers deepen students’ understanding of fractions.

Read about the Workshop and Watch the Video!

Join ICTM at the 2025 ICTM Fall Math Conference!
The Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM) invites you to the 2025 Fall Math Conference on Tuesday, October 21, at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny!

This year’s theme, "Building Connected Relationships with Math," features an inspiring keynote by Dr. Marian Small, as well as sessions led by Iowa educators and national speakers. Read about ICTM's Speakers

Don't miss this chance to collaborate, learn, and grow alongside fellow math educators across the state.

Register today and explore full conference details at: iowamath.org/2025-conference

Join Iowa State University faculty and professional actuaries on the Iowa State University campus for a fun and informative look at our actuarial science and statistics majors and the rewarding career options awaiting your students after graduation.

Actuarial Cyence Day 10/30/25 Agenda

Email Rahul Parsa raparsa@iastate.edu to express your interest in participating and to determine if your class is eligible for a travel grant for the event.

Challenge Launches This Fall!

NASA TechRise is back and ready to inspire the next generation of innovators! This free national challenge invites middle and high school student teams (grades 6–12) to design experiments for suborbital flights, including those using rockets and high-altitude balloons.

What’s Included:

• $1,500 for each of the 60 winning teams to build their experiment
• A NASA-sponsored flight to test the project
• Technical support from NASA advisors
• Free classroom resources and educator pacing guides
• Virtual field trips and optional info sessions

Iowa had a winner last year! Check out Maharishi School’s winning project and see what your students could do next.

The 2025–26 challenge opens this September—be ready by pre-registering and downloading the flyer at futureengineers.org/nasatechrise.

Would you like a custom information session for your school or organization? Request one here, or email techrise@futureengineers.org for more details.

Tamara Bane has devoted her career to helping educators and students see mathematics as a way of thinking, reasoning, and making sense of the world. Currently serving as the Preschool-12th Grade Math Instructional Coach for Winterset Community Schools, Tamara supports teachers across all grade levels in strengthening mathematics instruction and aligning practice to the Iowa Academic Standards for Mathematics.

In Winterset, Tamara has designed and facilitated professional learning that helps teachers deepen their instructional practice. She has guided educators through Principles to Actions, Building Math Minds: The Flexibility Formula, 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions, and numerous other best-practice studies—most recently, Building Thinking Classrooms. Building Thinking Classrooms began in Winterset’s Middle School and has since expanded to include all grade levels, from kindergarten to 12th grade, which has resulted in a spike in test scores. When walking into classrooms, you can see students standing at whiteboards engaging in reasoning, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Beyond Winterset, Tamara serves as the President-Elect of the Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM) and as Iowa's representative to the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM). Through these leadership roles, she is helping shape statewide professional learning and strengthen Iowa’s mathematics community.

Through her coaching and leadership, Tamara continues to inspire educators to bring the standards to life in ways that support deep understanding for all students.