Shirley Frye became a member of NCTM's Board of Directors in 1973. She served on several task forces and committees, including Program Committees, the Instructional Affairs Committee, and the Editorial Panel of NCTM's
Arithmetic Teacher.
Possibly the most notable of Frye's contributions to mathematics education was her role as president of NCTM (1988-90). During her presidency, NCTM released
Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics,
which gave much prominence to the Council. Frye spread the word about the Standards, carefully articulating the goals and content to a wide variety of audiences.
As a member of the Mathematical Sciences Education Board at the National Research Council, she helped develop the guide
Reshaping School Mathematics.
She also coauthored a commercial mathematics series for the K-8 grade level.
After a 40-year tenure in public schools, Frye retired in 1991, but her love for teaching continues. At the time of this writing, she is conducting teacher in-service programs and is a consultant for districts about curriculum development. She is also chair of the Awards Committee of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics and is the Arizona State Coordinator for the American Mathematics Competition.