AP Stats

Description

Course Description: Advanced Placement Statistics* is equivalent to an introductory college level statistics course. Students are introduced to the major concepts of collecting, organizing, and drawing conclusions from data. Students will study four broad areas of introductory statistics:

·       Planning a Study: Deciding what and how to measure

·       Exploring Data: Observing patterns and departures from patterns

·       Anticipating Patterns: Producing models using probability and simulation

·       Statistical Inference: Confirming models.

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Requirements

Prospective students should have completed a second year of high school algebra and possess a mathematical maturity that includes quantitative reasoning. Students also should have writing skills that allow them to express answers clearly and succinctly.

Scope and Sequence

Semester 1

PART I. PRODUCING DATA: SAMPLES, EXPERIMENTS, AND SIMULATIONS  5. Producing Data
    5.1 Designing Samples
    5.2 Designing Experiments
    5.3 Simulating Experiments

    PART II.ORGANIZING DATA: LOOKING FOR PATTERNS ANDDEPARTURES FROM PATTERNS
  1. Exploring Data
    1.1 Displaying Distributions with Graphs
    1.2 Describing Distributions with Numbers
    
  2. The Normal Distributions
    2.1 Density Curves and the Normal Distribution
    2.2 Standard Normal Calculations
    
  3. Examining Relationships
    3.1 Scatterplots
    3.2 Correlation
    3.3 Least-Squares Regression
    
  4. More on Two-Variable Data
    4.1 Transforming Relationships
    4.2 Cautions about Correlation and Regression
    4.3 Relations in Categorical Data
    

PART III PROBABILITY: FOUNDATIONS OF INFERENCE
  6. Probability: The Study of Randomness
    6.1 The Idea of Probability
    6.2 Probability Models
    6.3 General Probability Rules
    
  7. Random Variables
    7.1 Discrete and Continuous Random Variables
    7.2 Means and Variances of Random Variables

Semester 2

  8. The Binomial and Geometric Distributions
    8.1 The Binomial Distributions
    8.2 The Geometric Distributions
    
  9. Sampling Distributions
    9.1 Sampling Distributions
    9.2 Sample Proportions
    9.3 Sample Means

PART IV. INFERENCE: CONCLUSIONS WITH CONFIDENCE
  10. Introduction to Inference
    10.1 Estimating with Confidence
    10.2 Tests of Significance
    10.3 Making Sense of Statistical Significance
    10.4 Inference as Decision
     
  11. Inference for Distributions
    11.1 Inference for the Mean of a Population
    11.2 Comparing Two Means
    
  12. Inference for Proportions
    12.1 Inference for a Population Proportion
    12.2 Comparing Two Proportions
    
  13. Inference for Tables: Chi-Square Procedures
    13.1 Test for Goodness of Fit
    13.2 Inference for Two-Way Tables
    
  14. Inference for Regression
    14.1 Inference about the Model

Grading

Throughout the course students will do assessments. There are different forms of assessment as outlined below.

1. Discussions - Students will post a response to a topic and will also be required to respond to another student's posting. Each discussion is valued at 10 points (5 points for initial post and 5 points for response post). Each unit starts and ends with a discussion board, and there is a homework help discussion board.

2. Self Check quizzes - The Self Check quizzes are designed to reinforce the basic concepts from the lessons. The student may retake the quizzes multiple times. These Self Checks will count toward the student's overall grade. Each quiz is worth 100 points.

3. Multiple Choice quizzes - The Multiple Choice quizzes will cover material presented in several lessons. The multiple choice quizzes may be taken multiple times. Each quiz is worth 100 points.

4. Assignments - Throughout the course students will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge of concepts by answering free response questions. The assignments are designed to prepare the student for the free response section of the AP exam. All assignments must be hand written.  Assignments are worth 300 points.

5. Exams - Exams are two part, 48 points of multiple choice questions (12 questions, 4 points each) and 52 points of free response. The free response have the same format as the assignments mentioned above. Each exam is worth 300 points. 

6. Hands-on Labs: Most units will have a hands-on lab which will be done in class.  Each lab is worth 100 points.

7.  Wiki Postings:  Each student will be required to post one vocabulary term along with a definition in the wiki area for each unit.  The are also required to add to existing Wiki postings by other students.  In addition, each student will be required to post a website that they have found useful for each unit.  Each wiki is valued at 15 points (5 points for initial term, 5 points for response post, 5 points for website post).

8.  AP Practice Exams:  There will be two comprehensive exams each semester.  These exams will contain multiple choice and free response questions from previous AP Statistics exams.  These exams will count for 15% of each six weeks grade. 

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