AP Stats Course Syllabus
MARQUETTE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
1203 WEST FAIR AVENUE
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN 49855
Office: (906) 225-5353 Fax: (906) 225-5370
www.mapsnet.org
Teacher name: Zack Sedgwick Voice Mail: 225-5424
E-mail: Room location: #209
Mr. Sedgwick’sWebpage:
https://www.mapsnet.org/pages/zsedgwick/
Course Description
AP Statistics is the high school equivalent of a one semester, introductory college statistics course. In this course, students develop strategies for collecting, organizing, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. Students design, administer, and tabulate results from surveys and experiments. Probability and simulations aid students in constructing models for chance phenomena. Sampling distributions provide the logical structure for confidence intervals and hypothesis tests.
COURSE OVERVIEW: The Study of Statistics is an ideal course for seniors who are planning on going into higher levels of mathematics study at a college or university. It may also be just as relevant for students who are not planning to study mathematics or engineering at the college level. Upwards of 50% of all undergraduate degrees require some form of statistics as part of their college program.
The teaching of Statistics may be somewhat different from many math courses you have had in the past. Certainly, there is a fair amount of lecture where the teacher presents critical information, formulas, algorithms and computations, but the class will mostly be driven by a data analysis approach to statistics. Students will work in groups that move the class towards a focus on the statistical thinking behind data gathering and interpretation. This approach more accurately reflects the way working statisticians contribute to our understanding of the world as well as leading students to the ultimate of goal of being able to draw conclusions (inferences) from the data and communicate those conclusions in both verbal and written form.
Materials for the course come from textbooks, classroom lectures, videos, the internet, data driven almanacs, and current newspapers and magazines. Students will find that a large 3 ring binder will help them organize the materials handed out in class as well as the information that they gather.
RESOURCE MATERIALS: Text: The Practice of Statistics (3rd edition), by Yates, Moore, and Starnes, W. H. Freeman & Co., 2008. ISBN: 0-7167-7309-0
Skills
To produce convincing oral and written statistical arguments, using appropriate terminology, in a variety of applied settings.
When and how to use technology to aid them in solving statistical problems
Knowledge
Essential techniques for producing data (surveys, experiments, observational studies, simulations), analyzing data (graphical & numerical summaries), modeling data (probability, random variables, sampling distributions), and drawing conclusions from data (inference procedures – confidence intervals and significance tests)
Habits of mind
To become critical consumers of published statistical results by heightening their awareness of ways in which statistics can be improperly used to mislead, confuse, or distort the truth.
Materials
Students must bring a calculator (preferably a TI 83, 83 Plus, 84, or 84 Plus), notebook and/or binder with paper, their textbook, planner, and a writing utensil to class each day.
Expectations…..Refer to the MSHS student handbook for rules/school policy.
· Be in your seat and ready to begin class when the bell rings. Come prepared daily with supplies (including your planner…..which you’ll need to leave class).
· Be respectful and demonstrate appropriate classroom etiquette.
· No eating or drinking in class except during the school designated “snack time”. Water is an exception.
· No phones or personal music devices.
Consequences
First Time – Warning
Second Time – Call Home
Third Time –Referral to guidance counselor and/or administrator.
Typical Class Routine
5-10 minutes Warm-up
5-10 minutes Homework corrections
20-30 minutes Lesson
5-10 minutes Work time
Tardies/Attendance
· Students are responsible to get to class on time. Parents will be contacted on the third recorded tardy. The fifth and every second subsequent tardy will be reported to the office and will result in Saturday School.
· Unexcused absences = “0” for ALL work collected that day.
Make-up Assignments and Tests
· Excused Absence-It is the student’s responsibility to find out what they missed and get caught up. The student will receive one day for every day EXCUSED to make up work without penalty.
· Assignments for each week are posted both on the website and in class. If possible, students should get work from one of these two sources prior to, or during, any absence.
· The student is responsible to have all work completed by the first class session following any absence.
Homework/Warm-ups
· Students are expected to grade their homework each day. The answers will be given for each assignment in class. Neatness and organization may be factored into the homework grade.
· On the day of a test/quiz, random homework assignments/warm-ups will be collected. Each homework assignment collected will be worth 10 points. Warm up assignments are worth 5 points. The student will be given a “homework check” grade based on the work submitted. If a student is absent on the day of a test/quiz, they will be required to turn in ALL homework/warm-up assignments assigned during the unit.
Grading Scale
A 93 -100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D+ 67-69
A- 90-92 B 83-86 C 73-76 D 63-66
B- 80-82 C- 70-72 D- 60-62
E 0-59
Citizenship
Your citizenship grade will be based on the following questions:
ü Were you on time and ready to begin class each day?
ü Were you respectful to your peers and teacher?
ü Did you give your best effort? Turn in your homework?
ü Did you have a good attitude? Did you ask questions and/or use your time well?
Quarter/Semester Grade Calculations
(Grades are always available on Skyward Family Access, which is also linked to the class website)
Quarter Grades SemesterGrades
Homework 20% 1st Quarter 40 %
Tests/Quiz 80% 2nd Quarter 40 %
Comprehensive Exam 20 %
Extra Help
· I am always available, within reason, for any student seeking extra help. The student is responsible to come to me and arrange a time either before school or after school. Please note that department/staff meetings are usually planned on Tuesdays after school and I will not be available during these times.
Parents
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. And remember, in order for me to communicate with you via e-mail, you must register with the high school office.
Here is my contact information:
Zack Sedgwick
MARQUETTE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
1203 WEST FAIR AVENUE
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN 49855
Voicemail: 225-5424
E-mail:
Notes concerning AP Stats Exam
(Obtained from http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap-statistics-course-description.pdf)
AP courses culminate in a suite of college-level assessments developed and scored by college and university faculty members as well as experienced AP teachers. AP Exams are an essential part of the AP experience, enabling students to demonstrate their mastery of college-level course work. Strong performance on AP Exams is rewarded by colleges and universities worldwide. More than 90 percent of four-year colleges and universities in the United States grant students credit, placement or both on the basis of successful AP Exam scores. But performing well on an AP Exam means more than just the successful completion of a course; it is the gateway to success in college. Research consistently shows that students who score a 3 or higher typically experience greater academic success in college and improved graduation rates than their non-AP student peers.
AP Exam Scores
The Readers’ scores on the free-response questions are combined with the results of the computer scored multiple-choice questions; the weighted raw scores are summed to give a composite score. The composite score is then converted to a score on AP’s 5-point scale. While colleges and universities are responsible for setting their own credit and placement policies, AP scores signify how qualified students are to receive college credit or placement:
AP SCORE QUALIFICATION
5 Extremely well qualified
4 Well qualified
3 Qualified
2 Possibly qualified
1 No recommendation
AP Exam scores of 5 are equivalent to A grades in the corresponding college course.
AP Exam scores of 4 are equivalent to grades of A–, B+ and B in college. AP Exam
scores of 3 are equivalent to grades of B–, C+ and C in college.
The Exam
The AP Statistics Exam is 3 hours long and seeks to determine how well a student has mastered the concepts and techniques of the subject matter of the course. This paper-and-pencil exam consists of (1) a 90-minute multiple-choice section testing proficiency in a wide variety of topics, and (2) a 90 minute free-response section requiring the student to answer open-ended questions and to complete an investigative task involving more extended reasoning. In the determination of the score for the exam, the two sections will be given equal weight. Each student will be expected to bring a graphing calculator with statistical capabilities to the exam. The expected computational and graphic features for these calculators are described in an earlier section. Minicomputers, pocket organizers, electronic writing pads (e.g., Newton) and calculators with qwerty (i.e., typewriter) keyboards will not be allowed. Calculator memories will not be cleared. However, calculator memories may be used only for storing programs, not for storing notes. During the exam, students are not permitted to have access to any information in their graphing calculators or elsewhere that is not directly related to upgrading the statistical functionality of older graphing calculators to make them comparable to statistical features found on newer models. Acceptable upgrades include improving the calculator’s computational functionalities and/or graphical functionalities for data that students key into the calculator while taking the exam. Unacceptable enhancements include, but are not limited to, keying or scanning text or response templates into the calculator. Students attempting to augment the capabilities of their graphing calculators in any way other than for the purpose of upgrading features as described above will be considered to be cheating on the exam. A student may bring up to two calculators to the exam.
Additional, free AP resources are available to help students, parents learn more about the AP Program and its courses and exams. Visit www.collegeboard.com/apfreepubs for details.
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Thank you,
Mr. Sedgwick