Why take AP Statistics?
Statistics is the science of learning from data. Statisticians design experiments and devise question to get data and then turn that data into knowledge in order to come to conclusions and make decisions. The video below from thisisstatistics.org shows why this is an important field of study.
Which college majors typically require statistics in college?
Statistics is used in nearly every field including but limited to the sciences, engineering, business, medical, agricultural, social studies and the humanities. Click here to see some College Majors that require statistics.
Some of the most promising careers are in statistics. Among business jobs, statistics is considered #1 according to U.S. News & World Report. Of the best 25 jobs in 2017, statistician is #4. Statistics is the fastest growing stem major in U.S bachelor's degrees having increased 95% since 2010. Statistics is #8 on the list of highest-paying college majors with a median base salary of $60,000. How do we know this? We used statistics to prepare this data.
There was recently an interesting article about how the majority of STEM jobs are actually in computer science and data science. Data science actually incorporates statistics and computer science to analyze data. "Where the STEM jobs are and where they aren't", NY Times, 11/1/2017)
About the Course:
Advanced Placement Statistics (AP Statistics, AP Stats or AP Stat) is a college-level high school statistics course. Emphasis is placed not on actual arithmetic computation, but rather on conceptual understanding and interpretation. The course curriculum is organized around four basic themes; the first involves exploring data and covers 20–30% of the exam. Students are expected to use graphical and numerical techniques to analyze distributions of data, including univariate, bivariate, and categorical data. The second theme involves planning and conducting a study and covers 10–15% of the exam. Students must be aware of the various methods of data collection through sampling or experimentation and the sorts of conclusions that can be drawn from the results. The third theme involves probability and its role in anticipating patterns in distributions of data. This theme covers 20–30% of the exam. The fourth theme, which covers 30–40% of the exam, involves statistical inference using point estimation, confidence intervals, and significance tests.
Statistics is not a traditional course. It ...
Prerequisites:
Students are to have full credit for Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II. Students will need to be able to solve basic equations, interpret tables, create models, analyze data and provide conclusions with justifications. Students who excel in AP English tend to do well on the AP Statistics test because of the high amount of vocabulary and analysis. In general, it is preferred students take preAP-math classes before taking AP Statistics. However, it is not required. The amount of time needed to study and practice will be more demanding for students who are not accustomed to preAP and AP level of rigor.
Contact Mrs. Overman in D231 if you have questions.