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Christine Franklin Named First ASA K–12 Statistical Ambassador

1 April 2016 4,127 views 5 Comments

The ASA is pleased to announce Christine Franklin as the inaugural ASA K–12 Statistical Ambassador. Franklin will provide leadership in the creation and presentation of professional development materials for teacher educators and teachers. She will present at national conferences, conduct workshops, collaborate with ASA chapters to enhance their education initiatives, and assist in outreach to the STEM education community.

Chris Franklin

Christine Franklin

Franklin is a recognized leader in K–12 statistics education. She is the lead author of the GAISE Pre-K–12 and SET reports, a proponent of the inclusion of increased statistics content in the Georgia K–12 standards, a recent Fulbright Scholar focusing on statistics education in New Zealand, an ASA Founders Award recipient, a former AP Statistics chief reader, a member of the presidential initiative workgroup to provide career information to AP and other K–12 teachers, and the current chair of the ASA/NCTM Joint Committee on Curriculum in Statistics and Probability. She also has authored or co-authored two textbooks and numerous articles and book chapters related to K–16 statistics education. Finally, she was a key member of the National Science Foundation–funded LOCUS project, chairing the committee that developed statistical assessment items for grades K–9.

As her credentials affirm, Franklin is a true statistics education ambassador. Her retirement from the University of Georgia at the end of this academic year creates a unique opportunity for the ASA to formalize this role and share her passion with more teachers. It was Franklin’s Fulbright experience working at the K–12 level internationally that brought her awareness of the great need for supporting efforts in statistics at K–12 internationally, not just in the United States. Franklin will start as the K–12 statistical ambassador in September to expand her statistics education work with K–12 teachers, teacher educators, and other stakeholders.

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics adopted by most states and the Next Generation Science Standards include increased statistics content, especially at the middle- and high-school levels. With the recent Statistical Education of Teachers (SET) Report, it is clear there is a need for professional development for teacher educators in addition to expanded professional development for pre-service and in-service teachers.

The ASA and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) released a joint statement about the importance of and need for preparing pre-service and in-service teachers to teach the increased statistics content in the standards. To enhance teacher training and student learning in these areas, teachers need access to materials and professional development supported by statistics education research and tied to current statistics requirements in the standards.

The ASA currently provides teacher professional development through the Meeting Within a Meeting (MWM) Statistics Workshop, Beyond AP Statistics Workshop, and K–12 statistics education webinars. However, more outreach is needed to make a national impact, and the timing is critical. Through the new K–12 statistical ambassador position, we will advance the national dialogue to prominently include the need for every child to be able to apply statistical thinking in problem-solving. This will not only contribute to K–12 education, but will ensure that policymakers and decision-makers recognize the value of the statistics discipline. In light of the 2016 update of the GAISE College Report and the updated Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Programs in Statistical Science, the ambassador will also promote collaboration between K–12 and undergraduate statistics education, including teacher educators.

Big Data has focused the nation’s attention on data science and new standards have raised the expectations for both students and teachers, so the timing is right for a K–12 statistical ambassador. Franklin will be available to ensure that statistics education is recognized as central to ensuring all children are “college and career ready.”

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5 Comments »

  • Audrey said:

    She is wonderful. She will make a very good ambassador given her passion and ability!

  • Sanjay Shete said:

    Best choice. Congratulations, Chris.

  • Audrey 2 said:

    Chris is an excellent choice for statistical ambassador. Well done!

  • John Gabrosek said:

    Yeah Chris! I know that you will do a fantastic job as you have in all your work.

  • Oguz said:

    Best choice for this very important mission. Congratulations Chris.