Celebrating 20 Years of the AP Statistics Exam
This year marked 20 years since the first AP Statistics exam was given in 1997 (and the 21st exam). In that time, the number of students taking the exam grew to 217,000, matching the growth of Calculus AB from about 100,000 to 300,000 in the same period.
Amstat News commemorates these 20 years with the following Q&As with AP Statistics teachers and readers/leaders. Here, they share their memories of and passions and lessons for teaching statistics while looking forward to another 20 years.
AP Leaders
Heather Overstreet
Franklin County High School
Heather Overstreet has taught AP Statistics for 14 years and has been teaching high-school mathematics for the past 20 years. She has three children and loves watching them play sports.
Years serving as an AP reader/leader: 10
How many times have you been an AP Statistics reader/leader? When did you start?
I have been an AP reader for the past 10 years: seven as a reader and three as a table leader. My first year was 2008.
What do you enjoy most about being a reader?
There are many things I love about being a reader—collaborating with other math teachers, attending the professional development, and especially being part of a process that assesses students’ abilities from a global standpoint.
What changes have you seen over the years in terms of your fellow readers, the exam questions, and the students taking the exam?
One of the major changes is the number of students who are taking the AP Statistics exam. When I began in 2008, I think there were just over 70,000 students taking the exam. This past year, there were well over 200,000 students taking the exam.
Please share some favorite memories of being a reader.
One of my favorite memories was being part of the acorn skit for the closing night party. Another favorite memory was realizing how many people shared my love for math and educating students. I have had some great conversations with fellow teachers that I have carried back to my own classroom. I have not found any other experience as a teacher as unique as this.
Julia Sharp
Colorado State University
Julia Sharp is an associate professor and director of the Graybill Statistical Laboratory in the Department of Statistics at Colorado State University. She is currently serving as the chapter representative to the ASA Board of Directors.
Years serving as an AP reader/leader: 7
How many times have you been an AP Statistics reader/leader? When did you start?
I served as an AP Statistics reader for five years and as an AP Statistics table leader for two years. I began in 2008.
What do you enjoy most about being a reader?
It is hard to choose just one thing I enjoy “most.” I enjoy the professional and personal development opportunities the reading has to offer. Getting to learn different ways of teaching introductory statistics and networking with professionals in the field has been deeply rewarding. I enjoy returning year after year to reconnect with friends I met at my very first reading or just last year.
What changes have you seen over the years in terms of your fellow readers, the exam questions, and the students taking the exam?
The number of readers and students taking the exam each year has increased substantially since my first year.
Please share some favorite memories of being a reader.
The reading has been in several venues since I began participating. Most recently, the reading has been in Kansas City, which has been surprisingly interesting and entertaining. My favorite location was Daytona Beach, of course. One year, two of my friends and I got a room that opened up near the beach area. Having a location that is interesting outside of the reading is great to refresh after a long day’s work!
Is there anything else you would like to share?
When people hear about the logistics and size of the reading, they cannot imagine the reading to be so rewarding. I have met and reconnected with lifelong friends at the reading and learned about statistics training in high schools and other universities, among other important professional and personal developments. I strongly encourage those [who are] interested to become an AP Statistics reader!
Calvin L. Williams
Clemson University
Calvin Williams is director of the Center of Excellence for Mathematics and Science Education at Clemson University. He is a professor of mathematical sciences with interests in biostatistics and statistical computing. In addition to serving as an AP Statistics Question Leader, he has been involved as a mathematics judge in the Siemens Competition.
Years serving as an AP reader/leader: 20 (only missed one year)
How many times have you been an AP Statistics reader/leader? When did you start?
Too many to count. I was at the very first reading at Trenton State (I still have a T-shirt with their logo on it). It eventually became The University of New Jersey or something like that. I have been to every reading except one. I had an assignment at the National Science Foundation that year that took precedent over my attending.
What do you enjoy most about being a reader?
When the exam was much smaller, being able to read the students’ responses and, AP Statistics being so new, watching the development of statistical thinking of the students and, more importantly, the growth of their teachers. I also have enjoyed seeing folks year after year who have the same goal in mind: developing a more statistically and quantitatively literate society. Also, it’s great to see so many friends year after year at the reading.
What changes have you seen over the years in terms of your fellow readers, the exam questions, and the students taking the exam?
Readers have grown in number, obviously, with the growth of the exam. They have become more knowledgeable about statistics.
The exam has obviously grown in its coverage of statistics, as well as its provocativeness. Students are expected to be more statistically savvy than before (in the early days). This growth is expected since teachers have become more statistically savvy.
The students’ abilities have grown with the growth of the exam. More polished responses, or more reasoned and thought-out responses, now appear more often.
Please share some favorite reader memories.
My great friend Dennis (from Vermont) that ran every morning. Dennis once said he had run every morning for the last 50 years or something like that. Missed him at the reading the last few years.
Being in Nebraska. That was fun. The racetrack and the Friday night races. Bob Schmid (from Cal Poly) using his statistical knowledge in picking horses.
Playing basketball with friends after a hard day of reading.
Discussions I have had with my colleagues, the classroom activities I have learned, and—most importantly—the friends I have made are invaluable.
Jonathan W. Duggins
North Carolina State University
Jonathan Duggins is a teaching assistant professor and coordinator of the Undergraduate Professional Partnership Program in the department of statistics at NC State University. Prior to his time there, he worked in industry as a biostatistician for several contract research organizations. He has always been dedicated to education, and that is his main role at NCSU, where he teaches several courses with an emphasis on statistical programming languages.
Years serving as an AP reader/leader: 11
How many times have you been an AP Statistics reader/leader? When did you start?
My first year as a reader was in 2007, and I’ve served as a reader or table leader every year since!
What do you enjoy most about being a reader?
Easy question—the professional collaboration. This experience has been the most professionally rewarding aspect of my career.
What changes have you seen over the years in terms of your fellow readers, the exam questions, and the students taking the exam?
The students have improved their ability to think critically about data. As a result, the questions have been able to evolve without changing the content being assessed. In particular, it has provided the opportunity to expose students to questions about simulations that tie concepts of probability and inference in a way I don’t recall in the earlier exams I was part of.
As for my fellow readers, they’ve stayed amazing. (Is that a cop out?) We’ve adapted to the growth in the program by growing the support networks we maintain. From email lists to websites full of high-quality resources, there has been an explosion of resources available. The fact that it is almost always a teacher providing help above and beyond the expectations of their “day job” just makes it more impressive.
Please share some favorite reader memories.
Oh, man, there are too many to list. The statistics readers are very fond of our chief readers and one way we show that fondness is through impersonations. Getting to watch the impersonations of Chris Franklin, Alan Rossman, and Jessica Utts is certainly one of the fondest memories. Another was the year the roof started leaking and there was, quite literally, a waterfall that suddenly appeared in the middle of the convention center. It was remarkable that the readers knew to protect the exams first; that was devotion!
As far as professional memories go, the one that sticks with me is from my first year. During some downtime, a reader at my room casually mentioned they weren’t confident about a statistical concept that was beyond the scope of the AP curriculum, but which students occasionally asked about. I and another reader helped explain the concept and worked with the AP teacher until they felt more comfortable answering questions. That feeling of collegiality is certainly one of my favorites. (Second only to the waterfall one!)
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I’ve made great friends and learned a tremendous amount from the AP reader community; join us!
Paul Rodriguez
Troy High School
Paul Rodriguez has taught AP Statistics since 1997 and currently teaches at Troy High School. He has been involved with the AP reading since 2004 as a reader, table leader, and rubric member. Paul loves learning and sharing ideas from other readers.
Years serving as an AP reader/leader: 14
How many times have you been an AP Statistics reader/leader? When did you start?
I have been a reader or a table leader for the past 13 years. I started in 2004 in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was a reader for six years. I have been a table leader for the past seven years, including five years as a rubric team member. I am currently serving in my fourth year as the co-chair of the Test Development Committee, which is responsible for writing the exam questions.
What do you enjoy most about being a reader?
The best part of a being involved is meeting teachers from around the country and sharing teaching strategies and best practices. Also, learning about new activities to use in my classroom, including having conversations with the authors of the textbook I use. I have never gone to a reading, a conference, or other gathering of statistics teachers where I have not learned something to make me a better teacher.
What changes have you seen over the years in terms of your fellow readers, the exam questions, and the students taking the exam?
When I started in 2004, there were approximately 248 readers and 36 table leaders. That year, we graded almost 68,000 exams. Last year, there were more than 900 readers and table leaders who graded more than 210,000 exams. The course continues to grow, and I am proud to be part of it.
Please share some favorite reader memories.
There are so many great memories over the past 13 years, almost too many to count. Last year, almost 20 teachers shared activities at our Best Practices Night.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Becoming an AP reader was the best decision I made in my 24-year teaching career. The discussions I have had with my colleagues, the classroom activities I have learned, and—most importantly—the friends I have made are invaluable.
AP Statistics Teachers
Paul Buckley
Gonzaga College High School
Paul Buckley has been teaching math for 24 years. For 20 years, he has taught at and started the AP Statistics program at his alma mater, Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC. He has been a reader and table leader for the AP Statistics exam for 10 years and has consulted on multiple statistics textbooks.
Years teaching AP Statistics: 16
How did you become an AP Statistics teacher?
I took over our honors statistics class toward the end of one year because the woman teaching it went on maternity leave. The next year, she didn’t want the course, so I took it over, just still as an honors statistics course. At the end of the year, I realized the guys could be taking the AP Statistics exam, so I asked our administration if we could make it an AP course, and we did. So thus I became an AP Statistics teacher.
What most excites you about teaching statistics?
I love the activities we get to use to highlight some of the concepts. They are incredibly engaging and fun for the class. I also enjoy how the kids take to the material, especially when they see how useful it is and it is in everything they see and do. It makes them buying into the course that much easier.
What are the biggest challenges of teaching AP Statistics?
One of the biggest challenges is deciding which cool activities to do and which ones have to be left out—there is only so much time, and you can’t do them all. The other tricky part is the disparity in mathematical ability. Unlike in other upper-level math courses, my students come from a wide range of algebraic backgrounds. Some are coming from Algebra 2, some have already passed AP Calculus BC. So having that disparity makes it tricky sometimes—making sure I reach everyone while also keeping everyone interested.
Describe how your time as an AP Statistics teacher has affected your mindset as an educator.
I am much more in tune with how and why I assess, and in trying to give really good summative assessment questions. I also look for more ways to make the material applicable to them—it is easy to do in AP Statistics, less so in other courses. But I try to bring that mindset into those other courses.
Please share any personal stories about students or AP Statistics teachers.
I have had numerous students come up to me to tell me this was either their favorite math class or their favorite class overall. I also hear back from kids in college who tell me they are now acing their college-level statistics class.
I have a group of AP Statistics teacher friends who are some of my best friends—we talk all the time, trading ideas about classes and AP Statistics specifically. I get some of my best ideas from them and they have helped me become a better teacher overall. They care about what they do, and that is infectious and challenges me to be a better teacher. I think AP Statistics teachers are a pretty special group of educators, and I am honored to be a part of them.
What are your favorite AP Statistics lessons/activities?
- The German Tank Problem
- Hershey’s Kisses
- The Parking Lottery
- Which Putter Would You Use?
- The Reese’s Pieces applet
So many—and more are being created all the time!
What has changed the most for the AP Statistics course while you’ve been teaching it? What changes would you like to see in the future?
The emphasis on true understanding of the thought process, rather than just plugging generic answers into a bland template. The encouragement of thoughtful discourse, rather than rote regurgitation. The students are much more being challenged to think, to decide, and then to defend that decision. I think this bodes well for them in the future, as they will be more accomplished and more thoughtful decision makers.
What advice do you have for new AP Statistics teachers or schools starting to offer AP Statistics? For AP Statistics students?
For teachers: Get connected. There is a great social network of statistics teachers out there who can offer support, resources, and ideas to new AP Statistics teachers/programs. Do a Summer Institute offered by AP—I did two of them and they gave me the head start I needed. Join the AP Statistics listserv. Become an AP Statistics reader—that is the biggest thing. Find other AP Statistics teachers out there and learn from them—they are there to help, and they are able and willing to do so.
For students: Take AP Statistics—it could very well be the most valuable course you take in high school—don’t miss out. And don’t be surprised when you see how relevant and how much fun it is. I would hate to say I told you so, but …
Mary R. Simons
Smyrna High School
Mary Simons recently moved to Richmond, Virginia, with her husband and two sons, Logan and Levi. In her free time, she watches Clemson football, reads, and cooks. She is currently in training to become a court-appointed special advocate for children.
Years teaching AP Statistics: 11
How did you become an AP Statistics teacher?
In 2005, I was teaching at Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, Maryland, when our department head asked if anyone would be willing to attend AP training over the summer and take over AP Statistics from one of our department members who was transferring to another school in the district. Having been on the statistics curriculum development and textbook adoption committee in my previous district, I jumped at the chance! I was able to attend an amazing week-long AP training at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, taught by Monica Brogan (who I would get the chance to reintroduce myself to eight years later when I happened to sit next to her at breakfast one morning during the AP reading).
What most excites you about teaching statistics?
I love the accessible nature of the course. I have been fortunate to teach in three school districts that have open enrollment policies for AP courses. In AP Statistics in particular, that means I could end up with a classroom of students from widely different math backgrounds—from on-level Algebra II to AP BC Calculus!
As anyone who has taken or taught the course knows, it is unlike anything else the vast majority of students have ever experienced. As such, it is also the first time most of my students have been on equal footing in a math class since they were in elementary school. AP Statistics is a great equalizer in a way that few academic classes are in high school. There is no guarantee anymore that the BC Calculus kids are going to outperform the Algebra II kids (especially not if the latter are working overtime as if they have something to prove). That shift in the power dynamic of the typical intellectual pecking order allows me to start to create cognitive dissonance from the time the class begins. This struggle is necessary to stimulate intellectual curiosity and growth and facilitate my students becoming independent quantitative investigators.
What are the biggest challenges of teaching AP Statistics?
In my experience, some students register for the course because they have run out of math classes to take or they are trying to avoid “real” math classes, as they put it. AP Statistics, however, is not as simple as students expect! While the required level of theoretical mathematical knowledge is not as intense as [it is for] AP Calculus, the nuanced level of sophistication required in communicating free response answers or synthesizing strategy for an investigative task is a brand-new ball game.
Please share any personal stories about students or AP Statistics teachers.
I have spent one week during each of the last five summers “reading” AP Statistics exams with 850 of my closest friends in Kansas City, Missouri. As I sit here trying to choose just one or two things to share, I find I can’t narrow it down. Anyone reading this month’s Amstat News must be a fellow statistics geek or related to me (hi, Mom!). So, 99.99% of you will understand what I mean when I say there is just something about statistics people. Now imagine getting to spend an entire week at summer camp (yes, we do grade exams all day, but that’s really beside the point) with 850 other adults who are as awesome and weird and fun as you are! The depth of camaraderie among the readers, level of professional development in the trainings, strength of the friendships I’ve made, and sheer ridiculousness of our social shenanigans are all beyond compare.
What advice do you have for new AP Statistics Teachers or schools starting to offer AP Statistics? For AP Statistics students?
My biggest piece of advice for new AP Statistics teachers would be to recognize up front that you are going to spend a lot of time feeling uncomfortable with the subject matter and, therefore, questioning yourself and your ability to do well with the course. This is okay! The AP Statistics teacher community is huge, welcoming, and a great source of materials and information. Use that to your advantage. Don’t feel like you have to create assessments and activities from scratch. (There are so many resources available that sometimes you may have trouble sifting through them all and deciding what to use.) Just remember to stay organized, push through the discomfort of a new curriculum, and enjoy learning and growing alongside your students. Trust the process!
Sammy Gutierrez
Boston Community Leadership Academy
Sammy Gutierrez is an MIT graduate with 12 years as a Boston Public Schools teacher at Boston Community Leadership Academy (10 years AP Calculus; seven years AP Statistics). He has been an AP Statistics reader for the past three years.
Years teaching AP Statistics: 7
What most excites you and other AP Statistics teachers (e.g., biggest rewards) about teaching statistics?
What excites me most about teaching AP Statistics is that it is everywhere. Open up a newspaper or news link and you’re looking at statistics. Being able to teach students what this information means and how to dig through what is meaningful is unlike any other course.
What are AP Statistics teachers’ biggest challenges?
The biggest challenge I face is getting our top-performing students to take AP Statistics, as these students are more likely to take AP Calculus. Then, when I do get these students, I spend countless hours counseling them that they are indeed learning math in statistics.
What has changed the most for AP Statistics teachers over the last 20 years?
I feel that growth of AP Statistics has changed the most. AP Statistics always seemed like a secondary course in the past, while now it is a course guidance counselors and colleges are pushing students to take.
Please share any personal stories about students or AP Statistics teachers.
When I first started teaching AP Calculus 10 years ago, I also taught a non-AP section. Within this non-AP course, I found that most all of these students fell into one of two categories. The students could have been successful and passed AP Calculus, or calculus was too demanding for the students, even though they were great students with great study habits. By introducing AP Statistics into our school, the students who would once take non-AP Calculus and struggle day to day are now flourishing in AP Statistics.
What are your favorite AP Statistics lessons/activities?
While there are many actives I enjoy that get the students into the collection of data, nothing beats the end-of-year activity where students are able to put together everything they’ve learned to study a topic personal to them.
What has changed the most for AP Statistics while you’ve been teaching it? What needs to change?
In the time I have been teaching AP Statistics, the biggest change has been the collaboration between teachers not only within my school district but on the national level, as well. If I have a question on a topic, be it understanding or an idea of an activity, I can reach out to the AP Statistics community and have 20 responses before the day is done.
What advice do you have for new AP Statistics teachers or students?
The best advice I can give new teachers is to attend personal development lessons and work with current and former AP Statistics teachers, especially those who have attended the AP reading. Textbooks and online lessons are great, but nothing is more amazing than going to a training and having the author of your textbook work with you on the curriculum. Finally, as soon as you possibly can, apply to be an AP reader, as you will get more out of one reading than years upon years of teaching.
Doug Tyson
Central York High School
Doug Tyson has been teaching for more than 25 years and currently teaches AP Statistics, Introduction to Statistics, and Statistical Reasoning in Sports. He serves on the ASA /NCTM Joint Committee on Curriculum in Statistics and Probability, works as a table leader at the AP Statistics reading, and runs workshops and teacher training events.
Years teaching AP Statistics: 15
How did you become an AP Statistics teacher?
Like many other high-school statistics teachers, I started teaching AP Statistics because there was a need, not because I had a burning interest in the course. Our previous AP Statistics teacher left for another job, and the math department needed someone to take over. When a volunteer was asked to step forward, the rest of the department took one step backward. I stood still, so I was the teacher. The important thing to note here was that I started teaching AP Statistics through indecisiveness. It was the best non-decision I’ve ever made about my teaching career. I now teach only statistics courses and I love it!
What most excites you about teaching statistics?
Data and context. I’m interested in the world around me, and I find my students are, too. Data are everywhere and in everything my students like to do, so we look at data from all kinds of contexts that interest them.
Teaching statistics gives me a huge advantage as a teacher because curiosity is built right into the curriculum. If you just get out of the way of the data, students are engaged. Ask the right questions and students are fascinated.
What are the biggest challenges of teaching AP Statistics?
Readers of Amstat News know statistics is a big field and growing bigger. The AP Statistics curriculum is also very big. The greatest challenge of teaching AP Statistics is figuring out how to get so many good statistical habits and concepts into one course without overwhelming students. The curriculum includes data collection, descriptive statistics, probability and random variables, basic inference for means and proportions, and inference for associations between two variables. Students are expected to write clearly and justify their reasoning. I like to describe the course as the intersection of mathematics, science, and technical writing. That’s a lot to put into one course, but it’s a great course!
Describe how your time as an AP Statistics teacher has affected your mindset as an educator.
Statistics is both an art and a science, so I try to maintain a mindset that reflects this reality. Data are often subtle. Statistics offers rules-of-thumb more than iron-clad laws. As a teacher, I have shifted my mindset to encourage even more inquiry in my classes. Because my class is based on almost entirely real data, I foster a sense of wonder and interest in the larger world.
Please share any personal stories about students or AP Statistics teachers.
My favorite stories are about students who aren’t sure they can handle AP Statistics. I have had many of these students, and I am professionally rewarded when they do well in the course. For many, it’s their first AP course and they’re not sure if they can handle the workload and content. AP Statistics requires no calculus, so it’s accessible to many students. I love it when students tell me, “I never thought I could do well in an AP math course.” And yes, I make sure they understand that it’s not exactly a mathematics course.
What are your favorite AP Statistics lessons/activities?
Two of my favorites are “Smelling Parkinson’s Disease” and “Show Me the Money.” The first question on the first day of class is “Can Joy Milne smell Parkinson’s Disease?” Joy claims she can smell it. To test her claim, researchers gave Joy 12 identical shirts, six of which were worn by Parkinson’s patients and six of which were worn by people without Parkinson’s Disease. We use a simulation to conduct a randomization test. The conclusion is, yes, Joy can smell Parkinson’s Disease (and I’d bet my next paycheck on it). There is also a really nice surprise in the lesson: It appears Joy identified 11 of the shirts correctly when she in fact identified 12 correctly. That lesson gets students hooked on the importance of the subject and the power of statistical methods to shed light on situations involving uncertainty and chance. If you would like to try this lesson with your students, see my video and accompanying resources.
The “Show Me the Money” lesson is about the importance of random sampling. The context is the top 200 movies (by box office ticket sales) of the previous year. Movies are fun, so students get excited. The activity works in an early look at a simulated sampling distribution—on Day 2 of the course no less! I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the spirit of this activity was drawn from the teaching style and ideas of Allan Rossman and Beth Chance. They are amazing statistics educators.
What has changed the most for the AP Statistics course while you’ve been teaching it? What changes would you like to see in the future?
The course description and topic outline haven’t changed. That is a testament to the original designers of the course. I think the most recent significant change has been an increased emphasis on the difference between random sampling and random assignment and how that affects the kinds of inferential conclusions that can be drawn. Past exams generally asked about inference only for sampling, while more recent exams have included inference for experiments. This is a huge conceptual difference and an important one for even the most casual user of statistics.
In the future, the course would do well to address re-randomization in inference. I was slow to adopt this view, but I’ve been convinced that these are important tools and should have some place in an introductory course. The idea of randomization tests is already in the curriculum, but not the idea of bootstrapping. I’d like to see a little more attention to these ideas.
One other area is the idea of multiple predictors. It’s natural for students to think about multiple predictors, and we never really address it. Just acknowledging the existence of multiple regression and showing [the students] such a model might suffice. They could make some predictions using the model and calculate residuals. We don’t need to go too far down that trail, though. For example, the problem of multicollinearity would be far too much for a first course in statistics.
What advice do you have for new AP Statistics Teachers or schools starting to offer AP Statistics? For AP Statistics students?
To teachers, I would offer the following advice:
- Don’t be afraid to admit to yourself, other AP teachers, and your students that some of the material is subtle and you’re still learning statistics.
- Real data are subtle and often break rules-of-thumb. Be wary of inviolate rules in statistics, as they are often really rules-of-thumb in disguise.
- Think deeply about the ideas. Get your students to do the same.
- Ask questions on the AP Statistics Teacher Community. It’s a safe place to learn. There are lots of really knowledgeable people there; I know some of them, and they’re really nice people. And they were all new statistics teachers at one point in their lives.
- Read everything about statistics you can get your hands on, even if you don’t yet understand all of it.
- Develop a sense of wonder about the world around you. Develop the same in your students. Statistics (in one view) is about understanding the world based on measurable evidence. The world is your laboratory and playground. Have fun!
To students, I would offer this advice:
- Go beyond calculation. Think about the interpretations of the numbers and what they mean in context.
- Work hard on your writing. Explaining technical information in a way that others can understand is a very valuable skill.
- Ask questions. Don’t worry that you don’t have perfect answers to those questions right away.
- Read everything about statistics you can get your hands on, even if you don’t yet understand all of it.
- Develop a sense of wonder about the world around you. Statistics (in one view) is about understanding the world based on measurable evidence. The world is your laboratory and playground. Have fun!
Yes, the last two listed for teachers and students are the same. And why shouldn’t they be?
Vicki A. Lyons
Lone Peak High School
Vicki Lyons is in her 24th year teaching mathematics and statistics. She is a Presidential Awardee (Utah 2015) and a BYU Distinguished Mathematics Educator (2016). Her focus is helping students develop strong logical foundations through relevant understanding and practiced skill.
Years teaching AP Statistics: 18
What most excites you and other AP Statistics teachers (e.g., biggest rewards) about teaching statistics?
Practicality. Nowadays, the world of competitive advantage runs on statistics. To stay viable and current, modern companies and organizations must not only meet the needs of their constituency, but they must also be able to predict what their members and those they serve or produce for will want in the future. These organizations must be able to refine their competitive advantage and, to do that, they need to understand and be able to analyze data. In other words, they need to know statistics! Thus, no matter what field my students pursue in their careers, they will need to understand and be able to use statistics.
I feel I have the great opportunity to help my students gain a strong statistical foundation that will effectively benefit their potential. I truly feel my students will “see” statistics just about every day for the rest of their lives. It will always be an advantage to them to be able to use the knowledge they gain from their AP Statistics course not only in their future careers, but also as citizens to help them analyze evidence and make sense of important issues and as consumers to help them use their resources to make wise plans and decisions. Thus, for my students, the statistical knowledge they gain has great practicality for their future.
From a more immediate perspective, my former students will many times come visit me and tell [me] that, during their college/university years, they used the statistical knowledge they gained in their AP Statistics class more than any other subject they studied while in high school. The statistics they understood was relevant to many subjects, from biology and the sciences to education, computer programming, sports, psychology, political science, and business. Just about every subject they studied used data and statistical knowledge in significant and practical ways.
What are AP Statistics teachers’ biggest challenges?
My biggest challenge in teaching statistics is the wide variety of backgrounds my students have. Some of my students scored a five on the AP Calculus BC exam the year before taking my statistics class, and other students barely passed their algebra class. Some of my students have strong analytical skills, and other students have a hard time writing a sensible paragraph. This diversity makes it a challenge for me to meet the academic needs of all my students at the same time and from the same perspective. I constantly work to involve all my students in activities that are accessible to their readiness to learn and that will help them make wise, appropriate, and useful sense of statistical practices.
What has changed the most for AP Statistics teachers over the last 20 years?
From my perspective, the AP Statistics course has become more specific and particular. Nowadays, students must be exacting and careful as they write their answers on their assignments and exams. When I first started teaching AP Statistics, students still needed to be careful when writing their solutions, but specific wording was not looked for as much as it is on current exams. These days, students must critically analyze situations and be precise in their descriptions.
I am happy the AP Statistics course and exam seem more and more to demand this high level of expertise from my students, since I want my students to be better prepared for the practicality and usefulness of statistics in the “real” world. Thus, by demanding high levels of statistical analysis, I think the AP Statistics course is becoming more and more useful to my students in a real and modernly useful way. Successful completion of the course and earning high levels of credit demands that my students obtain a high-level critical proficiency.
Please share any personal stories about students or AP Statistics teachers.
Many of my students do not enjoy statistics. They liked the mathematical certainty of the calculus they took the year previous, and they find all the writing and analysis in statistics to be tedious. However, by the end of the year, when we have finished statistical inference, most of my students have a greater sense of the value of statistics and are grateful for the knowledge they have gained.
I remember one student in particular who could not have been happier when she was finished with the AP Statistics course and felt so much that it had been such a waste of her time, even though she passed the AP Statistics exam and earned college credit. She was a student who did not enjoy statistics the entire year of her coursework and was happy to let everyone know how much she resented taking statistics. Four years later, this same student came running up to greet me at a local Costco. She couldn’t wait to tell me how she had majored in biology and just got accepted for an advanced degree in a biostatistics program at a major university. She went on and on about how important statistics was in the biological field and how excited she was to continue her studies. She was so very, very grateful for the statistics she learned in high school. That knowledge gave her ready insights into her college biology classes and she found herself intrigued by biological research. Sometimes, you just never know your students’ possibilities.
What are your favorite AP Statistics lessons/activities?
I have so many favorite AP Statistics lessons and activities. From a workshop with Christine Franklin, I learned an activity that I adopted and currently helps my students develop a concrete understanding of deviations, the mean absolute deviation, and standard deviations. From a workshop with Gail Burrill, I learned an activity that I always use with my students to help them understand margins of error and confidence intervals. We do several activities from Workshop Statistics, which are all so pertinent and fun. In fact, during most class periods, my students do some activity that helps them make better sense of statistics.
What has changed the most for AP Statistics while you’ve been teaching AP Statistics? What needs to change?
One thing that has changed the most since I began teaching AP Statistics is access to great textbooks and materials to help high-school teachers teach statistics. When I first started teaching statistics, there were good college-level textbooks, but these books had little appeal to high-school students. Now, we have excellent texts to help our students learn statistics. Current texts have great examples that appeal to teenagers, practical exercises to help our students practice their skills, references to technology skills, and colorful, contemporary pages that entice our students to study and learn.
What advice do you have for new AP Statistics teachers, schools starting to teach AP Statistics, or students?
Get involved in the online AP Statistics Teacher Community. Also, attend lectures and workshops and learn from the very best AP Statistics teachers and leaders. AP Statistics teachers are a welcoming community, and they are always willing to share great lessons and activities. There is so very much great information and good ideas to help AP Statistics teachers. Find activities and lessons that can involve your students in important ways that help them make good sense of statistical practices. Try out these ideas and activities with your students. Find what works best for you and your students and incorporate these into your curriculum on behalf of your students. Teaching AP Statistics can be rewarding and so fun as you help your students become capable and successful users of valuable and practical statistical knowledge.
Daren Starnes
The Lawrenceville School
Daren Starnes is mathematics department chair at The Lawrenceville School and the coauthor of two popular high-school statistics texts. He has led more than 100 workshops for AP Statistics teachers and been an AP Statistics exam reader since 1998.
Years teaching AP Statistics: 21
How did you become an AP Statistics teacher?
I volunteered in a department meeting back in the spring of 1996 to launch AP Statistics at Charlotte Country Day School in lieu of teaching a section of repeat Algebra 1. What a great decision that turned out to be!
What most excites you about teaching statistics?
The fact that we are preparing our students to make informed decisions based on data, risk, and statistical studies in their adult lives.
What are the biggest challenges of teaching AP Statistics?
Helping students communicate sound statistical reasoning precisely and concisely. AP Statistics requires students to think carefully and to construct effective arguments using appropriate evidence.
Describe how your time as an AP Statistics teacher has affected your mindset as an educator.
Because my undergraduate and graduate degrees were both in pure mathematics, AP Statistics has represented a big step outside my comfort zone. Over 21 years teaching the course, I’ve consistently found the need to learn more about what lies just beyond the edges of the AP Statistics syllabus. Getting involved in AP Statistics has helped me model lifelong learning for my students.
Please share any personal stories about students or AP Statistics teachers.
I have been truly blessed by the many outstanding students who have taken my AP Statistics class since the course was launched in 1996–1997. Their curiosity, enthusiasm, and desire to learn has motivated me to become a better teacher—and to keep learning more myself.
What are your favorite AP Statistics lessons/activities?
I still love introducing students to the Central Limit Theorem. Using an online applet, students can uncover this amazing result for themselves. Especially when they start with their own “custom” population distribution, students are genuinely amazed as they watch the sampling distribution of approach a normal distribution as the sample size increases.
I’m equally fond of having students use hands-on simulations to determine whether an observed difference between two experimental groups is statistically significant.
What has changed the most for the AP Statistics course while you’ve been teaching it? What changes would you like to see in the future?
What has changed: (1) The availability of high-quality, web-based applets for analyzing data, performing simulations, and investigating statistical concepts; (2) the emergence of data science and Big Data as adjuncts to statistics.
Changes I would like to see: (1) More emphasis on having students use statistical software to analyze data in the process of answering a question of interest; (2) increased use of simulation-based inference techniques.
What advice do you have for new AP Statistics Teachers or schools starting to offer AP Statistics? For AP Statistics students?
For teachers/schools: Teacher training is especially important in AP Statistics because so many of those who are asked to teach the course do not have extensive backgrounds in statistics. A College Board–approved AP Summer Institute is a terrific launch pad for new AP Statistics teachers.
To the students: AP Statistics will be the most useful math course you have ever taken. It will open your eyes and your mind to how people make important decisions in the face of uncertainty.
Adérito Pires
Ludlow High School
Adérito Pires is a Ludlow High School math and statistics teacher. He has been teaching for 12 years and teaching Advanced Placement Statistics for five years. With a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Westfield State College and a master’s in math education, he is now teaching at his alma mater as part of the adjunct faculty.
Years teaching AP Statistics: 5
How did you become an AP Statistics teacher?
Back in 2010, as an alternative to pre-calculus, we developed a statistics curriculum for students. Shortly after, we joined Mass Insight via a grant and implemented Advanced Placement as some other AP and honors courses. Since I had a lot of input in the original course, I was asked if I wanted to teach it by our department chair—to whom I said, “Yes.”
What most excites you about teaching statistics?
I enjoy teaching statistics [because] the content can be applied to various fields, especially the ones that my students are looking into as future careers. Since a lot of statistics can be developed with technology, [it] seems to have a stronger purpose for the student’s learning, as well.
What are the biggest challenges of teaching AP Statistics?
AP Statistics is very demanding in regard to rigorous grading and creating effective activities. Having students pre-read the text has also been a challenge, along with my keeping a timeline for the course and being able to adhere to it.
Describe how your time as an AP Statistics teacher has affected your mindset as an educator.
I have become more aware of how to mention topics. Most being new material, it would be detrimental to say mistaken definitions, for example. A small deviation from the actual meaning might lead to incorrect conclusions. Overall, just being more aware of data that might be misused to convey erroneous conclusions.
What are your favorite AP Statistics lessons/activities?
I enjoy teaching the Normal model, as it is one of the totally new concepts for students and [I] can see them become engaged differently. At the end of the year, we do summative videos for future students taking the course; those are fun, too.
What has changed the most for the AP Statistics course while you’ve been teaching it? What changes would you like to see in the future?
There have not been many changes since I have been teaching the course. The original change from College Preparatory Statistics to Advanced Placement Statistics was the most change I had to adjust to.
What advice do you have for new AP Statistics teachers or schools starting to offer AP Statistics? For current/future AP Statistics students?
Adhere to a timeline to ensure all content is covered. Become a member of various organizations to be conscious of what is out there in the statistics world. Create an account and be a member of the College Board AP Community, as it becomes beneficial to learning how to approach a topic, gathering alternative activities, and touching base with other colleagues.
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