Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Community Service Learning - AP Statistics Classes Begin Spring Project

High School AP Statistics classes have launched a project designed to analyze the response of county officials and volunteer organizations to the victims of last summer's wildfires in Grimes County. The students are working to implement a four phase plan that includes selecting a sample from the population of affected residents; creating, piloting, and executing a survey to collect data; conducting a comparative analysis of the data; and reporting and publishing the results locally.

Statistics teacher Josh Wilkerson said the idea is for students to integrate classroom knowledge with community service. A project related to last summer's wildfires was the overwhelming choice of students when he first proposed that community service be the theme of the class' spring project.

"The goal of this project is to give students hands-on experience with data collection, experimental design, and statistical analysis in the context of community service," Wilkerson said. "This project will offer students an excellent opportunity to gain familiarity with the vital role statistics plays in the organization and evaluation of local outreach programs."

Senior Leece Uilkie, who is serving as one of the project managers, said the AP Statistics students use statistical equations and interpretations to explore real-life situations on a daily basis. This project allows them to apply what they are learning to something they hope is useful to the community.

"We assume the project we chose will correctly utilize key statistical terms and the material we've been learning in class throughout the year," Uilkie said. "Also, we hope the results of this project will shine light on the tireless effort given by the community and county."

No comments:

Post a Comment