AP* Online Classes

AP Statistics

On-Line for the 2020-2021 School Year

Teacher: Carole Matheny

Email: carolemath@gmail.com

 I am now accepting registrations for my AP Stats course for 2020-2021! 

*****Congratulations to the 2018-2019 AP Statistics Students! 85% of the class received a 4 or 5 on the exam with a class mean of 4.3 Well done students!*****

Class Tuition: $825 

First Day of Class: Thursday September 3rd ---Classroom will open to students on August 31st

Last Day of Class: AP Statistics exam date, Thursday May 13, 2021.

The class includes 2 full semesters; course materials are additional.  We take a full week break at Thanksgiving, a two-week break in December and a one-week Spring break.

Required Texts:

1. The Practice of Statistics, Daren S. Starnes; Dan Yates; David S. Moore (2010) Fourth Edition. New York: W.H. Freeman and Co. ISBN-10: 1-4292-4559-X or ISBN-13: 978-1-4292-4559-3. (This book does not come with a CD, you certainly may buy a used text or e-book.)  The 4th edition is quite different from the 2nd or 3rd edition so do purchase the 4th edition.

Technical Requirements: 

• Computer, internet access, e-mail capability a MUST
• Scanner to submit handwritten test material as a PDF file OR a digitized camera and a means to upload these images to your pc.
• Graphing calculator, TI-84 suggested. There are numerous graphing calculator choices and the decision is yours.

Prerequisite: Algebra 2

Students must complete Algebra 2 prior to start of class and be in the 9th - 12th grade during the 2020-2021 school year. Exceptions will be on a case-by-case basis. All home-schooled students who pay tuition on or before August 20 will be accepted or until the class fills.  A passion for math is not required. 

Who Should take AP Statistics? Everyone!

Statistics is the most widely applicable branch of mathematics and is used by more people than any other kind of math.  AP Statistics is a great option for students headed to a math- or science-related major, and who are looking for another math course before graduation.  It is also a valuable math course for the non-math-loving student who often finds that for the first time they are enjoying math because they are seeing applications of math/statistics in their life.

For students not headed into a math- or science-related major, statistics is a useful and practical topic in today's society and some argue that these students are better served by taking statistics than calculus. The course does not depend heavily on advanced mathematical computation but rather you are asked to use your critical thinking skills to explain concepts and interpret results. To cement these concepts and assist you with interpreting results hands-on investigations are used throughout the course. Technology, such as the graphing calculator and statistical software, is used to lower the drudgery of computation. 

Arthur Benjamin, a Mathematician at Harvey Mudd College, gave a TED talk titled: Teach Statistics before Calculus; a bold proposal on how to make math education relevant. You can hear his talk at ted.com: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/arthur_benjamin_s_formula_for_changing_math_education.html

Class Description:

AP Statistics is a college level introductory course to statistics in which students will learn to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data. These broad conceptual themes are:

1. Exploring Data
2. Producing Models Using Probability and Simulation
3. Experimental Design
4. Statistical Inference

Students use technology, investigations, problem solving and writing as they build their conceptual understanding of statistics.

Our class day begins with a Daily Message posting which expounds on the day’s statistical concepts.  The student will read a few pages from our text and apply these new concepts to problems.  Students are able to daily test their knowledge through random multiple choice questions.  These questions come from the present and all previous material covered in the course providing the student with a means to constantly review topics.  Throughout the course we have hands-on data collection assignments where we apply what we are learning to real data.  Students can practice their emerging statistical skills by responding to several free response questions from each chapter which helps the student develop their statistical understanding.  Students will be required to take a bi-weekly chapter test with an occasional free response question component similar to the AP Statistics exam. 

Most days students will not "meet" at a scheduled time, but will work asynchronously to do their studying within their own schedule. The Daily Message is posted prior to midnight EST for the following school day permitting overseas students to work on today’s assignment, today. Class assignments for the upcoming one to two months are posted online permitting students to work ahead if needed. Past families have found that I am very accommodating to student and family travel plans and special events.

While this class is neither reading nor writing intensive you will be required to do both. Past students report spending 1 - 2 hours per day, on average, on AP Statistics. Some students report spending more time than that, others report spending less. 

Students are encouraged to ask questions of their peers and of me on our communication board. Students utilize the online discussion boards to interact with classmates, to post any questions they have from the reading material and homework assignments, to answer classmates questions and most importantly to discuss the interpretation of our results. While the class has in the past operated 100% asynchronously I added a live component in the 2019 - 2020 school year.  This was well received and will continue in the 2020 - 2021 school year.

LIVE COMPONENT: 

Weekly the student may participate in at least two live sessions---a one-hour live lecture where the instructor will present concepts which are covered in corresponding chapters; where students will work through statistical problems that they might see on the AP Stats exam or explore the statistical aspects of current studies.  In these sessions students will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the instructor and discussion is encouraged. Live sessions are presented through the Zoom platform which is easily accessible.   Although the live session recordings will be available throughout the year, students are encouraged but not required to participate in the actual live sessions.  To identify the times of the live component an online meeting schedule ap is used. Students will identify one hour time slots they're available from 10 am to 9 pm ET,  Monday to Thursday, and from 8am - 2pm ET on Friday.  Two session days and times will be identified that maximize the number of students available to attend. A 3rd live session time will be scheduled if there are still a number of students who are not able to attend either of the first two times.   The live session days and times are decided during orientation week in August and again in December.  Various times are offered for these live components, and I make every effort to accommodate the lecture and chat times to my students’ schedules.       

Office Hours:  Several times a week I announce on our communication board that I am in my *office* permitting students to pop in through our Zoom platform to directly ask questions and discuss statistics.  These are live sessions and permit students a similar experience to stopping into their teacher’s office. My virtual office door is always open.  Students can communicate with me via email, or through the discussion board, and I attempt to answer all email communication on the day I receive it (there are some exceptions to this, but they are infrequent).  I encourage students to share information about the topics which they are learning and ask questions in order to improve their understanding.   

Assessment:

Student assessment will consist of a combination of multiple choice and free response exams, hands-on activities and home-work. Class participation is not required but is encouraged and is rewarded with extra-credit points. The exams are graded using the AP exam scoring guidelines. My experience with assessing student responses ensures that the students taking this course are well-prepared for a good score on the AP® Statistics exam next spring!  Past AP Stats students have earned a qualifying rate on the AP exam (scores of 3 or higher) of 98% with 5 (52%) being the most common score. 

Instructor Qualifications:  

In 2008 I began teaching online AP Statistics with PA Homeschoolers. I keep coming back because I so enjoy teaching and sharing my love for statistics. For several years I taught Statistics as an adjunct professor at both Assumption College and Anna Maria College in Worcester, MA while also working full-time as an engineer.  Statistical methods were a valuable tool and an integral part of my work life, both as a Research Engineer and as Manager of Manufacturing Engineering. Those years provided me with both an application and teaching perspective on statistics that I try to bring into AP Statistics.  I hold a BS and MS in Ceramic Engineering from The Ohio State University and an MBA from Clark University. I spent twenty years working as an engineer in industry for PPG, Battelle Columbus Labs and Norton Abrasive Company.  While working at Norton's I was granted five patents.  I'm a veteran homeschool mom and taught my two sons from elementary age through high school. Both are now college graduates.

How to register:  Complete the registration form http://www.aphomeschoolers.com/xstatistics/application.pdf and email it to: carolemath@gmail.com. You do not need to wait to hear from me before paying the course fee. 

Questions? I answer all questions! Just e-mail me at carolemath@gmail.com

Do read the unedited comments of my former students who wrote their class review following the exam. Click on the link below to read what they have to say!  You just might agree with me that the best advertisement for my class are my former students!

My AP Statistics cumulative test score results are shown in blue, College Board reported results for all students in 2019 taking the exam are displayed in black.  My students have earned far more 4s and 5s then the Global results!

Click here to open or download an application to this class (pdf)

Click here to read class reviews from past participants
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