Course Syllabus

Let's Make a Deal cartoon from xkcd.com

 

Welcome to AP Statistics for the 2018-2019 school year!

AP STATISTICS 

MORRIS 2018 – 2019

morrise@wellesleyps.org

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Welcome to AP Statistics!  The curriculum for this course is based on the guidelines for the Advanced Placement Exam in Statistics given on May 17th.  All students are strongly encouraged to take this exam.  Scores of 3 or higher can result in credit for college courses.  Check with the colleges to which you are applying for their guidelines.

GRADING:

The tests and quizzes given in this class will follow the AP guidelines as closely as possible.  As such, you will be assessed on questions you have not seen before.  You will have all of the skills necessary to answer the questions and the challenge will be to figure out which skills you need and what your solution tells you.  Statistics can be a very “gray” subject in that two people could answer a question with different conclusions and both be correct if their arguments are based on sound principles.  When you study, be sure that you work on problems not covered in class and that you concentrate on the methods and not the question types.  There will occasionally be quizzes that will not be graded but will be corrected and commented on by me.  These are chances for you to look at areas on which you still need to work without having grade pressures.  There will be no retakes on tests.

At the end of each term, there will be a cumulative test covering all of the material covered so far.  If your score on this test is better than scores on previous tests that term, the cumulative assessment grade will replace your lowest test grade.  If the score on the cumulative assessment is not better than the previous assessments, it will just be averaged in as another assessment.

 

Term grades will be determined by:     tests (in class and projects) (70%)

(for terms 1-3 only)                              quizzes  (30%)                                             

 

The grade for term 4 will vary because it is a short term and we will be spending all class time in preparation of the AP exam.  There will still be nightly homework and grades will be assigned to completed class work but the majority of the 4th term grade will be a percentage (80%) of the previous three terms.

HOMEWORK:

I will assign problems every night that will be good practice of the day’s lesson.  However, you will not be assessed on whether or not you decide to complete the assignment.  Doing the problems will be up to you but you will be responsible for understanding the material.  Time will be set aside at the start of class to go over the problems to see if there were any questions and occasionally there will be quizzes based on the homework problems.  If you choose to do the problems, you should start by writing down all of the given information and what you are being asked to find.  If you do not understand a question, PLEASE, do not just skip it!  Write down a sentence or two about where and why you got stuck and what information you feel would help you.

HONOR CODE/LATE PAPERS:

Be sure you have read the Student Handbook policy on academic integrity.  ANY incident of cheating will result in a grade of zero and a call home.  Cheating includes, but is not limited to, copying assignments, lending assignments to be copied by others, programming graphing calculators, cheat sheets during assessments, etc.  Repeated incidents could result in a zero for the course.  One grade will be subtracted for every day an assignment is late.

ATTENDANCE:

Your attendance in this course is required.  You will NOT be allowed to make up, for credit, work missed during unexcused absences or cuts.  It is YOUR responsibility to get the assignments you missed and to make them up within two days of your absence.  IF YOU MISS AN ASSESSMENT, you will be expected to make it up the day you return or it will become a zero.  Check Canvas and your classmates for missed assignments.

EXTRA HELP:

Extra help will be available before and after school.  Since I am the department head, my schedule changes daily and I am not always in my office.  Please let me know when you are planning on coming in for help.   Please come for help PREPARED with your notebook and text and be prepared to stay more than 15 minutes.  You are STRONGLY encouraged to come for help as soon as you think it is needed.  Do not wait until the morning of an assessment and think that you are going to be able to cover all of the material in 5 minutes. 

SUPPLIES:

You should be bringing to class every day your notebook, a pencil or BLACK or BLUE pen, and a graphing calculator.  We may have a couple of extra texts in the classroom to use.  We will occasionally use computers.  I have some calculators in class to use but they do NOT leave the room.  

THE CLASSROOM:

I expect this to be a safe classroom.  Derogatory comments will NOT be tolerated.  If you feel there is a problem that I have missed, PLEASE tell me ASAP.

MOST IMPORTANT: 

Mathematics is not the dreaded subject that many people feel that it is.  You all have the ability to be successful in this class and leave WHS with a strong understanding of what statistics tells us and what it doesn’t.  It is not a black and white subject but is many shades of gray.  As we go through the year, we will all have good days and bad days.  PLEASE keep in mind that you are NOT a grade and that grades are not the be all and end all.  It is about the understanding and the process you will go through over the year.  Get your rest and keep healthy – THAT is what is most important and from there, the learning will come.  I am here to help you.  Welcome!

Course Summary:

Date Details Due