This course is not (yet) part of the Math and Science Center's four year main sequence of Geometry, Algebra II, Precalculus, and AP Calculus AB. It was a new course for the 1999-2000 school year designed specifically to resequence eleven juniors back with their classmates for AP Calculus AB as seniors. Juniors or Seniors who have already completed AP Calculus AB may also take this course, (Mike Pawlik in 2003-04) or others have been assisted at their home schools (Matt Smetts, Eric Wolff). Offering this course as an alternative to AP Calculus in the future is also being explored, but for now, the expectation of the completion of AP Calculus AB by all our students remains.
The major component of this course is what is generally covered in a one-semester introductory college course in statistics. Up to 50% of this material is already covered in our usual freshmen and sophomore curriculum. Since most students are expected to continue with Precalculus or AP Calculus AB the next year, continued review and practice of such topics will also be interwoven into the course. The main focus is a solid background in material needed to indicate good preparation for the Advanced Placement Statistics Test in the afternoon of Wednesday May 4, 2005. The test will consist of 90 minutes for 40 multiple-choice questions, testing proficiency in a wide variety of topics, and another 90 minutes for 5 open-ended questions and complete an investigative task involving more extended reasoning. These two portions are equally weighted. A graphing calculator with certain features is assumed. Total test time is three hours. The open-ended questions are scored on content and presentation of the solution and the scores for both parts are combined to produce a raw score and then an index from 1 (not prepared) to 5 (extremely well-prepared). Most colleges and universities will grant one semester's credit for a score of 3 or better. This test is a fairly recent (1997) addition to the AP program, but has grown tremendously with 8,000 more students taking the test each year the first few years. All are expected to take the Advanced Placement Statistics Test, although a fee of $82 (including a $7 deposit about late Feb.) is required. Testing will occur at the Intermediate School District Offices beginning promptly at 1 pm.
Calkins, Keith G. An Introduction to Statistics, revised5,
http://www.andrews.edu/~calkins/math/webtexts/stattoc.htm.
2003. (8 lectures)
Calkins, Keith G. Probability and Distributions.
http://www.andrews.edu/~calkins/math/webtexts/prodtoc.htm.
2004. (15 lectures-draft).
Yates, Moore, McCabe. The Practice of Statistics.
W. H. Freeman and Company, 1999.
Velleman, Paul. ActivStat. CD-ROM
for Windows. 1999-2000 release.