Statistics Bulletin Board

Nov 24 2009 • Weather

UniStat Classroom Policies —

Attendance. Graded work missed during absences due to illness will be made up within 2 days of your return (or within the number of days missed). Homework and graded work during scheduled absences must be presented in advance of the absence or may result in a score of 0 (zero). SENIORS: THIS INCLUDES COLLEGE VISITS! An unexcused absence will result in a score of zero for any graded work missed. Please refer to the grading policy for more information about how attendance can affect your grade.

Behavior. Common courtesy and decency are the norm. As classroom procedures are developed, you are expected to follow them. Respect yourself, respect your classmates, respect your teacher. I will extend full respect to you, as well. Behavior contrary to this guidance will result in punishment to fit the crime. Standard rules apply: no eating/drinking, no writing on desks or walls...

Participation. Common courtesy and decency are the norm. Respect yourself, respect your classmates, respect your teacher. I will extend full respect to you, as well. Standard rules apply: no eating/drinking, no writing on desks or walls, …

Preparation and Homework. You are prepared for class if you have read the prescribed material and worked on the homework with an open, alert mind, and have made a sincere effort to complete all problems. I strongly recommend that you work a few problems each night, rather than waiting for the night before a problem set is due. Doing so will help you keep the material from each day’s lesson fresh, will help you to stay prepared and enable your participation in each class period, and, if you run into problems, you’ll have an opportunity to seek help.

Collaboration. On problem sets, you may generally receive any help you desire EXCEPT DIRECT COPYING (to include paraphrasing and electronic cut-and-paste). For on-line quizzes (see grading policy) you may use your own textbook or notes, but no help from any individual (student, parent, teacher, internet, etc.). On other individual work, you may not receive any help (except from your teacher) unless it is specifically allowed in the assignment instructions. On group work outside class, you may obtain help from outside sources with your teacher's permission, but all help must be cited in your bibliography.

Academic Integrity. . On any written work you prepare outside of class, you must cite any reference you use, other than your textbook or class notes and handouts (APA format). In particular, be sure to cite any web site other than one I assign. On tests and quizzes you will be asked to sign a pledge indicating that you have neither given nor received help (other than what is allowed in instructions). On other work, you may follow the collaboration guidelines above, but you must cite assistance where appropriate. Cheating hurts you because you don't learn as much as you're capable of; it hurts others because they see cheaters beating out honest work; it's just plain wrong. I expect you to be forthright in your work, submit only your own work, and not to help others cheat. If you violate the spirit of this expectation, you will be referred to the Assistant Director, and may lose up to 100% of any points involved. A little note: chronic absence on test days is a form of cheating—it allows you more time to master the material than your classmates, and is blatantly unfair. Even if your parents call you in sick.

Attitude. I like math; I hope you do. I also like helping student learn math. I intend to have fun with the math we will discuss; if you let yourself, you might find that you can have fun with math too. We have a great deal of material to cover; some of it may be difficult for you. If so, please seek help from one of your friends, from your parents, from me, or from another teacher before you get too frustrated. A frustrated mind is a closed mind. Open minds have more fun, are more productive, and may result in longer life and increased happiness. My mind is open, too: I know that Statistics is not your only subject at Uni. If a conflict arises, help me to help you work around it by warning me in advance. I’m happy to get the chance to work with you this year!!!

UniStat Grading Policy —

This grading scheme is probably unlike others you have encountered. There are several types of graded events (and an overview of how they're graded) listed below; further down is a description of how "report card grades" will be computed. If it all seems confusing, you're right.

“Problem Sets”—worth 10 points, one per week. More details in the online grading policy.

Problem sets are due AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS PERIOD. Late problem sets (including unexcused tardiness) will be assessed a half-point penalty per day. Late problem sets will not be accepted more than 5 school days after they were due. Work missed or late due to an unexcused absence will earn a score of zero. If you miss part of the day for an excused absence/tardy, you must submit your problem set in my mailbox in the main office by 4:00 in order not to be assessed the late penalty.

Tests/Quizzes—Two tests (50 points) and two quizzes (20 or 25 points) are scheduled each quarter.

Tests or quizzes scheduled during a pre-planned absence (including field trips, medical appointments, college visits) must be made up in advance of the absence. Tests or quizzes missed due to excused absences must be taken within the number of days prescribed in the attendance policy. Tests or quizzes missed due to unexcused absences will result in a grade of zero. Students who miss only part of the day MUST TAKE THE TEST OR QUIZ ON THE DAY IT IS SCHEDULED (this includes early dismissal for athletic events).

Test Corrections: After each test (unless it’s an unexcused absence), you will have the opportunity to correct problems you missed if you did not earn an A for the test. Corrections must be complete within one week of getting the test back.

On-line Quiz—Some quizzes will be taken online; your best score is reported, and you may take the quiz as often as you like. Online quizzes are worth 20 points, with a 5% per day late penalty.

You may use a textbook, YOUR OWN notes (not someone else’s), and your calculator. You may NOT use help from anyone, whether in person, via instant messaging, or any other electronic or paper medium.

Projects, Labs, Analysis papers—5% per day late penalty; zero for unexcused absence. Late work will not be accepted beyond five school days after the due date.

Projects (one or more per semester) are long-term group or individual activities; 25 or 50 points
Labs are in-class group investigations for which individually-written lab reports will be turned in; 5-10 points.
Analysis papers (3-4 per semester) are one-page critiques of a current article or advertisement that uses statistical evidence; 25 points.
One project, one lab report, and one analysis paper may be re-submitted per quarter, for up to one letter grade improvement; time frame will be discussed individually as the need arises.

Final Exams—there will be a semester exam, both semesters, for this course, during finals week.

Advanced Placement Exam-at your option, you may take the AP exam in Statistics. The course will have covered all topics on the AP syllabus before the AP exam in May. The AP exam will not count for your grade, and whether or not you take the AP exam will not be considered in grading. Students who choose to take the AP exam will be offered some review activities in lieu of other assignments/activities.

Each quarter, grades will be assigned in accordance with the criteria below. This table doesn’t list all possible circumstances, but you are guaranteed at least the grade below. I reserve the right to append a “-” (minus) or a “+” (plus) to a letter grade to indicate that the work was very close to meeting the next lower (minus) or higher (plus) standard.

A: Graded events average at least 90%, no unexcused absences or tardies.

B: Graded events average at least 80% with at most three unexcused absences or tardies (abs + tar < 3)

C: Graded events average at least 70% with no more than five unexcused tardies or absences (abs + tar < 5)

D: Graded events average at least 60%

F: None of the criteria above has been met.

NOTE: 5 absences in one quarter mean you have missed over 10% of class meetings!

If you have a “pre-planned” absence that is technically unexcused, but you submit all assignments BEFORE the absence, it will not count against your grade.

Semester grades will be the average of the two quarter grades. Any necessary rounding will be in the direction of the semester exam grade. A semester exam grade significantly different (more than 20%) than the average of the quarter grades may raise or lower the semester grade by one letter.

Extra Credit: From time to time, extra credit opportunities may be announced, but no more than one submission per student per week will be accepted. Bonus points (1 or 2) may be awarded for correct work.

“UniStat” Syllabus —

Textbook: Statistics: Concepts and Methods, 2nd Ed.

Technology: Students should have a TI-83, TI-83 plus, or TI-84 graphing calculator IN CLASS DAILY and when doing any homework. Students will need worldwide web access periodically, and might find a good spreadsheet program and TI-Graphlink useful on home computers. There is a limited availability of statistical software at Uni: Mathematica and Excel will be used. Computers in the classroom and in Math House have TI-Graphlink cables and software. The Compass site (https://compass.illinois.edu) will have java applets (or links to applet sites) available. Students will need a "StatCrunch" (http://www.statcrunch.com) account, available for $12 for 6 months or $22.50 for 12 months.

Theme: This year we will study Statistics concepts and skills through the lens of Social Justice

Web Sites: https://compass.illinois.edu for assignments, course calendar, and grades; https://mallard.cites.uiuc.edu/UNISTAT for online quizzes. You must use your AD netid and password to access the Compass and Mallard sites.

Note: Time frames are very rough estimates; we'll spend more or less time on a unit depending on how the class as a whole is doing.

Unit	Title	Time Frame	Text Reference	Contents
1	Representations	3 weeks	Chapters 1 & 2	Statistical representations; review of statistics concepts from earlier courses; introduction to the normal (bell-shaped) curve.
2	Regressions	3 weeks	Chapter 3, Sec. 11.3	Linear regression, correlation, “linearizing transformations.”
3	Probability I	5 weeks	Chapters 4 & 5	Fundamentals of probability and expected value; using simulations to estimate probabilities; “Law of Large Numbers.”
4	Probability II	3 weeks	Chapter 6, plus supplements	Probability distributions: binomial, geometric, Poisson, normal, exponential, uniform…
5	Experimental Design	3 weeks	Chapter 7, plus supplements	Random sampling techniques, observational studies vs. controlled experiments.
6	Confidence Intervals	5 weeks	Chapter 8	Central Limit Theorem; standard errors; bootstrapping; margin of error.
7	Hypothesis Testing	4 weeks	Chapter 9	Null and Alternative Hypotheses; using simulations; significance versus acceptance/rejection.
8	Hypotheses About Shape	4 weeks	Chapters 10 & 11	Hypotheses about correlation and slope; population distributions; testing using simulations; the chi-square density.
9	Special Topics	4 weeks	Chapter 12	ANOVA: Bootstrap techniques; mean-squares; one-way and two-way ANOVA; multiple regressions.

Unit 9 may be replaced by other material, depending on interests and proficiencies of students in the class.