Announcements: Fall 2022
Submit Lesson Plans, Articles, and Announcements to Statistics Teacher
Consider submitting your K–12 statistics lesson plans for publication or writing and sharing an article. We also accept announcement submissions. For more information, see the ST submission guidelines or contact the ST editors.
Upcoming Deadlines
The Mathematics Education Trust Provides Grants, Awards, and Scholarships to Support PK–12 Statistics Efforts
Deadline is May 1, 2023
The Mathematics Education Trust provides National Council of Teachers of Mathematics members access to more than $150,000 in grants, scholarships, and other awards. Since 1976, MET rewards have supported the improvement of K–12 mathematics education across instrumental content areas such as statistics. This assistance includes uplifting pre-service teachers with the new Opening Gates for Prospective Teachers Grant. Learn more about the range of opportunities and apply for the MET grants.
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
Deadline is February 6, 2023
This year’s Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching will honor grade 7–12 mathematics and science (including computer science) teachers.
Modeling Contest and Data Insights Award
Activities February 16–20, 2023
COMAP’s Mathematical Contest in Modeling is an international competition for high-school and undergraduate students. The ASA provides the Data Insights Award for MCM Problem C.
ASA Data Visualization Poster Competition
Deadline April 1, 2023
The ASA Data Visualization Poster Competition is for grade K–12 students to create a display containing two or more related graphics that summarize a set of data, look at the data from different points of view, and answer specific questions about the data. Submissions are digital. Don’t forget to check the rubric.
Virtual Science Fair
Registration deadline is April 30, 2023
The Virtual Science Fair allows grade K–12 students to investigate an interesting topic and submit a short video highlighting their process and results. Bonus: Celebrate Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month at the same time!
ASA Statistics Project Competition
Deadline June 1, 2023
The ASA Statistics Project Competition (written report) is for grade 7–12 students to answer a research question using statistical techniques and present the work in a written report.
Upcoming Conferences
NCTM 2023 Spring Virtual Conference
March 29–April 1, 2023
US Conference on Teaching Statistics (USCOTS)
June 1–3, 2023; preconference workshops start May 30, 2023, State College, Pennsylvania
Meeting Within a Meeting (MWM) Statistics Workshop for Middle- and High-School Mathematics and Science Teachers
Online, July 24–25, 2023
Beyond AP Statistics (BAPS) Workshop
Held at US Conference on Teaching Statistics, May 30–June 3 2023, Date TBD
Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM)
August 5–10, 2023, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting and Exposition
October 25–28, 2023, Washington, DC
New Resources
New Joint ASA-NCTM Statement on Preparing PK–12 Teachers of Statistics and Data Science
“Preparing PK–12 Teachers of Statistics and Data Science: A Joint Position Statement of the American Statistical Association and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics” (PDF download) details the preparation and support teachers need to successfully support students’ learning of statistics in the pre-K–12 curriculum.
NSF-funded MODULE(S2) Project
The NSF-funded MODULE(S2) project recently published free curriculum materials that develop prospective teachers’ statistical knowledge for teaching secondary mathematics. Intended for use in university content courses that include statistics, the materials are organized into the following three modules:
● Module 1: Study Design & Exploratory Data Analysis
● Module 2: Statistical Inference
● Module 3: Statistical Association
Each module takes about four weeks of class time, so they could be used as the total curriculum for a three-credit, semester-long class. Alternatively, each module is independent, so the materials can be used flexibly. Project also published similar materials that address algebra, geometry, and mathematical modeling. The MODULE(S2) curriculum materials have undergone extensive piloting over the last four years and have shown to be effective at improving prospective teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching, as well as their expectancy and value of teaching mathematics through a student-centered, discussion-based approach.
What’s Going On in This Graph
What’s Going On in This Graph? is a free weekly online feature of the ASA and New York Times Learning Network. On Wednesdays from September to May, a new graph is released. Students respond to four questions: What do you notice? What do you wonder? How does this relate to you and your community? What is a catchy headline that captures the main ideas of this graph? Teachers moderate their responses online from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET. By Friday, the original article, additional questions, and “stat nuggets”—definitions of statistical terms seen in the graphs and explanations for how they are used—are revealed. No statistics background is necessary for either teachers or students.
K–12 Statistics Teacher Meetups Are Back
The American Statistical Association offers free K–12 teacher meetups (via Zoom) to share resources and discuss K–12 statistics topics. Meetup topics have included the AP Statistics exam and statistics reading, assessment, applets, software resources, and lesson plans. View recordings or indicate interest in participating in future meetups and suggest topics or presenters.
US Census Bureau Statistics in Schools Updates
The US Census Bureau recently recognized Hartville, Montana, as the 2020 center of population, and the Statistics in Schools program released two new related warm-up activities and a teaching guide with ideas teachers can use to tie current events to real-life data across subjects like math, history, English, and geography and show students how our country is changing.
Additional Resources
Statistics and Data Science for Teachers Available for Free Download
A goal of Statistics and Data Science for Teachers is to provide teacher educators with a resource to guide courses and professional development when preparing teachers of all grade levels to teach the foundations of statistics and data science in their classrooms. In supporting the spirit of Pre-K–12 Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education II (GAISE II): A Framework for Statistics and Data Science Education, this book presents statistical ideas through investigations and engagement with the statistical problem-solving process of formulating statistical investigative questions, collecting/considering data, analyzing data, and interpreting results. Download a low-resolution version or high-resolution version for free. Printed copies can be purchased via Amazon.
Focus on Statistics: Available for Free Download
Focus on Statistics: Investigations for the Integration of Statistics into Grades 9–12 Mathematics Classrooms consists of 19 investigations to help classroom teachers implement key statistical concepts in their classrooms. Each investigation has an overview, learning goals, mathematical practice through a statistical lens, materials, instructional plans, and ideas for extensions. Download for free or purchase on Amazon.
GAISE II Available
The Pre-K–12 Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education II (GAISE II): A Framework for Statistics and Data Science Education is available for free download. It can also be purchased via Amazon for $15.
People Count
People Count! (And Their Data Stories) is a free collection of 16 lessons in which students develop, analyze, and redesign population projection models using past and present population totals by age groups to estimate future population estimates of various countries. Hard copies of the Teaching Notes and the Student Edition are now available by the author on Amazon.
NCTM Supports Statistics Education with Valuable Knowledge and Resources
To elevate the standards of mathematics education offered around the world, NCTM provides the math community with education resources, professional development opportunities, and more. Their journal Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK–12 (MTLT) features various mathematical topics, including statistics. In GAISE II: Bringing Data into Classrooms, the authors take a deeper look into the Pre-K–12 Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education II (GAISE II): A Framework for Statistics and Data Science Education report.
STEW Lessons
STatistics Education Web (STEW) is a free, online resource for peer-reviewed statistics lesson plans.
Census at School
The ASA’s Census at School program is a free international classroom project that engages students in grades 4–12 in statistical problem solving using their own real data. The students complete an online survey, analyze their class census results, and compare their class with random samples of students in the United States and other participating countries. There are free lessons using Census at School data posted under Resources. We encourage new lesson plan submissions using the STEW format.
ThisIsStatistics
Subscribe to the ThisIsStatistics educators’ newsletter and receive updates about educator resources and student contests. Also, get a PDF download of recommended resources for the digital classroom.
ASA Memberships and Free Resources for Teachers
Sign up for a free one-year trial membership for K–12 teachers and two-year college faculty. Free resources for K-12 educators and students are available at K–12 Educators and for two-year college faculty at Undergraduate Educators.
