Developing statistical reasoning in a “piecemeal” secondary statistics curriculum—the next step

In the last decade, statistics and data analysis have become a more visible component of the secondary school mathematics curriculum in the United States. In most cases, statistics and data analysis topics have been divided up and spread through the mathematics curriculum. However, many important concepts of statistics are not mathematical in nature and are not easily integrated into existing mathematics courses. As a consequence, most students complete their secondary education having seen a number of graphical and numerical statistical methods but having not encountered many key concepts required for mature statistical reasoning. Recognizing that the addition of a separate statistics course to the secondary curriculum is unlikely, an alternate approach is proposed. With support from the American Statistical Association (ASA) and the ASA/NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) Joint Committee on Probability and Statistics in the K-12 Curriculum, a capstone experience for secondary students has been designed. Making Sense of Statistical Studies is a coordinated and coherent set of case studies that can be integrated into mathematics courses to provide students with an understanding of the data analysis process and help them develop the conceptual understanding that provides the foundation for statistical reasoning. This paper contributes to the conference topic of curricular materials and tools for improving students’ learning at school level.