AP Statistics 2013 – 2014 Eric J. Gambill Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet 615.291.6300 x 808116 eric.gambill@mnps.org http://egambill.wordpress.com Course Description and Expectations AP Statistics is designed to provide students with an education equal to that of the typical Statistics course offered at the university level. Therefore, the amount of work required for the successful completion of this course is significantly higher than that expected in the average high school classroom. In order for a student to receive college credit for their effort, they will be expected to do college-level work. One of the biggest adjustments facing students will be the pace at which the material is covered. The majority of the concepts will be covered prior to Spring Break in order to leave plenty of time for review before the AP Exam, which will be given on Friday, May 9th. Accomplishing this goal will require a large commitment on the part of the student to complete all homework on time and to give each assignment an honest effort. Failure to do so will result in the student falling behind, which is very difficult to recover from in a class of this difficulty. Required Materials Students will be expected to bring the following to class each day: Textbook Notebook and Graph Paper Pencils (Pens are NOT allowed on homework, quizzes, or tests) Straight Edge (Ruler or anything else to make straight lines) Ti-Nspire Calculator Grading A list of standards for this course has been established and students will be graded based upon their mastery of each standard on a scale of 0-4, which is a reflection of how grades are calculated on the free response section of the AP Exam. 4 3 2 1 0 – Complete understanding. – Substantial understanding. – Developing understanding. – Minimal understanding. – No understanding. 1 Multiple assessments will be given on each standard and a final grade for each standard will reflect a student’s current level of understanding and performance. After this score has been determined on the 4-point scale, the following conversion chart will determine their grade based upon the traditional 100 pt. scale. Standards-Based Grade Conversion Chart: SBG 4.0 3.75 3.5 3.25 3.0 2.75 2.5 2.25 Traditional 100 97 94 90 86 83 80 77 SBG 2.0 1.75 1.5 1.25 1.0 0.75 0.5 0.25 Traditional 75 73 70 67 65 60 55 50 If students are unsatisfied with their level of understanding on a particular standard, then they may request extra work at any time. After completing this work students may then take additional assessments to see if their understanding has improved. This may occur for any standard at any time of the year. However, it is the responsibility of the student to communicate their desire to reassess on a particular standard and a plan between the teacher and student must be agreed upon. No more than one reassessment per day will be allowed. Five points will be added to your final grade each 9 weeks to account for the extra rigor of an AP course. Exams: Seniors may be exempt from semester exams if they meet the following criteria: A minimum semester average of 90 with at least one 9 weeks grade being a 93 or above. No more than 6 class period absences. You are allowed 2 college visits per year that will not count towards this total. No suspensions. All students signed up for the course are required to take the AP Exam, which will be given on Friday, May 9th. Attendance and Make-up Work It is exceptionally easy to fall behind in AP Statistics, which means that classroom attendance is of extreme importance. However, if a student is absent from class, the following procedures are in place and should be followed exactly: If absent, homework assignments can be found on my website: http://egambill.wordpress.com. The calendars on this site will be updated daily. A note must be presented in order for an absence to be excused. No make-up work will be allowed for unexcused absences. All missing grades will become a 0. It is the student’s responsibility to see the teacher as soon as they return from their absence. Students will be given as much time as needed to make up their assignments, but they must discuss this time frame with the teacher in advance. 2 Contract Student I have read the syllabus in its entirety and understand what will be expected of me as an AP Statistics student. I will do my best to complete all work in a timely manner and to give my best effort throughout the year. I also understand that by taking this course I am agreeing to take the AP exam at the end of the year. I understand that information about test fees is available through my AP teacher and my school counselors. Student Name (printed): _____________________________________ Student Signature: __________________________________________ Date: _______________ Parent I have read the syllabus in its entirety and understand what will be expected from my son/daughter throughout the year. I also understand that by taking this course my child has agreed to take the AP Exam at the end of the year. If I have any questions regarding this I can contact my child’s AP teacher or guidance counselor for more information. Parent Name (printed): _____________________________________ Parent Signature: __________________________________________ Date: _______________ 3