This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
STATISTICIAN’S VIEW
AP Statistics: Passion, Paradox, and Pressure
(PART I)
Xiao-Li Meng
Same Passion But Different
Populations
Flowing in Rossman, Peck, Franklin, Hartlaub,
and Scheaffer’s letter (November, 2009, hereafter
RPFHS) is passion and persuasion: passion for
AP statistics and persuasion for its effectiveness.
I greatly applaud their effort as passionate leaders
and devoted promoters of statistical education,
e.g., Professor Rossman is the current President of
International Association for Statistical Education,
Professor Scheaffer is a past President of ASA,
and Professor Franklin’s textbook (with Professor
Agresti) is actually the reference book for the Happy
Course described in my op-ed (which is the piece
that RPFHS commented on). The demand for sta-
tistics is such that we now need significantly more
I was therefore puzzled by the statement in
passionate and effective statistical educators, espe-
RPFHS that my “criticism” of AP statistics is “mis-
cially for introductory courses, for reasons discussed
directed”. My op-ed was not assessingm— uch less
in Brown and Kass (2009) and Meng (2009).
criticizing—the overall quality of AP statistics, but
The same passion for the future of statistics has
rather addressing a situation on cases where it had
led to recent efforts at Harvard Statistics; the Happy
a negative impact, as reported by students. In con-
Course is just one of them (see Meng (2009) for
trast, what RPFHS cited are cases where students
others). Strong persuasion was also intended in
have been turned on by their AP statistics experi-
my op-ed for The Harvard Undergraduate Research
ences, also reported by students.
Journal (THURJ), persuading undergraduates to
There were two sentences in my op-ed that men-
take at least one course in statistics, especially those
tioned AP statistics. One of them is (all emphases in
who had been turned off by their AP statistics expe-
the current article are added)
riences. Coincidently, a colleague just forwarded an
email from a Harvard undergraduate who read my
“And for nearly every one of you (i.e.,
op-ed and whose reaction is the type that prompted
undergraduates) I have spoken with, the
me to acknowledge their frustration (evidently this
number one reason that you did not even
student made an effort to have himself “turned on”
consider majoring (or concentrating, to
—Stat 104 is the course taught by the protagonist
be true to the Harvard spirit!) in statistics
of the “Jesus” quotation in my op-ed):
is because the AP statistics you took
convinced you that statistics is the most
“That article’s section #2 was actually one
boring subject.”
of my largest concerns last year because my
AP Stat class was dreadfully unexciting and
The other is a literal quotation from one of those
just pure regurgitation (and probably why
students: “AP Statistics was the most boring course
I have to listen to Stat 104 lectures that a
I took in high school!” I was therefore quoting from
friend who took it last year downloaded
students who chose to stay away from statistics. Let’s
for me to refresh myself). The article was
denote that population as A. By contrast, RPFHS
a really fun read, unlike popular opinion
was quoting from students who are already in statis-
about statistics being “boring.” ”
tics major/minor/courses:
December 2009 AmstAt News 7
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com