Online Resources for K-12 Statistics Teachers

STatistics Education Web (STEW)

One of the goals of the American Statistical Association is to improve statistics education at all levels. Through the STatistics Education Web (STEW), the ASA plans to reach out to K-12 mathematics and science teachers who teach statistics concepts in their classrooms. STEW will be an online resource for peer-reviewed lesson plans and resources for K-12 teachers. The web site will be maintained by the ASA and accessible to K-12 teachers throughout the world.

Statistics and probability concepts are included in K-12 curriculum standards and on state and national exams; however, few K-12 teachers have formal training or applied experience with statistical concepts. K-12 teachers need a place where they can find peer-reviewed teaching materials available in a standard format. Teachers also can benefit from guidance toward activities that are appropriate for their students' maturity levels and from the ability to select relevant, useful, and meaningful applications. The ASA is the logical entity to host a resource to support teachers in their efforts to master the content and incorporate it into their classrooms.

There are currently lesson plans and resources available for undergraduate statistics instructors through the Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education. STEW will be devoted to K-12 teachers and complement those resources.

STEW will be set up as a searchable database, and its content will identify both the statistical concepts being developed and the age range appropriate for its use. The statistical concepts will follow the recommendations of the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Report: A Pre-K-12 Curriculum Framework. The web site resource will be organized around the four elements in the GAISE guidelines: formulate questions, collect data, analyze data, and interpret results. Teachers will be able to navigate the site by grade level, statistical topic, and content area (e.g., mathematics, statistics, and science).

STEW will operate similar to an ASA journal. It will have an editorial board consisting of an editor and associate editors. Authors will submit proposed activities to the editor according to a template prepared for that purpose. The editor will have the responsibility of determining which material meets the guidelines for posting on the web site. This will generally be done by passing the material to an associate editor for review and comments.