Download AP Test Scores - VVS School District

AP Test Scores
Chelsea Armlin, Brandon Babcock,
Mason Markowski, and Robert
Romeo
The Proposal
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We are investigating AP exam scores in VVS compared to
New York State. We choose to investigate this because we
wanted to see where VVS falls on the normal curve of AP
exams.
The population will be the AP Biology, Calculus, English,
European History and US History Averages over the past 5
years through NYS. The sample will be VVS Scores on AP
Biology, Calculus, English and US History for the past 5
years.
H0: VVS AP Test score average = NYS AP test score
average H1: VVS AP test score > NYS AP test score average.
To sample we will acquire the test scores from Mrs.
Muller and weight the averages. We will also search the
internet for the NYS averages and weight those. We have to
weight the averages so that our sample size is big enough
and accurate.
The Email
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-----Original Message----From: [email protected]
Sent: 21 Dec 10 12:49:25
To: <[email protected]>
Cc:
Subject: Vernon Verona Sherrill AP Scores
Dear AP Exams,
We are doing a statistics project on AP test scores in our school versus New
York State. We attend Vernon Verona Sherrill High School in Verona, NY. We
were wondering if it would be possible to receive the scores from our school
from the past ten years back to 2001.
Thank you,
Robert Romeo, Brandon Babcock, Mason Markowski, Chelsea Armlin
The Email Continued
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---------- Forwarded message ---------From: AP <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 8:44 AM
Subject: AP Scores
To: [email protected]
Thank you for contacting AP Services.
Please contact your high school's AP Coordinator for inquiries regarding your high
school's AP scoring information.
Thank you for your inquiry. We appreciate the opportunity to assist you. If you
have additional questions about this issue, please do not hesitate to write us
again. Your e-mail should include all previous messages you have received about
this issue so we can provide the best possible service.
Sincerely,
AP Services
Collecting Data
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We collected our data by obtaining the
last five year’s scores from Mrs. Muller
and by looking up the NYS scores online
at apcentral.collegeboard.com.
Biases
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The classes that we picked to study were
part of our bias. We picked tests that we
thought would do well in this study. We
knew AP Calc would have a high
average but that AP English might not.
The Central Limit Theorem
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The central limit theorem states that you
need a sample size of at least thirty and
have a mound shaped and symmetrical
graph to have a normal outcome.
Because our sample is actually a
population we do not go by this rule. In
reality our experiment is comparing VVS
AP test scores population to NYS AP
test scores population.
Math for Biology
= 3.589189189
= 2.625...
Using the t calculator, probability is .0063
Because .0063 is less than alpha we reject H0
Our margin of error is .41
= .41
Graphs for AP Biology
Math for Calculus
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Using t-calculator the probability is ~0.000
 Because ~0.000 < .01 we reject H0
 Our margin of error is .23
Graphs for AP Calculus
Math for APUSH
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Using t-calculator the probability is .0011
 Because .0011 < .01 we reject H0
 Our margin of error is .15
Graphs for APUSH
Math for European History
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Using t-calculator the probability is .0276
 Because .0276 > .01 we do not reject H0
 Our margin of error is .14
Graphs for AP European History
Math for English
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Using t-calculator the probability is .1228
 Because .1228 > .01 we do not reject H0
 Our margin of error is .17
Graphs for AP English
Conclusion
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Looking at our data and math we have
concluded that AP Biology, Calculus, and US
History are different because the probability of
the scores that were achieved happening is so
small that it is basically improbable. They are
part of another curve that has a higher
average. We also conclude that AP European
History and English are on the normal curve.
Evaluation
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Our test worked very well. We were able
to show that VVS is above average in
three subjects and normal in the other
two that we tested. Although some were
farther from the average than others,
every subject was above the state mean.
Modifications
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If we were to do this experiment again we would test
more subjects and go farther back than just five years.
By testing more than five years the data becomes
more accurate and by testing more subjects we can
see if VVS really is above the state average scores.
We could also do an experiment on testing if the
schools that have more money produce better results
than that of schools without as much funding.
Another experiment that we could have done was test
similar schools instead of comparing VVS to NYS.