Online for the 2024-2025 School Year
Teacher: Jennette Driscoll
Email: driscoll.jen@gmail.com
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2024-2025
Note: 2024-2025 tuition includes the etext with optional additional practice, and a lab kit.
International students, please contact me for options regarding the lab kit. Students do not need to be online to read their textbook.
If you wish to purchase an additional hardback text, the reading pages and problem numbers will match all assignments given, provided you purchase the correct edition. Homework for all students will still be handwritten, rather than electronic, and reviewed.
Please contact me at Jennette@udel.edu with any questions.
"As I contemplated my retirement Jen was the first and only person I considered as my successor for teaching AP Statistics. I have known her personally for more than a dozen years. Jen is a homeschool parent herself, and the only one I would have trusted to educate my own kids. I know your students will be in wonderful hands with Jen"
-- Carole Matheny, AP Statistics Teacher for PA Homeschoolers for 12 years.
Live meeting times for 2024-2025:
- 3:00 pm Eastern Time on most Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus flexible office hours. There will be no class on test days, to allow students ample time for the exams. Tuesday and Thursday classes present new material and are not duplicate classes.
- Class attendance is encouraged, but optional, and all live classes are recorded for student viewing, to allow students to fit the course into their schedules.
Class Tuition: $900
Early Bird Tuition (If paid prior to June 1, 2024): $850
NOTE: Tuition cost includes the etext and your lab kit (international students, please contact me for international shipping or other options on the lab kit).
- Tuition for the standard section includes a Stats lab kit, with shipping (for US Students; international students contact me about shipping costs or alternatives).
- 2 semesters, fall and spring, with two optional-but-recommended live classes held most weeks (no class on exam days)
- Handwritten homework for each chapter.
- interactive activities, both hands-on and computer simulation, to illustrate concepts
- interactive discussion on a private Discord server, where students may collaborate, ask questions, and receive additional support instead of waiting for class days
- daily written instruction through Canvas
- access to video recordings of live classes and copies of in-class activities completed
- an array of optional activities students can use to personalize the course and show mastery of the material through means beyond testing and homework
- fixed deadlines throughout the entire year, announced at the start of the course, for planning purposes, but scheduled in a manner that allows students flexibility to organize work time to suit their personal schedules
- a structured review period in the month leading up to the AP exam (a $30 additional value, included in your tuition).
- live and email/Discord help from the instructor
- Instructor graded Free response questions with individualized feedback
- multiple choice practice with instant feedback
- periodic tips on effective note taking, to help survive college
Dates at a glance:
- August 15 open enrollment deadline (or until class fills)
- August 21 Canvas classroom opens to students
- August 26 Course begins
- September 2 Labor Day, no assignments
- October 14-18 Fall break
- November 25-29 Thanksgiving break
- December 13: Mid-term due
- December 14-Jan 5 Winter break
- December 31 or earlier if possible: Midyear grades sent out
- March 21 Last day of covering and testing new material for the course
- March 24-28 Spring break
- April 1-30: AP Exam review period
- April 14: Course final exam
- AP Stats Exam 2025: TBA
- As soon as possible following the AP Exam: end of year grades sent out (no later than May 20).
Required Text:
- The textbook is included in your tuition price. You do not need to purchase any additional texts, solutions, or prep materials beyond a calculator and a few bags of candy.
- For students who wish to have a hardback copy, please purchase the correct edition, so that homework assignments and problems will be correct:
- The Practice of Statistics, Daren S. Starnes; Josh Tabor (2020) Sixth Edition UPDATED. New York: W.H. Freeman and Co. ISBN-10: 1-319-26929-X or ISBN-13: 978-1-319-26929-6.
- Please do not purchase the Kindle edition-- it has problems with graphics, page numbering, and problem numbering.
- Use of a planner is highly recommended, either electronic or paper-based. All homework and exam deadlines are provided no later than the beginning of the course, and students are expected to be aware of their deadlines and plan accordingly. Purchasing a planner is optional.
Technical Requirements:
- Computer, internet access, and e-mail capability is a MUST. A microphone is very helpful, but not required. The course uses a Google Drive, Canvas, Discord, and Zoom. AP Statistics may use free statistical applets, Desmos, Google Sheets, the College Board site, and Kahoot, as well.
- Because we use a class Google drive, most students find it is helpful to provide a free gmail address on the registration form sent to me.
- Scanner or cell phone to submit handwritten test and homework material as a good quality PDF.
- Graphing calculator: NumWorks, TI-84, TINspire, Casio fx-9750 GII, or Casio fx-CG50 suggested. There are numerous graphing calculator choices and the decision is yours, as long as the calculator appears on the College Board approved list. Note in the College Board listing, calculators that are also acceptable for AP Calculus are listed with an asterisk, so if you plan to take both courses or have already taken AP Calculus, the student needs to purchase only one calculator.
- If your student already owns an approved calculator, there is no need to purchase another for this course.
- If your student does not yet own a calculator, I can recommend any from the above list. Feel free to contact me for more detailed recommendations. My own favorite lately has been the Numworks calculator, but all of the above are supported.
- Some small items will be required throughout the course, such as Skittles, m&m's and Hershey's Kisses. The costs will vary with your location, but will be minimal, and students will be given ample advanced warning.
Prerequisite: Algebra 2
- Algebra 2: Students must complete algebra 2 prior to the start of class. Recommended skills include log and natural log functions, simple linear equations, inequalities, exponents, and fractions.
- Homeschooled: Per PA Homeschoolers policy, students should be homeschoolers
- Grades 9-12: Exceptions to be made on a case-by-case basis, please contact me.
- Enrollment Form: Registration will be open for students who email the enrollment form (see link below) to me and pay tuition by August 15 (or until the class fills). To enroll, send me the enrollment form, then complete enrollment through PA Homeschoolers once the storefront opens. You may send me the enrollment form prior to the opening of the PAHS storefront, to register your intent to take the class.
Who Should take AP Statistics? Everyone!
Statistics is the most widely applicable branch of mathematics and is used by more people than any other kind of math. AP Statistics is a great option for students who are looking for another math course before graduation. It is a valuable math course no matter what the student’s planned major in college; liberal arts students are often required to take a statistics course, as are most STEM students, who will find AP Statistics excellent preparation for a calculus-based stats class in college. Students who love math often enjoy statistics because it is an applied, rather than than abstract math course, and students who struggle to see the point of math often enjoy statistics because they can see how understanding statistics can change how they understand the world, as we work through problems using statistics from real-world data!
For students not headed into a math- or science-related major, statistics is a useful and practical topic in today's society, and some argue that these students are better served by taking statistics than calculus. The course does not depend heavily on advanced mathematical computation; instead, you are asked to use your critical thinking skills to explain concepts and interpret results. To cement these concepts and assist you with interpreting results, hands-on investigations are used throughout the course. Technology, such as the graphing calculator and statistical software, is used to lower the drudgery of computation, as well as to model systems that make the course more interesting.
Why AP? This course’s focus on clear communication of the methods, results, and interpretation, and the understanding of the conditions under which the interpretations are valid provide value across all walks of life!
Arthur Benjamin, a Mathematician at Harvey Mudd College, gave a TED talk titled: Teach Statistics before Calculus; a bold proposal on how to make math education relevant. You can hear his talk at ted.com: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/arthur_benjamin_s_formula_for_changing_math_education.html
Class Description:
AP Statistics is a college level introductory course to statistics in which students will learn to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data. These broad conceptual themes are:
- Exploring Data
- Producing Models Using Probability and Simulation
- Experimental Design
- Statistical Inference
Students use technology, modeling using applets and collaborative hands-on activities, investigations, problem solving and writing as they build their conceptual understanding of statistics. We prioritize understanding where numbers come from, how formulas and experimental design, data, and interpretations are related, while providing sufficient practice to become proficient.
Our class day begins with a Daily Message posting which expounds on the day’s statistical concepts. The student will read a few pages from our text and apply these new concepts to problems. Students are able to daily test their knowledge through random multiple choice questions. These questions provide the student with a means to constantly practice in short sessions with instant feedback and complete explanations. Throughout the course we have hands-on data collection assignments where we apply what we are learning to real data. Students can practice their emerging statistical skills by responding to several free response questions from each chapter, which helps the student develop their statistical understanding. Our course is tightly integrated with the free tools on the College Board website, where students can practice their new knowledge without feeling pressured by a test, to check understanding. Students will be required to take a test on each chapter, with an occasional free response question component similar to the AP Statistics exam. Mrs. Driscoll grades all FRQ exams personally, and provides detailed, individualized feedback to each student.
On most days students will not meet at a scheduled time, but will work asynchronously to study within their own schedule. The Daily Message is intended to provide additional instruction to further clarify the concepts in the text and provide additional examples and AP Exam tips, as well as to convey current course information and deadlines. Class assignments for the upcoming chapter are posted in Canvas, permitting students to work ahead if needed. Travel plans and special events can be accommodated with advance notice.
While this class is neither reading nor writing intensive you will be required to do both. Students report spending 1 - 2 hours per day, on average, on AP Statistics. Some students may require more or less than that, but plan on allocating time for statistics daily.
Students are encouraged to ask questions of their peers, the class TAs (previous successful Statistics students) and of me on our discussion board. Students utilize the online discussion boards and Discord to interact with classmates, to post any questions they have from the reading material and homework assignments, to answer classmates questions, and most importantly to discuss the interpretation of our results. Collaboration within the classroom is ENCOURAGED on homework assignments— the goal is to help everyone understand the material
LIVE COMPONENT:
The class is planned with one to two weekly live sessions per week most weeks, with no live classes on an exam day. This is a one-hour live lecture/interactive session where the instructor will present concepts which are covered in corresponding chapters; where students will work through statistical problems that they might see on the AP Stats exam, or explore the statistical aspects of current studies. In these sessions students will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the instructor and one another, and discussion is encouraged. Live sessions are presented through the Zoom platform which is easily accessible. Although the live session recordings will be available throughout the year, students are encouraged to participate in the actual live sessions. Attendance in the live sessions is not required, but strongly encouraged. Videos of live sessions will be available for download later for students who need to review a concept or wish to learn from the live session at a more convenient time. This format is convenient for students who have to work around sports, music, drama, or other commitments, as long they they have the appropriate amount of time available for the week.
Office Hours:
I will be available in my online office frequently and by easily granted appointment to accommodate different student scheduling needs, permitting students to pop in through our Zoom or Discord platforms to directly ask questions and discuss statistics. These are live sessions and permit students a similar experience to stopping into their teacher’s office. My virtual office door is always open. Students can communicate with me via email, Discord, or through the discussion board. I encourage students to share information about the topics which they are learning and ask questions in order to improve their understanding.
Assessment:
Student assessment will consist of a combination of multiple choice and free response exams, hands-on activities and home-work. Additional optional activities are offered in a variety of formats including optional daily short practice quizzes with instant feedback. The exams are graded using the AP exam scoring guidelines. Frequent use of questions in the same format as the AP Exam is intended to prepare students well for the AP Exam. Additional assignments provide students with encouragement to continue practicing until topics are mastered, with credit for doing so. Many of these activities are optional, allowing the student some control over how much practice is required. Deadlines are posted at the start of the course and assignments are provided well in advance of due dates, allowing students to plan their study, work, extracurricular and free time according to their schedules while still meeting deadlines.
(Partially) Asynchronous Sections, fall or spring:
If your student prefers to study independently, does not need a live class component or as much interaction with other students, has a block schedule or lighter course load and can commit to the time needed, (at least 2-3 hours per day) and wishes to take the course in one semester, but would still value personal feedback and grading, and having several course materials integrated into a coherent pacing guide and the helpfulness of some deadlines, then the partially asynchronous option may be right for your student. Asynchronous students should have a strong math background, a strong drive to keep up with the work, sufficient available time, and less need for interactivity. The standard section is the most appropriate choice for most students.
Course History:
I am delighted to be returning to teach AP Statistics for the 2024-2025 school year! This will be my fourth year teaching AP Statistics with PA Homeschoolers. We are using a very recent edition of the textbook, however, the course format for THIS SECTION is built upon Carole Matheny's highly successful PA Homeschoolers AP Statistics class, which has a high rate of success at preparing students for the AP exam, college coursework, and statistical knowledge they have applied in other areas after the class has finished. Our goal is to continue to build on this success story.
2023 Results, from all versions of the exam. Note that this table represents past results, and cannot predict your student's score:
| This section of AP Stats | Pennsylvania Results | Global Results | |
| Median Score | 5 | ||
| % Students earning 3, 4, or 5 | 93.3% | 70.0% | 60.0% |
| % Students earning 4 or 5 | 80% | 45% | 37% |
| % of Students earning 5 | 53% | 18% | 15% |
| Mean Score | 4.20 | 3.18 | 2.89 |
Over the summer of 2022, I also invested over 30 hours in College Board approved interactive training alongside other AP Stats teachers around the country in how to make this already fantastic course even better, and I cannot wait to share everything I learned with your students!
Instructor Biography:
Jennette Driscoll, BS Penn State University, BS University of Delaware
AP Summer Institute for AP Statistics, Summer 2022
I have previously tutored students at the University of Delaware, specializing in statistics, plus mathematics from pre-algebra through calculus. I received a Bachelor’s in Linguistics from Penn State University and a Bachelor’s in Biology from the University of Delaware. After graduating from the University of Delaware, I worked with a dual appointment as a Research Assistant at Nemours/AI duPont Hospital for Children in the Center for Applied Clinical Genomics, Human Genetics Research Lab, and in the Speech Research Lab, where I was part of teams investigating chromosome 15 duplications in autism and chromosome 3 genetic relationships to unexplained speech delays. I left Nemours about thirteen years ago, and shortly afterward began homeschooling my two children. As a scientist, giving our kids a foundation in understanding how mathematics and science work was always a priority in our homeschool. Before long, I was also teaching local co-op classes in the history of science, labs in chemistry, biology, and genetics, and online classes in physics. My kids are veterans of studying AP-level classes with me at home and through PA Homeschoolers, including my youngest son who studied AP Statistics with my predecessor, Mrs. Matheny, and me during the 2020-2021 school year, and Bayesian statistics and data science with me during the 2021-2022 school year.
Both of my homeschooled children have graduated from homeschooling and my oldest has already graduated from college, with a BS in Software engineering and a minor in cyber security; my youngest will be a junior in college in the fall of 2024, studying English and Philosophy. My husband and I are empty-nesters, with only my online students here at PAHS left to homeschool, and our two cats.
The use of statistics is a critical tool in all of the sciences I have researched and taught, but also in correctly interpreting the data we encounter in our everyday world from advertising and sporting events to medical information and political campaigns. AP Statistics has a wonderful history here at PAHS, and I really look forward to continuing that tradition as I work with our next generation of critical thinkers in the only AP Stats section built on the tools that gave AP Stats at PAHS it's solid reputation!
Reviews from Prior Students and Parents:
"I am currently majoring in Chemistry in college and it is due to Mrs. Driscoll. She is one of my favorite teachers. I took Bill of Rights, History of Science, and Chemistry (with Lab) with her. She brought these subjects to life for me and instilled a lifelong love for Chemistry, Science, and Equity. I only wish she was teaching my college classes now." --K.J., Chemistry, History of Science, and Bill of Rights student
"Mrs. Driscoll is honestly one of the best teachers I’ve ever experienced. She makes challenging and difficult topics actually fun, and so easy to understand. I enjoy always knowing what is expected of me, because Mrs. Driscoll lays it all out clearly. Her classes are fun and interesting too, I’m never afraid to raise my hand. Even if I get something wrong, she never makes me feel bad about it and I end up learning more because she helps me figure out the right answer. I wish she could teach more of my classes, I really enjoy my time with her." --Ari W., Physics student
"Mrs. Driscoll is a good teacher whose passion for the subject makes the class fun. She tries to make sure everyone is following and presents the material in an organized manner." --R.S & W.S, Physics Students
"This course was very well put together, with detailed planning through every aspect including description, syllabus, lectures, and assignments. Mrs. Driscoll is skilled at fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for her students. Her sense of fun and enjoyment of the subject make her teaching very engaging. She is organized and communicative, so I always feel informed on my child's progress and am confident my child will have a firm grasp of the subject matter. Mrs. Driscoll is an excellent teacher who asks a lot of your student in a gentle way that helps your child achieve their best." --W.S, Physics Parent.
"Jennette Driscoll has taught my youngest for three years. She created wonderful, enriching, and supportive classes for all her students. He thrived in her classes and looked forward to her detailed feedback. She never criticized, but rather critiqued and offered understanding and support." --T.L., Chemistry, History of Science, Bill of Rights parent
"Mrs. Driscoll is an engaging teacher who clearly has a passion for the subjects she teaches. Her courses are well thought out in terms of a balance of learning and skill work and she finds ways for students to learn from each other through workshopping assignments. The class syllabus and weekly assignments are clear and easy to follow. Mrs. Driscoll makes the class fun, helps the students feel comfortable, but also challenges them at the right level. No one would leave class wondering if Mrs. Driscoll cares about the students and the subject matter.She clearly wants to the students to succeed and maybe even feel a bit excited themselves about the course topics." --J.M., Physics Parent
"My child has taken one class so far from Mrs. Driscoll and I am scouring her course offerings to see when we can take another. She is a phenomenal instructor, and it is abundantly clear she wants students to succeed. Her classes are well thought out and implemented realistically so no one is left behind. She sets clear and concise guidelines and holds students accountable, which sounds basic but is actually sorely lacking these days. I appreciate the time and effort she puts in to planning, it’s refreshing and a huge weight off my shoulders. I know that the quality of the education my child receives while Mrs. Driscoll is at the helm is unparalleled. I highly recommend her as an instructor." -- Morgan W., Physics parent