Statistical literacy is essential in our personal lives as consumers, citizens, and professionals (American Statistical Association [ASA] 2007). To make informed life and professional decisions, students are required to read, understand, and interpret vast amounts of information, much of which is quantitative. To develop statistical literacy so students are able to make sense of data and interpret results meaningfully, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics suggests in Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 2000) that students should work directly with data and engage in all aspects of statistical inquiry. In line with these recommendations by NCTM, the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education Report (GAISE) (ASA 2007) provided a framework for statistical inquiry. The four components include (1) formulating questions, (2) collecting data, (3) analyzing data, and (4) interpreting the results. In aligning instruction with these recommendations, we must keep in mind how essential it is that students learn key concepts identified in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010), such as sampling, measures of center, distribution, and graphical representations.
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