Mr. Higgins’ Blog

Oct 24th, 2009 by Mr. Higgins

I am definitely not the first edublogger to make a post regarding Arthur Benjamin’s lecture seen on TED. He argues that statistics should be the peek of the high school mathematics curriculum rather than Calculus.

I posted a link to this video on the AP Calculus Listserv. Here are a variety of responses I received (These are direct quotes):

There is a kind of depth vs breadth thing going on when you compare Stats and Calculus. Stats has it’s hand in so many subjects which is why it makes such a good senior level class: Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Current Events and therefore Journalism and so on.

I agree that Statistics has it’s hand in the cookie jar; however, we often discuss mathematics from a standpoint of extending a student’s logical process, problem solving skills, and total mental skill set. Is Calculus too deep for some? OF COURSE, but AT THIS POINT, I would not want to steer students from a Calculus track.

The math that has calculus at the top: exponentials, trig, polynomial functions, multivariable relationships, is more broadly applicable to all things numbery than the math that has statistics at the top, Alg1.5.

I have never taught statistics; however, I could understand why it is thought of as Algebra 1.5. It does seem odd that a student has a potential to choose a track such as Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, and then Statistics.

I have never yet seen a group of high school juniors who’ve been taught more than a very small amount of probability or statistics. Take a look at a typical textbook series, and you’ll find a tremendous volume of algebra and geometry, hundreds of pages of conic sections, and maybe a dozen pages of light treatment of statistics.

TOTAL AGREEMENT HERE. I didn’t learn any statistics besides the basics concepts and I was always in honors mathematics courses. When Ohio officially has the four years of mathematics across the board, it will be interesting to see where statistics comes into this discussion.

I will continue with my own inner monologue of thoughts regarding this issue; however, I am interesting in what some of you think about this issue?

Posted in Blog, Math

4 Responses to “Calculus vs Statistics in High School Curriculum”

on 24 Oct 2009 at 10:31 pm1Mrs. Fuller

Interesting discussion! I teach in Georgia & we’re in the process of implementing our new curriculum. Here is a pdf summary of the vertical alignment chart, I like it because it incorporates lots of higher level algebra/trig as well as statistics & data into every year of math.

At my school most of the students are on an accelerated track where they finish all 4 years of the curriculum in 3 years so they can take an AP calculus or AP statistics in their 4th year.
on 24 Oct 2009 at 10:35 pm2Mr. Higgins

There is no link provided for the PDF…I would like to be able to comment on the pdf.
on 25 Oct 2009 at 1:43 pm3Jackie Ballarini

Another vote for a link to the .pdf!
on 22 Nov 2009 at 8:47 pm4Garth Flint

I teach a senior stat course at my high school. It is consdered the “easy” course compared to the senior calc course we offer. The kids that cannot survive the calc course tranfer to the stats. The calc teacher is on a mission, to get through the calc progam of study on time. My mission is to make sure my kids understand the material. Calc is a check the box math course, the student has done it, now it is time to go on to a math course that is relevant to most programs of study at the college level. I taught math at the University level for ten years. Calc was the top dog but was the least required math for majors. All those poor calc students were sent back to the math dept as graduate students to take all the stats they did not take as undergrads. Stats is the math most industries want and use. Calc needs to become a specialty math instead of the top dog.