A Two-Year Study of Students' Appreciation of Variation in the Chance and Data Curriculum

This report considers the difference in performance of students in Grades 3, 5, 7, and 9 over a two-year interval, 2000 to 2002, on a survey of concepts in the chance and data curriculum. Two types of comparisons occur. First, longitudinal change within students is measured and this is compared for students in schools where an instructional intervention occurred and those in schools with no intervention. Second, in Grades 5, 7, and 9 in 2002 performance is compared with that in the same grades in the same schools in 2000. Reasons for differences are suggested based on the educational experiences that the 2002 students experienced in the intervening time. Students answered questions concerning basic chance and data understandings, and variation in chance, data and graphing, and sampling. Scores on these four subscales as well as the overall survey are used to make comparisons.