Statistics in the Schools: The Past, Present, and Future of the Quantitative Literacy Project

Abstract

In the decade of the 1980s, mathematics education in the United States has undergone, and continues to undergo, careful review and profound changes. In the midst of these changes, statistics is one of the areas of study that is becoming increasingly emphasized as educational systems attempt to prepare students for productive work and informed citizenship. As the interest in statistics increases, the ASA-NCTM Joint Committee on Statistics and Probability is playing an ever widening role in providing leadership for educational efforts in this area. Through its NSF funded Quantitative Literacy Project, the Joint Committee has developed teacher training programs and curriculum materials that are now being used throughout the country. The influence of these materials and methods extends far beyond a few classrooms, as many educational organizations look to them for guidance in establishing state and national guidelines on teaching statistics. The job has just begun; much work is needed before statistics becomes a part of the mainstream mathematics curriculum. The Joint Committee and ASA continue to promote statistical education through a newly funded NSF project and through the Center for Statistical Education. Most of these efforts are directed toward bringing together teachers, supervisors, mathematics educators, and statisticians to form strong support networks for training the students of today in the skills they will need tomorrow.