ASA Statistics Project Competition for Grades 7–12

Projects are due every year on June 1

The ASA/NCTM Joint Committee on the Curriculum in Statistics and Probability and the ASA’s Education Department encourage students and their advisers to participate in its annual Project Competition (written report).

What is a statistical project? A statistical project is the process of answering a research question using statistical techniques and presenting the work in a written report.

Rules

Projects must be the original design and creation of the entrant(s).

Subject matter is the choice of the participant(s) or their classmates.

Page Limit – All projects may be no longer than 10 pages with 1-inch margins. The document must also be double-spaced. This page limit includes all graphs, tables, listings of raw data, and citations.

Font Criteria – All fonts, including fonts used in graphs, must be in 12-point Times New Roman.

This competition is sponsored by the American Statistical Association for the purpose of encouraging students to collect and interpret data to answer a statistical question. The primary focus of the project should therefore be the collection and analysis of data. Any project that does not serve this intent may be disqualified at the discretion of the head judge.

In submitting a project, students agree that the project may be displayed at the ASA’s Joint Statistical Meetings, featured in its publications, and included on its website.

All entries become the property of the ASA.

Only first-, second-, and third-place winners and honorable mentions will be notified personally.

The ASA website will announce winners in August.

Students may work individually or in teams. The maximum number of students per team is four. For teams with members from different grade levels, the highest grade determines the entry category.

The online entry form must be submitted with the project.

Papers must be saved as PDF files prior to submission

Statistical methods used in the project should not go beyond methods typically encountered in an introductory statistics course, including descriptive statistics, basic sampling methods, designed experiments (completely random designs and block designs), probability, confidence intervals or tests for a single parameter or the difference between two parameters, chi-square tests, simple or multiple linear regression, one- or two-factor ANOVA, simulation-based inference (randomization tests or bootstrapping), and other nonparametric methods. Any project that uses more advanced statistical techniques will be disqualified.

Students may receive adult guidance with their project. The extent of the guidance must be acknowledged in the paper. Entrants will not be penalized for acknowledging they asked for guidance.

Students are expected to be scientific professionals. Confidentiality and anonymity of participants should be considered. Risks to participants (animals or humans) should be minimized. Unethical conduct may result in disqualification.

Evaluation

Teachers and statisticians, whose decisions are final, will judge the reports on the following:

Statistical Question: Valid statistical question that is clearly stated, focused, and interesting.

Data Collection: Evidence of direct data collection by students. Data were collected in an appropriate manner to answer the statistical question. Raw data are included.

Data Display: Includes appropriate, well-labeled, accurate displays (graphs and tables) of the data.

Data Analysis: Analysis of the data is accurate, thorough, and appropriate. Conditions are checked correctly for any inference procedures.

Conclusion: Conclusion includes a clear answer to the statistical question that is consistent with the data analysis and method of data collection.

Reflection on Process: Gives a good overall picture of the project—what went well and what didn't—and includes ideas for further study.

Overall Presentation: Attractive, well-organized, well-written project report.

Prizes

First Prize
$300 and an electronic certificate

Second Prize
$200 and an electronic certificate

Third Prize
$100 and an electronic certificate

Honorable Mention
An electronic certificate

If the submission is a collaborative effort, the prize money will be divided equally.

Also, first-place winners will receive Texas Instruments graphing calculators.

Certificate of Participation (PDF download)

Entry

The online entry form must be submitted with the project, which you will upload after filling out the form.