Statistics as taught by Kathy Lapan, a former middle school math teacher who currently homeschools two children, is presented to help students understand the statistics they are faced with in everyday life and how to reliably interpret them. After successfully completing this course, including all lessons, assignments, and the final lab, this course is worth one-half high school credit in math. As always, please check your own state’s academic requirements. The course is best studied by following the lessons sequentially, beginning with Unit One, Introduction to Statistics. Worksheets are provided and certain answer keys are available.

Statistics are used in every field, from the census, to lottery, to investments, to science, to computing, to television. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find a field in which statistics are not used. Understanding how statistics are determined will help you gauge the reliability of information presented to you. Statisticians use a sample that represents the entire group. This is because it is usually not realistic or possible to study an entire group. Where we see the use of sample groups most often are exit polls during presidential elections, television ratings, and sales figures.