Glossary
If you’re wondering what on earth “standard deviation” means, don’t worry! Browse our glossary of common statistical terms found in the report cards to help you get a better understanding of them.
| Data |
| |
The numbers or scores generated by a research study. |
| |
|
| Raw data |
| |
While this sounds like it could be something you find served on sushi, it refers to the measurements one obtains from conducting a study. |
| |
|
| Weighted Average |
| |
An average in which each quantity to be averaged is assigned a weight. These weightings determine the relative importance of each quantity on the average. |
| |
|
| Standardized |
| |
We take student results data for a number of courses from the Ministry of Education. In order to compare them and combine them for ratings, we have to mathematically transform them so that they have the same mean and standard deviation. The result is standardized data. |
| |
|
| Standard Deviation |
| |
This is a way to measure the spread among numbers in a set of data. It refers to the average amount of distance from the average (or mean). |
| |
|
| Statistically Significant |
| |
A statistically significant result is one that is out of the ordinary and would have had a very small probability of occurring simply by chance. |
| |
|
| Distribution |
| |
This refers to the shape numerical data take when they are organized and put into graphs and charts. The most common type of data distribution is called the bell-shaped curve. |
| |
|
| Indicator |
| |
An indicator is an element that represents statistical data for a specified time, place, and other characteristics. It is a word or phrase that represents the data being studied. |
| |
|
| Measure |
| |
The phenomenon or phenomena to be measured in a data set. A device used for measuring. |
| |
|
| Mean |
| |
The mean equals the sum of all the numbers divided by the total number of numbers.
Example: 2+3+2+5= 12 12/4=3 3 is the mean. |
| |
|
| Aggregated |
| |
Hmmm . . . to be annoyed by a squeaky gate? No.
To gather into a sum or whole. |
| |
|
| Value |
| |
An assigned or calculated numerical quantity. |
| |
|
| Absolute Value |
| |
The numerical value of a real number without regard to its sign. For example, the absolute value of -4 is 4. |
| |
|
| Value Added Measures |
| |
Value-added methods attempt to calculate how much of a student's academic achievement or improvement can be attributed to the work of the school’s staff. |
| |
|
| Correlation |
| |
The simultaneous change in value of two numerically valued random variables. For example, the positive correlation between cigarette smoking and the incidence of lung cancer. |
| |
|
| Percentage |
| |
A fraction or ratio with 100 understood as the denominator. |
| |
|
| Sample |
| |
Researchers can’t study every single person when they want to find out something about a group of people, so instead they select a small number of individuals from that group. They study these individuals and from this information they draw conclusions about the whole group.
The field of statistics is really the business of using the scientific method to answer research questions about the world. |
