US 26626 version 5: Interpret statistical information for a purpose
Updated October 2024 for version 5.
Naturally occurring evidence (Guidance Information 2)
Evidence for this standard can come from formative and summative assessments, provided the main purpose of those assessments is not a one-off assessment of standard 26626.
Real, applied and useful purposes (Guidance Information 5)
Examples of purposes which meet the requirements of the standard because they are applied and useful, and are set in a specific context, include “Based on the graph (supplied), what advice would you give the farmer?”, and “You are asked to recommend a player for an upcoming training camp. Justify your choice using the shooting statistics supplied.”
Purposes which are abstract, hypothetical and de-contextualised do not meet the intention of the standard. For example, the purpose “I wonder if boys are taller than girls” lacks application and context.
Evidence of competence (Guidance Information 7)
Assessors are reminded that where competence has been demonstrated orally or visually, sufficient evidence of this competence must be captured and presented in submissions for national external moderation to allow moderation to occur.
Interpret statistical information for a purpose (Outcome 1)
Each activity must have a clear purpose that will generate an appropriate and reasonable conclusion. For further explanation of the purpose, refer to Explanatory Note (EN) 5. The purpose may be provided as part of the teaching and learning.
Evidence for the standard may be collected from several different activities that use the same statistical information or data set, or activities that use different data sets. However, each activity requires a separate purpose and conclusion.
Conclusions drawn are appropriate for the statistical information and purpose (Performance criteria 1.2)
Learners must make specific reference to the most appropriate general feature(s) used (e.g. median, spread, long-term trend) to underpin the conclusion, and interpret them in relation to the purpose. It is acceptable for learners to use everyday language in referring to the general features.
Conclusions drawn use appropriate general features (Performance criteria 1.3)
Each activity requires interpretation of at least one general feature, upon which the conclusion drawn has been based. Evidence of four different general features, over three activities, is required in total.
Using the lack of a general feature as one of the four may also be appropriate (e.g. the lack of a relationship between two variables when drawing a conclusion), if it demonstrates the required understanding of interpreting statistical information for the purpose.
Measures of centre (Performance criteria 1.3 range item)
The mean, median and mode can be counted as three separate general features within a portfolio, if appropriate to the activities and the purposes.