Assignment: Project 1

Math 13 - Perez Sandbox
2026-01-18T05:16:19Z

Due:

Please submit your assignment on Canvas.

Eastern vs. Western States’ Spending on K-12 Education in 2014

Using the data below from the US Census Bureau in 2014, compare how much the states East of the Mississippi spend per year on their K-12 students with how much states West of the Mississippi spend on their K-12 students. Make sure to create a numerical display (make a picture!), describe each distribution (in terms of shape, center and spread) and answer the question: who spends more?

Data in Desmos.

Data in Google Sheets.

Eastern State | $ per Student | | Western State | $ per Student
Alabama | 9,028 | | Alaska | 18,416
Connecticut | 17,745 | | Arizona | 7,528
Delaware | 13,938 | | Arkansas | 9,616
D.C. | 18,485 | | California | 9,595
Florida | 8,755 | | Colorado | 8,985
Georgia | 9,202 | | Hawaii | 12,485
Illinois | 13,077 | | Idaho | 6,621
Indiana | 9,548 | | Iowa | 10,688
Kentucky | 9,312 | | Kansas | 9,972
Maine | 12,707 | | Louisiana | 10,749
Maryland | 14,003 | | Minnesota | 11,464
Massachusetts | 15,087 | | Missouri | 9,875
Michigan | 11,110 | | Montana | 11,017
Mississippi | 8,263 | | Nebraska | 11,726
New Hampshire | 14,335 | | Nevada | 8,414
New Jersey | 17,907 | | New Mexico | 9,734
New York | 20,610 | | North Dakota | 12,358
North Carolina | 8,512 | | Oklahoma | 7,829
Ohio | 11,354 | | Oregon | 9,945
Pennsylvania | 13,961 | | South Dakota | 8,881
Rhode Island | 14,767 | | Texas | 8,593
South Carolina | 9,732 | | Utah | 6,500
Tennessee | 8,630 | | Washington | 10,202
Vermont | 16,988 | | Wyoming | 15,797
Virginia | 10,973 | |
West Virginia | 11,260 | |
Wisconsin | 11,186 | |

Data based on US Census Bureau. Source: https://www.governing.com/finance/education-spending-per-student-by-state.html

1. Develop a thesis statement: You can complete the statement below or develop one of your own. You can also change your thesis statement later if your observations about the data warrant it.

Example: The Eastern States spend more on K-12 students than the Western States.

2. Include a description of the data that you are using. What is source of the data? What is the the variable of interest?

3. Include graphs of both Eastern and Western States’ distributions with clear and accurate descriptions of each. Make observations about shape, center, spread and outliers (if there are any), for both the eastern states and the western states. Here is an example of these sort of observations. Include any other observations that will be useful in supporting your thesis.

4. Write the analysis: Write one or more paragraphs that use your observations to analyze whether or not your thesis may be true.

Use the rubric to make sure that you include all the required parts of this project. Please ask if you have any questions.

How-To Video:

How to Complete Project 1

Please submit your assignment on Canvas.

Eastern vs. Western States’ Spending on K-12 Education in 2014

Using the data below from the US Census Bureau in 2014, compare how much the states East of the Mississippi spend per year on their K-12 students with how much states West of the Mississippi spend on their K-12 students. Make sure to create a numerical display (make a picture!), describe each distribution (in terms of shape, center and spread) and answer the question: who spends more?

Data in Desmos.

Data in Google Sheets.

Eastern State | $ per Student | | Western State | $ per Student
Alabama | 9,028 | | Alaska | 18,416
Connecticut | 17,745 | | Arizona | 7,528
Delaware | 13,938 | | Arkansas | 9,616
D.C. | 18,485 | | California | 9,595
Florida | 8,755 | | Colorado | 8,985
Georgia | 9,202 | | Hawaii | 12,485
Illinois | 13,077 | | Idaho | 6,621
Indiana | 9,548 | | Iowa | 10,688
Kentucky | 9,312 | | Kansas | 9,972
Maine | 12,707 | | Louisiana | 10,749
Maryland | 14,003 | | Minnesota | 11,464
Massachusetts | 15,087 | | Missouri | 9,875
Michigan | 11,110 | | Montana | 11,017
Mississippi | 8,263 | | Nebraska | 11,726
New Hampshire | 14,335 | | Nevada | 8,414
New Jersey | 17,907 | | New Mexico | 9,734
New York | 20,610 | | North Dakota | 12,358
North Carolina | 8,512 | | Oklahoma | 7,829
Ohio | 11,354 | | Oregon | 9,945
Pennsylvania | 13,961 | | South Dakota | 8,881
Rhode Island | 14,767 | | Texas | 8,593
South Carolina | 9,732 | | Utah | 6,500
Tennessee | 8,630 | | Washington | 10,202
Vermont | 16,988 | | Wyoming | 15,797
Virginia | 10,973 | |
West Virginia | 11,260 | |
Wisconsin | 11,186 | |

Data based on US Census Bureau. Source: https://www.governing.com/finance/education-spending-per-student-by-state.html

1. Develop a thesis statement: You can complete the statement below or develop one of your own. You can also change your thesis statement later if your observations about the data warrant it.

Example: The Eastern States spend more on K-12 students than the Western States.

2. Include a description of the data that you are using. What is source of the data? What is the the variable of interest?

3. Include graphs of both Eastern and Western States’ distributions with clear and accurate descriptions of each. Make observations about shape, center, spread and outliers (if there are any), for both the eastern states and the western states. Here is an example of these sort of observations. Include any other observations that will be useful in supporting your thesis.

4. Write the analysis: Write one or more paragraphs that use your observations to analyze whether or not your thesis may be true.

Use the rubric to make sure that you include all the required parts of this project. Please ask if you have any questions.

How-To Video:

How to Complete Project 1