OpenLab #5: Probability in the wild

UPDATE 3/12/13:  There have been some great, and very creative, responses so far – thanks.  Translating a “real-world” percentage into an experiment, and determining the possible outcomes, is a significant challenge!  In many cases I’ve asked a question or made a suggestion — if you respond to my comment appropriately, I’ll give you extra credit for this assignment.  Here are some tips, based on what I’ve seen so far:

  • The Experiment should describe a process that could result in one of several outcomes. 
  • The Outcomes  describe the different possible things that could happen.  There should always be more than one outcome.  Often, news articles will focus on something that already happened (as if the experiment already took place), and so we may already know what outcome was obtained in that particular case, and it’s easy to think of this as “THE outcome” — but there is always something else that could have happened, and might happen if the experiment were repeated. Don’t forget this ‘other outcome’.
  • If your example began with a percentage, this will almost always be the probability that one of the outcomes will happen.  Take a look at your experiment/outcomes — does this fit?

Probability is an idea that shows up very often in the world outside our math classroom.  It occurs whenever a chance of something happening is described, often as a percentage (“a 90% chance of rain”), but sometimes in other forms (“a 9 out of 10 chance”).  However, it is not always simple to see how the basic setup described in class applies to one of these situations — that is, to think of probability in terms of an experiment, with various outcomes.

Recall that an experiment is a process which, when carried out, results in just one of several possible outcomes.  The outcomes are simply the different results that can occur.

Here are some examples from the news:

Example 1:

According to weather.com, there is a 10% chance of rain on Thursday, March 14 (at least, this is the percent reported on Wednesday, March 6).
Link: http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Brooklyn+NY+11201:4:US 

The experiment: we wait and see what the weather is like on Wednesday, March 6.
Outcomes: it rains, it doesn’t rain.

Example 2:

“Spanish researchers have completed the first human trial of a new vaccine against HIV. It has been successful in 90% of the HIV-free volunteers during phase I testing. This vaccine brings great hope to eradicate this plague forever.”
Link: http://gizmodo.com/5844706/this-90-successful-vaccine-may-be-our-best-chance-to-eradicate-aids

The experiment:  HIV-negative people are given the vaccine, and then are tested to see if they can contract HIV when exposed.
Outcomes: They do not contract HIV (the vaccine was  successful), or they do contract HIV (the vaccine was unsuccessful).

Assignment (Due Thursday, March 14):  Find an example of probability in the news.  Reply to this post including the following:

  1. A brief description (what is it about?).
  2. A link to news story or article.
  3. Describe the experiment to which the probability refers.
  4. Describe the outcomes of the experiment.

NOTE: You may NOT use the same example as someone else – please check the existing responses before you submit yours.

Extra Credit:  For extra credit, choose an example from your own major or intended career.  At the end of your submission, include the words “Extra Credit:” followed by  a brief description of how the example relates to your major/career choice.

45 thoughts on “OpenLab #5: Probability in the wild

  1. “Yet we are reading from other sources that the cure rate for conventional cancer treatment is less than 3%.”

    “On the other hand, we have cancer statistics from alternative treatment, natural treatment, holistic treatment protocols where the cure rate is as high as 90% and some 99%.”

    http://www.cancer-treatment-tips.com/cancer-statistics.html

    Here are some statistics showing the cure rate of cancer between natural treatments vs conventional treatments. The natural cure seems to be significantly higher.

    The experiment: try each treatment to see which one works best for you.
    The outcome: if the cancer is cured or the amount of malignant cells are reduced.

    • Hi Sarina,
      This is a very interesting example – thank you for contributing it! I do have some questions:

      1. We can’t reasonably try both types of treatments in the same experiment (that is, a single person would opt for one or the other, not both). With that in mind, the experiment you describe should focus on just one of the different treatments discussed in the article above, and the corresponding percentage (either the 3% for traditional treatment, or 90% to 99% for alternative treatment). Could you restate your experiment with this in mind?
      2. The outcomes you describe are essentially the same — either the cancer is cured or seriously reduced. Is there another possible outcome?
      3. For extra credit (optional), what is your opinion of this source? Do you believe their claims? Why or why not?

      -Mr. Reitz

      • 1.) lets focus on the alternative treatment since there’s a higher percentage for a cure.

        2.) Another outcome would be that you still have malignant cells within your body after treatment or possibly death.

        3.) My opinion of this source varies. I’m not sure if I believe the statistics are 100% accurate. I do believe that chemo treatment is more successful than the small percentage shown above. I’m always a firm believer in natural cures, but with cancer I do believe a chemical cure might be a but more affective in my mind. Another reason why I am a little unsure about these statistics is because it’s not a medical journal nor a governmental website. I have always been told to follow journal websites as well as .gov and .org.

  2. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

    Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 236,000 in February, and the unemployment rate
    edged down to 7.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment increased in
    professional and business services, construction, and health care

    The experiment: we wait and see if employment increases
    Outcomes: americans have more job opportunities or continue to not have a job

    • Hi sessa,

      A great example of percentages in the real world (and good news, too)! I do have a question: the percentage given (7.7%) refers to how many Americans are actually unemployed — it doesn’t refer to the chances that unemployment will increase or decrease. The experiment should match that percentage — for example, picking a member of a group and seeing if they are employed (what group are we discussing?). Could you restate your experiment with this in mind?

      Thanks,
      Mr. Reitz

  3. According to Time World: Tokyo University Earthquake Research Institute reported there’s a 70% chance a 7.0-magnitude or higher quake will strike Japan’s capital by 2016.

    Link: http://world.time.com/2013/03/10/two-years-after-fukushima-japan-worries-about-the-next-big-quake/

    The experiment: we wait and see if Japan experiences a 7.0-magnitude earth quake in 2016.
    Outcomes: Japan experiences a 7.0-magnitue earthquake in 2016:Japan doesn’t experiences a 7.0-magnitue earthquake in 2016.

    Extra Credit: I would like to research the history of Japans Earthquakes, and write a short story on it, something semi fictious based in the 1800’s probably.

    • What a good (and disturbing!) example! I have two comments — I wonder if you give me answer to the first one —

      1. In the article, it says there will be a quake “by 2016”. In your experiment description, you talk about a quake “in 2016”. Do these two phrases mean the same thing? Does this change the experiment?

      2. Regarding the extra credit, I’m assuming the career connection is with your dream career to become a writer (rather than your major in Health Care Administration) – great!

      • Yup, it sure changes the entire experiment. In the first case, “by 2016” means from now until 2016. In the second case, “in 2016” means the quake will occur in 2016. Which is a totally different experiment.

        The experiment should read: we wait and see if Japan experiences a 7.0-magnitude earth quake by 2016.

  4. “Produce, which is a combination of fruits, nuts, and all five categories of vegetables, accounted for 46 percent of all illnesses,”

    “Leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and spinach, accounted for 23 percent, the most illnesses for any one of the food categories.”

    Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/foods-safety-experts-avoid-article-1.1280331#ixzz2NFmdmJ7M

    Experiment: try to avoid eating foods that can make you sick.

    Outcome: less people would be hospitalized for food Bourne illnesses.

    • Hi brimah,
      Cool example (it made me feel a little queasy…), and I like that it is very relevant to our lives! I do have a question about your experiment: the percentage given at the top represents a portion (46%) out of some whole — what is the group that we are looking at 46% of? Your experiment should be related to this, so that in the experiment we have a 46% chance of one thing happening, and then a 54% chance of something else happening. Your outcomes should include two different things (the two different results of the experiment). Take another look, and write back if you’re stuck.
      -Mr. Reitz

      • Experiment: see if the 46% of people hospitalized will decrease if they are not consuming harmful foods to get food Bourne illnesses

        Outcome: Stop-eating foods that are harmful then less people will be hospitalized or if people continue to eat harmful foods then more people will be hospitalized.

  5. Today, on Monday, March 11, I found an example of probability in the news. However, it is in Sports News. Tiger Woods reclaimed the throne, thanks to Steve Stricker’s friendly putting advice. For those that don’t know who Tiger Woods is, he is a well acclaimed golfer. This past weekend he had a tornoment at Doral Golf Resort and Spa.

    The experiment was a putting lesson from fellow pro golfer Steve Stricker. A Forty-five minutes of advice and stance adjustment.

    The result was another Tiger 54-hole lead, another Tiger march to victory, a 76th PGA Tour title, a fifth win in his last 19 starts and the continued staggering statistic that his career win percentage is 27 percent, best in history by a mile.

    The numbers don’t lie. By using his putter only 100 times in 72 holes at Doral, Tiger set a personal record for fewest putts in a round. He also made 27 birdies, second-best total of his career for a winning effort.

    http://sports.yahoo.com/news/golf–lateral-hazard–tiger-woods-reclaims-throne-thanks-to-steve-stricker-s-friendly-putting-advice-020928972.html

    • Hi Glen — this is the first golf example I’ve seen, great! A question — if your experiment is to take a putting lesson from Steve Stricker, could you describe the various outcomes? (It looks like you described what the specific outcome was in the case of Tiger Woods, but is there any other possible outcome?) Do have any idea of the probability of one or the other outcome, for someone who actually carried out the experiment?
      Thanks,
      Mr. Reitz

      • Hello Professor Reitz,

        The various outcomes of taking a lesson from Steve Stricker are as follows; loose, win, loose badle, or win greatly. I do not have an idea of the probability of one or the other outcome for someone who has actually carried out the experiment other than Tiger Woods himself, becasue Steve Stricker hasn’t giving anyone else any golf lessons.

        Glen

  6. Registered nurses hold a variety of qualifying degrees. Approximately 18 percent hold a nursing diploma, 34 percent hold an associate’s degree, 34.2 percent have a bachelor’s degree, and 13 percent hold a master’s or doctorate.

    Link: http://www.worldwidelearn.com/healthcare/nursing/nursing-facts.html

    Experiment: We take a poll of CityTech nursing students and ask what degree there are pursuing.
    Outcome: We find out that more nursing students are now pursing their BSN rather than an associates degree in order to have a better chance of being hired after graduation.

    • Valerie – yours is the first experiment that actually has more than two different outcomes (described by the various percentages) — excellent! For your experiment, instead of thinking of polling all nursing students (complicated!), just focus on selecting one nursing student and asking what degree they are pursuing. For the outcomes, what are the different responses you might get from that student?

  7. 4. Describe the outcomes of the experiment.
    This is a criminal case which was tried in New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn. Beyond a reasonable doubt is the standard of proof used in criminal cases. If there is uncertainty of guilt, based on the evidence presented, a defendant cannot be convicted. The DNA evidence in this case links the defendant to 5 assaults.

    Link: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/pascall-sex-assault-trial-underway-article-1.1237646

    Experiment: The probability of someone being found innocent or guilty based on DNA evidence. According to travel.state.gov “DNA testing reliability has advanced to the industry-accepted standard of 99.5 percent”.

    Outcome: Defendant was found guilty based on DNA evidence presented.

    • We’ll be talking more about evidence when we do hypothesis testing later in the semester — very nice example! Your experiment setup is good (you could make it more concrete by talking about a single person — “a person’s DNA is tested to determine if they are innocent or guilty” — but you’ve nailed the basic idea). However, in any experiment there should be more than one outcome — yes, it’s possible that a person is found guilty, but what’s the other possibility?

  8. It is a common belief tha the rich snake their way out of paying the right amount of taxes…but numbers from 2010 prove otherwise. The top 10% of taxpayers paid over 70% of the overall tax burden while the remaining 90% account for about 30% of the tax burden, while 47% of Americans pay nothing.

    http://money.cnn.com/m/#!/2013/03/12/news/economy/rich-taxes.json?category=Latest%20News

    Experiment: Do the rich pay less taxes than the middle ldand lower class?
    Solution: No, the rich pay more an

    • Craig – this is a great example that highlights a very timely political issue (and gives a surprising conclusion!). Nice. However, there are a lot of percentages running around — this makes it a little difficult to figure out exactly what the experiment is that we are talking about. I suggest ignoring (for simplicity’s sake) the 70% and 30% figures, and focus on the 10%/90%. Try to think of an experiment in which we choose a person, and they fall into one of several groups — this gives the experiment (choosing the person), and also the outcomes (what are the different groups they could fall into?). If you like, post an updated version for additional credit.

  9. A 3 year old suffered from seizures that escalated to about 70 to 100 seizures a day. He undergoed surgery, getting half of his frontal lobe, where surgeons removed half of the frontal lobe of his brain.
    “Epilepsy is a chronic medical condition marked by recurrent seizures, an altered brain function caused by abnormal, excessive or electrical discharges from brain cells. It affects an estimated 3 million Americans, or about 1 percent of the population, according to the Cleveland Clinic. About 1 in 4 patients do not respond to medication, and for them, a frontal lobectomy can provide a “cure.”
    Link:
    http://abcnews.go.com/Health/surgeons-remove-half-boys-brain-stop-100-seizures/story?id=18705165

    Experiment: Someone who suffers from Epilepsy undergos surgery, getting the frontal lobectomy procedure.

    Outcomes: The seizures stop, the frontal lobectomy provides a “cure”, and they go on to live a heathy, normal life or the seizures continue.

  10. A 3 year old suffered from seizures that escalated to about 70 to 100 seizures a day. He undergoed surgery, where surgeons removed half of the frontal lobe of his brain.
    “Epilepsy is a chronic medical condition marked by recurrent seizures, an altered brain function caused by abnormal, excessive or electrical discharges from brain cells. It affects an estimated 3 million Americans, or about 1 percent of the population, according to the Cleveland Clinic. About 1 in 4 patients do not respond to medication, and for them, a frontal lobectomy can provide a “cure.”
    Link:
    http://abcnews.go.com/Health/surgeons-remove-half-boys-brain-stop-100-seizures/story?id=18705165

    Experiment: Someone who suffers from Epilepsy undergos surgery, getting the frontal lobectomy procedure.

    Outcomes: The seizures stop, the frontal lobectomy provides a “cure”, and they go on to live a heathy, normal life or the seizures continue

    • Hi Laticia – your excellent example is very pertinent to those in the health field, and addresses a devastating disease.

      Regarding your experiment, it seems to have only one outcome (success). Do you know what the probability of success is? Is there another outcome? If not, you could choose to focus on one of the two different probabilities mentioned your description — the “1 percent” figure and the “1 in 4 patients”. Pick one, and try to figure out what experiment they could be describing.

  11. 1. A brief description (what is it about?). In 2012 there were 50 million Americans without health insurance will the Affordable Care Act (ACA) “Obamacare” change that?
    Ten years ago, the federal government spent 17% of its budget on health care. This year, it’s up to 22%. At its current rate, by the end of the decade it will hit 25%
    2. A link to news story or article.
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/21/obamacare-is-about-to-give-medicaid-docs-a-73-percent-raise/
    3. Describe the experiment to which the probability refers.
    By 2015 The Affordable Care Act will be enacted, the 50 million Americans who are uninsured, will have an opportunity to become insured or face a penalty. The effect on the health care industry can take a couple of turns, the reform will fundamentally alter the face of the medical field, whether it’s for better or for worse remains to be seen.
    .

    4. Describe the outcomes of the experiment.
    X – health insurance costs go down more Americans become insured
    Y – health insurance costs rise while more Americans become insured
    EXTRA CREDIT: variable that applies to my major, the health profession. Will there be an increase or decrease in pay for professionals?
    Yes increase
    No increase

    Prediction: The end result is that an estimated 32 million Americans who have no health insurance will get it.

    Affordable Care Act (ACA)
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/21/obamacare-is-about-to-give-medicaid-docs-a-73-percent-raise/

    *Sidenote this law enacts a 10% tax on indoor tanning booths.

    • Great example! I appreciate that your experiment and outcomes are directly related – good job. Do you have any knowledge (or guess) as to the probability of outcome X versus outcome Y?

      ps. your *Sidenote made me laugh – thanks!

      • I think it is 60/40
        60% costs rise just because Residency is funded through Medicare, therefore there needs to be funding in order to continually produce health professionals that can see all these new patients who are required to be insured.

        40% chance costs go down, because pay stabilizes, but government has shown to not be as effiecient as private businesses.

  12. 1. About one in every five patients who is hospitalized ends up back in hospital within a month after first admission to a thirty day period after. About 40 % have acute problems.
    2. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/255237.php

    3. Examine the condition of Small group from outpatients within 30 days from hospital visit if symptoms remain.

    4. Patient has acute condition or has none remaining.

    EXTRA CREDIT:

    This relates to my field in the medical environment because you do not want to continue to retreat patients for reoccurring problems and they do not want to keep having these problems so if you find the issue and treat it proper from the first encounter the 40 % rate will decrease due to the fact less patients will have these acute conditions.

    • Great job dania! Your outcomes directly describe the possible results of your experiment, just what I was looking for. Only one comment – I would look at single patient (rather than a small group), because with a group you need to have outcomes that include things like “all patients had acute condition, a few had an acute condition but most did not, half had an acute condition and half did not” and so on and so on — basically, life is simpler with just one patient!

  13. 1. “The percentage of students who graduated from high school within four years of starting ninth grade in the 2006-2007 school year hit a record high, according to the report. “What we see is an increase,” Jack Buckley, who directs the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics, told The Huffington Post. Out of the 4 million students who started school in 2006-2007, 3.1 million — or 78.2 percent — graduated with a regular or advanced diploma in the 2009-2010 school year. That’s an increase of more than two percentage points.”
    2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/graduation-rate-record-high-school-students_n_2522128.html
    3. Experiment: Examine the amount of students that graduate on time or drop out.
    4. Outcome: The graduation rate would either increase by a certain percentage or decrease.

  14. “… Flu vaccination rates among pregnant women have hovered between 13 to 18 percent nationally. But a push by health officials during the 2009 season drove vaccination rates for the H1N1 vaccine up to about 45 percent in the United States, where they have remained since.”

    The Experiment: Administer the Flu vaccine to a healthy pregnant woman, and then proceed to test whether both the fetus and the mother were “safe and protected”

    Outcomes: The vaccination protected the mother and the fetus from contracting the illness and the fetus was not born prematurely. Or, the vaccination did not protect both the fetus and the mother and the fetus was born prematurely.

  15. Sacramento State’s School of nursing has been accepting applications from students who are interested in their program. Each year, hundreds of students apply to their program, but not even 25% of the applicants seem to get in each semester. Students are chosen based on their GPAs, TEAS exam scores, and their optional criteria.

    http://www.csus.edu/hhs/nrs/programs/undergraduate/Traditional/Docs/app_pool_stat_9-17-12.pdf

    Experiment: Present an unlimited quantity of students to apply for the nursing program and find out whether or not the students made the cut.

    Possible Outcomes: The students are placed in categories of either “enrolled, declined, ineligible, or qualified alternates.”

    EXTRA CREDIT! This example applies to my intended major. I am looking to pursue a career in Nursing. In order to become a nurse, I must graduate from a program; therefore, I must apply to the nursing program, which I am in the process of doing right now.

  16. About 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year. One million of those need medical attention. About 750,000 children are bitten by dogs each year; in most cases, these bites are from “familiar dogs” — not strays.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500199_162-514774.html

    3. observe 50 people with dogs and find out what the owner is not doing correctly to contribute to their dog’s aggression.

    4. Dog continues having aggression, dog stops having aggression

  17. “An estimated 88 million nonsmoking Americans, including 54% of children aged 3–11 years, are exposed to secondhand smoke. Even brief exposure can be dangerous because nonsmokers inhale many of the same poisons in cigarette smoke as smokers.”

    Experiment: to see if these children inhale the same poisons.

    Outcome: tobacco is dangerous for secondhand smokers or not.

  18. New York City Hotel Industry experiences significant growth in the boroughs beyond Manhattan. Since 2008, 42% of the new properties built in New York City have been located in boroughs beyond Manhattan, with the majority in Queens (22%), followed by Brooklyn (15%), Bronx (3%), and Staten Island (2%). In 2010, the City’s occupancy rates averaged 85%, with an ADR of $255.

    Link: http://www.nycandcompany.org/press/new-york-city-hotel-industry-experiences-significant-growth-in-the-boroughs

    Experiment: Examine the City’s occupancy rate from the year 2011 till present day.

    Outcomes: Either the occupancy rate has increased during the last examination, or the rate has decreased over the years.

    Extra Credit:
    This particular example falls under my major because it talks about how hotels are growing in the industry throughout the entire city. This is very helpful to me because after finishing school, I would like to get into the hotel industry. It is good to stay on top of what is working and what is not in the industry so that you are prepared to deal with any challenges.

  19. Open Lab # 6
    “This year’s Super Bowl provides a familiar narrative. One team is as complete as a team can be, very strong on both sides of the ball. The other team got hot at the right time, having upset two of the best teams in the league en route to the big game.”

    Experiment : Observing which team will win the Super Bowl..the Excellence (49ers) or the Momentum ( Ravens). Both have their own skills in different fields and gives high competition.

    Outcome: Either 49ers or the Ravens will win the super bowl depending on how they use their players position and defense or an other team will take the place.

  20. “According to the most recent American Community Survey by the Census Bureau, graduating architecture students have the highest unemployment rate among their peers: 13.9 percent, compared to 11.1 percent in the arts and 9.4 percent of those studying the humanities.”

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/04/new-study-shows-high-unem_n_1184518.html

    Experiment: Examine how many architecture major graduates are able to find a job and how many are not.

    Outcome: Either the Job market for architecture picks up and more people get employed or the other way around

    Extra Credit: This particular example relates to my major because i am majoring in Architecture and graduating in June. I have been hearing that the unemployment rate for this field is pretty high and that does worry me alot. Since i want to find a job upon graduation.

  21. (1)
    According the article, there is a discussion for consumer spending vs. economic momentum.

    Thus, despite higher taxes, Governmnet spending cuts, the last month Retail sales rose to 1.1% in February.

    (2)
    http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130314/BIZ/303140304
    March 14, 2013

    (3) “Retail sales rose 1.1 percent in February from the previous month, seasonally adjusted, thanks in large part to robust gains for cars and building materials and at Internet stores, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The overall sales rate increase was the biggest in five months and about double what many analysts had forecast.”
    ——-Tribune Washington Bureau

    The experimental probability had a slightly larger outcome than the prediction from the forecasts of the analysts even compared to the period of time that had passed from last year.

    (4)
    The other possibility if taking into account the tax increase, the consumer spending dropped for other businesses for restuarants, sporting goods, gaming industries, etc….

  22. 1. This News article is about change in unemployment benefits.

    2. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-01-17/business/chi-us-jobless-claims-drop-to-fiveyear-low-20130117_1_new-claims-initial-claims-jobless-claims-drop

    3. “The four-week moving average for new claims, a better measure of labor market trends, fell 6,750 to 359,250, suggesting some improvement in underlying labor market conditions.”

    4. “The claims report showed the number of people still receiving benefits under regular state programs after an initial week of aid increased 87,000 to 3.21 million in the week ended Jan. 5.

    The four-week average of the so-called continuing claims was the lowest since July 2008.”

    EXTRA CREDIT This news article relates to my major because you can use this information as market research if you was any type of firm. It can help you run your small business better if you know this information.

  23. http://www.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/scarrell/counselors2.pdf

    Experiment:
    “Our data come from the 23 public elementary schools3 where disciplinary
    records for students are recorded by incident type and date in the Student
    Discipline System. For elementary school students, “incidents that are very
    serious or require intervention from the principal or other designated
    administrator” are reported in the system (SBAC, 1997). The primary
    explanatory variable of interest in the study is the student to counselor ratio.
    Increased availability and access to a school counselor, as measured by the
    student to counselor ratio, should lead to a decrease in disciplinary problems.
    This variable is computed by dividing the yearly school enrollment by the
    number of full time equivalent (FTE) school counselors for each school by
    semester. Each elementary school in Alachua County is allotted one paid fulltime
    school counselor.”

    Outcome:
    “Again, the large increase in the magnitude of the counselor effect in the
    yearly regressions indicates that counselors may play a more important role with
    the marginally misbehaved students. This suggestive evidence is driven by the
    fact that those students who have perpetual disciplinary problems receive less
    weight in the yearly model versus the semester-to-semester specifications.
    The preceding results provide evidence that lower student to counselor
    ratios, all else equal, decrease both the probability of a disciplinary recurrence and the share of the student population involved in a disciplinary incident. However, the unbiasedness of these results relies on the random placement of the University of Florida student counselors into elementary schools. Therefore, the placement of the student counselors warrants further investigation.”

    There was so much involved in this experiment to post it up on open lab. I’m pursuing a career in guidance counseling. I’m doing research on the overall effectiveness of guidance counselors in school. So far, guidnace counselors are effective in schools. However, many factors contribute to how efective they are. These factors might be the education of the guidance counselor, age, environmental factors, what neighborhood the school is located, etc.

  24. According to finance.minemsn.com.au, The Aussie unemployment rate held steady at 5.4% as more people started looking for jobs. The Aussie dollar surged against all major peers after the report was released as investors pared bets for a cut in interest rates by the RBA. Futures now imply an 82% probability that the RBA will hold the cash rate at 3.00% in April, compared to a 50% probability following the RBA’s policy meeting last Tuesday.

    LINK: http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newscolumnists/rudi/8626500/australian-stocks-what-happened-today

    The Experiment: Futures now imply an 82% probability that the RBA will hold the cash rate at 3.00% in April

    Outcomes : the RBA will hold the cash rate at 3.00% in April: the RBA will not hold the cash rate at 3.00% in April

  25. EXTRA CREDIT:) this article is imporatant to me , because am taking macroeconomics class this semester , and one of the issues that i was intoduced to is the debt ceilling and its impact on the economy , and the employemt rate and unemployement rate. so , it is very helpfull to see what is the economical situation in the other countries beside usa, in order to predict what is the global predictions of the chances to create better employemt future.

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