The president of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is concerned after reading that during puberty, children have increased needs for sleep. She wants to find out if other parents of middle-school children would support a later starting time for school

At one of the Tuesday night meetings, she conducts a survey of the PTA members in order to address this question. When she asks those parents in support of the change to raise their hands, she discovers that 85 percent of the parents support a later starting time. What information has she gained by conducting this survey? What shortcomings exist in her survey?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
? She has learned that a majority of other PTA members who attend meetings support a later starting time.
? A major shortcoming is that the PTA members at the meeting may not be representative of all parents of students at the school in question.