Data Contest

This contest—hosted by BCSTAT for high schoolers in Baltimore County—will provide students with an opportunity to practice their data analysis skills and learn more about the important role data plays in government operations. The objective of this project is to propose solutions regarding issues that affect every day County residents using data-informed practices. 

Participants will:

  1. Choose a dataset—For analysis to identify trends, patterns and areas of concern.
  2. Write a report—Explains the dataset, methodology, conclusions and recommendations.
  3. Make a creative product—Represents the story of the data. 

COntest Divisions

There are three divisions for this contest:

  1. Division 1—9th and 10th graders
  2. Division 2—11th and 12th graders
  3. Division 3—For teams with members in different grade levels.

Contest Timeline

  • Registration Form Due—Monday, April 21
  • Projects Due—Monday, May 19
  • Winners Announced—Early June

Prize

The winning students will have the opportunity to join BCSTAT for a day. In this job-shadowing opportunity, students will present their projects to departmental leaders, spend time with BCSTAT data and policy analysts, and experience day-to-day local government operations. 

How to Complete the Project

Students can work individually or in a team (maximum of four members). 

Complete the online registration form below. Each team member must complete a parental consent form and upload it with the online registration form.

Choose a dataset based on the recommendations/specifications. While some Baltimore County specific datasets have a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) focus, GIS software does not need to be utilized for this project.

Complete an analysis of your dataset. Look for trends, associations between variables, comparisons amongst different census tracts—whatever seems most appropriate for your data. Remember, the goal is to analyze an issue to provide recommendations for solutions.

After completing your analysis, it is time to communicate your findings. Write a report to explain your analysis processes, findings and provide recommendations. Review the evaluation criteria for the written report.

Now that you have completed your analysis and written a report, you can shift your focus to communicating your findings in a creative way. The goal of this project component is to practice sharing data analysis findings with a nontechnical audience. 

Translate the story of your chosen dataset into an art piece, PowerPoint presentation, model, explanatory video, podcast, skit, whatever medium feels right to you. You may also include a brief artist statement/explanation of your creative expression, if necessary. Review the evaluation criteria for the creative component.

Once you have completed all of the project components, submit your project to the BCSTAT team via email to bcstat@baltimorecounytmd.gov. All projects must be submitted in a digital file format by the contest deadline on Monday, May 19. 

If you created a physical art piece/model for your project, take photos/videos to include as your submission. 

Datasets

Division One participants can choose one of the following datasets to analyze.

Note: Remember that that first row of the U.S. census data spreadsheets represents all of Baltimore County, and the following rows represent a specific census tract. 

Dataset Topic Description Data Sources and Sets
Field of Bachelor’s Degree for First Major
U.S. Census Data		 Discover the fields of study pursued by those 25 years and older in Baltimore County. 
  • Original Data Source
  • Map
  • View the spreadsheet—Two sheets, one including margin of error columns and one without margin of error. Data from the original source has been filtered to focus on population totals and breakdowns by sex. 
Food Access Research Atlas
USDA		 Learn about the percentage of those who have limited access to food by age in Baltimore County. The dataset has been pre-filtered to focus on Baltimore County. Some columns from the original data source have been excluded for simplicity.
Health Insurance Coverage
U.S. Census Data		 Analyze the percentage of County residents who have health insurance, by race, ethnicity and sex.
  • Original Data Source
  • Map
  • View the spreadsheet—Two sheets, one including margin of error columns and one without margin of error. The spreadsheet has been altered to exclude some columns/variables to be more focused. This dataset is larger than the others, feel free to filter the data to focus on something specific.
Transportation to Work
U.S. Census Data		 Learn about the means of transportation that employees utilize to get to work and the percentage of those who work from home in the County.
  • Original Data Source
  • Map
  • View the spreadsheet—Two sheets, one including margin of error columns and one without margin of error. This has been altered to exclude some columns/variables to be more focused. Most columns contain the percentage of the population in each category. The first category (car, truck or van) is further broken down into various categories (drove alone, carpooled, etc.)
Tree Inventory
Baltimore County Open Data 		 Investigate tree inventory information regarding trees in the Towson area of Baltimore County, including tree species, health, location and more.
Types of Computers in Household
U.S. Census Data		 Explore the types of technology that County households use. Data aggregates information by census tract. Data from the original source was transposed. 

Other Resources

Participants can utilize one of the datasets from Division 1, or they can search for their own dataset. Data should be based on/in Baltimore County, and should focus on an issue with the intention of determining ways to better serve County residents. Multiple datasets can be combined/merged. 

Recommended Sources for Finding Datasets

  • Baltimore County Open Data—Datasets published by Baltimore County Government
  • U.S. Census Data—Data topics include business and economy, education, employment, families and living arrangements, government, health, housing, income and poverty, populations and people, and race and ethnicity. Use an advanced search to apply filters to focus on County-specific data.
    • Data can be broken down into ZIP codes and census tracts.
    • Utilize five-year estimates as these datasets are more likely to have data for individual census tracts.
  • Data.gov—Provides links to data from federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and more. Datasets must be filtered/screened to be specific to Baltimore County.

Evaluation Criteria

Projects will be evaluated by a panel of judges with varying backgrounds and subject matter expertise. Unless otherwise noted in the tables below, each report section and project component will be scored based on the following scale:

  • No evidence—0
  • Poor—2
  • Below average—4
  • Average—6
  • Above Average—8
  • Excellent—10

The contest and evaluation criteria were modeled after the Baltimore Data Jam Competition.

Report Section Criteria
Title
  • Written report includes an engaging title
  • Report states the names of all team members involved, division and school name

Note: This report section will be graded on a scale of either 0 (no evidence) or 1 (excellent).
Introduction
  • Written report clearly explains the issue being examined and the significance of this issue in Baltimore County
  • Research question is explicitly stated

Methodology

 
  • Introduces dataset
  • Includes where data was sourced from (Census, USDA, Baltimore County Open Data, etc.)
  • Includes variables included in the dataset, sample size
  • Outlines cleaning procedures that took place (If necessary)
  • Includes description of data analysis procedures
Results
  • Written report clearly presents findings from the data analysis, such as correlations, trends, patterns, etc.
  • Report includes data visualizations (charts/graphs) with proper features (title, labeled axes, legend, etc.)
Conclusions
  • Written report explains the importance of data analysis findings in the context of the issue
  • Evidence-based solutions are recommended and linked to data findings
  • Limitations of the analysis are recognized
  • Future research questions for further analysis are identified 
Works Cited
  • At least two outside sources are referenced and properly cited in MLA format
  • Dataset is properly cited 

Note: This report section will be graded on a scale of 0 (no evidence) to 5 (excellent).

Project Component Criteria
Data Incorporation Data is accurately represented within the creative project.
Storytelling The story of the data is portrayed in a creative manner.
Craftsmanship The creative project is constructed in a skillful and effective manner.

Register Your Team

Complete the online form and upload your parental consent forms to register your team for the Data Contest.

Register Your Team