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Tomorrow Ready · Credibility and Verification

One Claim, One Check, One Limit — Mathematics Years 11–13

Subject adaptation  ·  Years 11–13  ·  Mathematics and Statistics  ·  Field-Based STEM  ·  Tony Jones

AI tools produce statistical claims that sound authoritative and may be fabricated. The Verification Slip closes the gap between confident-sounding conclusions and verified ones, at the point of submission.

Phase 1
Complete the Investigation
Phase 2
Name One Claim
Phase 3
Find One Source
Phase 4
State One Limit

The Strategy

Students attach a short slip to any statistical investigation or extended response. The slip names one specific claim, checks it against a class-approved source, and states one genuine limit or uncertainty. The slip is assessed as a component of the submission.

  1. After completing the investigation or extended response, students identify one claim that is central to their conclusion.
  2. They check that claim against one class-approved source (data set, published study, or verified reference) and name the source specifically.
  3. They state one genuine limit or uncertainty: something that could make the claim less reliable, or a condition under which it would not hold.
  4. The completed slip is attached to the submission and assessed as a required component.

NCEA-aligned: the limit or uncertainty statement directly addresses Merit and Excellence descriptors requiring consideration of the validity and reliability of statistical findings.

In Practice

Year 11 — Statistical investigation

A student concludes that a trend in their data represents a general pattern. The Verification Slip requires them to name the specific claim, identify the data set that supports it, and state one condition under which the trend might not hold. The slip takes five minutes and produces a more honest conclusion.

Years 12–13 — Extended internal assessment

At senior levels, AI-generated context statements can include citations that look correct but do not exist. The Verification Slip requires students to confirm that the source they name is real and accessible, making fabricated references visible at submission.

Implementation Notes

Decision checkpoint

Establish the class-approved source list before the assessment begins, not after. Students should know which sources count as class-approved from the briefing stage.

Teacher judgement note

The limit or uncertainty statement is not a penalty on the student's work. Frame it as the evidence that a student understands the conditions of their own claim, which is the highest-order statistical thinking the task requires.

Related frameworks

Verification Slip (core)  ·  Evidence Lock (Maths Years 11–13)  ·  Evaluation Gate (Maths Years 11–13)

Tony Jones  ·  Founder, Field-Based STEM Tomorrow Ready Resources  ·  Free to use and share