Ryan called each school in the district to determine whether or not they have a recycling program. What is true about Ryan's data collection?

Ryan conducted a survey where he asked about qualitative data.

Ryan conducted a survey where he asked about quantitative data.

Ryan conducted an observational study where he asked about qualitative data.

Ryan conducted an observational study where he asked about quantitative data.

The correct answer is the second option: Ryan conducted a survey where he asked about quantitative data. He conducted a survey, not an observational study, because he contacted each school with the specific purpose of asking whether or not they had a cycling program (he did not observe anything). Additionally, this is quantitative, not qualitative data, because each school will either say yes or no. There is no description involved (which would make it qualitative), but instead he is gathering the statistics (which is quantitative) of the schools that have a recycling program.

The correct answer is:

Ryan conducted a survey where he asked about quantitative data.

Explanation:

A survey is a statistical tool where the information is filled out by the members of the sample being studied.

An observational study is a statistical tool where the information is gathered from a sample by observing the sample; it is filled out by the person gathering the information.

Since Ryan asked each school to answer the question "Do you have a recycling program?" this is a survey.

Quantitative data is data that can be written down as numerical data.

Qualitative data is information about qualities that cannot actually be measured.

Ryan is asking whether a school has a recycling program; since the answers are "yes" or "no," this data can be written down numerically (as a list of "yes" answers and a list of "no" answers), so this is quantitative.

This means Ryan conducted a survey collecting quantitative data.