To determine whether the given value is a statistic or a parameter, consider the definitions:

• A statistic is a numerical summary of a sample.
• A parameter is a numerical summary of a population.

Analysis:

The statement refers to "15 students who dropped the class" after the first exam. This number likely pertains to a specific class (a sample) rather than all students taking the course across all classes (the entire population).

Thus, 15 students dropping the class represents a statistic because it describes a sample (the students in this specific class).

Final Answer:

Statistic

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Would you like a detailed breakdown of the reasoning or additional examples? Here are some related questions to explore:

1. What is the key difference between a statistic and a parameter?
2. How do we identify whether data comes from a sample or a population?
3. Can a statistic ever approximate a parameter? If so, how?
4. What are common examples of statistics in everyday studies?
5. How might this question change if the scenario referred to "all students in the university"?

Tip: When analyzing data, always identify whether you're working with the entire population or just a sample to classify