At the end of one year, the board of a small mental health agency in an urban area urges its staff to modify its services and improve its outreach efforts so as to increase the number of ethnic minorities who utilize its services.At the end of the next year, the agency's executive director informs the board in her annual report that the agency's proportion of ethnic minority clientele increased by 50 percent -- from 2 out of 50 (4%) to 3 out of 50 (6%).The board members should:
A)Be very pleasantly impressed with this large percentage increase.
B)Congratulate the staff for a successful outreach effort.
C)Recognize that percentages can be misleading when they are based on a relatively small number of cases.
D)Both be impressed and congratulate the staff.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

While a 50% increase in the proportion of ethnic minority clientele may sound impressive, it is based on a relatively small number of cases (only 3 out of 50). Therefore, it may not be an accurate reflection of the success of the outreach effort. The board should recognize that percentages can be misleading when the sample size is small and consider other factors, such as the effectiveness of the services provided and the overall impact of the outreach effort.

At the End of One Year, the Board of a Small