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Heredity Genius Published
Through statistical methods, Francis Galton concluded that heredity and natural selection are the determinant factors in intelligence. His study examined the mental abilities of 400 British men. His work demonstrated that this type of ability could be studied in an experimental manner. -
Simon-Binet Test Developed
French researchers, Simon and Binet, developed a series of tests to identify students of inferior intelligence. Their acknowledgement of mental age-based cognitive development revolutionized the field of psychological testing. This scale became the first practical intelligence scale applied to identifying differences in school settings. -
Popularizing Binet's Psychological Testing Approach in the United States
Henry Goddard saw the need to identify students who suffered from decreased mental capacity so that they may receive a required special curriculum. He advocated for the Simon-Binet tests to be utilized in America. An important outcome of Goddard's work is that this mental testing approach gained quick popularity. -
Simon-Binet Test Revised to Become Standford-Binet Test
Lewis Terman revised the Simon-Binet Test while at Stanford University. This test utilized the concept of comparing one's mental age to physical age and translated it to a single quantitative value known as the Intelligence Quotient (IQ). This test was standardized so that an individual's IQ could be compared to the general population, thereby appealing to schools as a way to identify students of inferior and superior intelligence. -
Army Alpha and Army Beta Tests
The United State's entry into World War I pushed the need to screen and classify army recruits. Two groups of intelligence tests were developed in response. Army Alpha was administered to army recruits who were literate and Army Beta was was administered to those who weren't. The significance of this event is that these tests, which were once solely used to identify students, are now used with the general public. -
Special Opportunity Class for Gifted Children
Leta Hollingsworth was dedicated to finding students of superior ability (gifted defined as an IQ score of 130+) and educating them properly. She advocated for special grouping of gifted children in schools. She began the Special Opportunity Class for gifted children in New York City. She would later go on to publish one of the first textbooks on gifted education titled Gifted Child: Their Nature and Nurture. Her contributions to and early leadership in the field made a profound impact. -
Genetic Studies of Genius
Dedicated to the study of gifted children, Lewis Terman embarked on one of the longest longitudinal studies of 1,500 gifted children which he documented in his published series entitled Genetic Studies of Genius. His work still influences educational practices. -
American Association for Gifted Children
The American Association for Gifted Children was established with the purpose of recognizing, appreciating, and stimulating creative work among gifted children. They desired to disseminate information about gifted children and advocating for their needs. -
The National Association of Gifted Children Founded
Ann Isaacs founded the NAGC in response to educator's observations that children who had been identified as having superior ability in preschool failed to maintain this level of superiority in later school years. The four main objects of NAGC is to aid schools in providing more effective programs and practices for the gifted, to educate parents of the need to support giftedness, provide the gifted of insight of their potentialities, and to educate the public to appreciate the gifted. -
Sputnik Spurs the Search for Gifted
The Space Race and the Soviet Union’s launching of Sputnik in 1957 urged America to educate its brightest students. Schools all across America began offering opportunities for acceleration. Ability grouping became popular and course content intensified in the areas of math and science. High ability students could now enroll in advanced, college-level courses. Funding has been made available to identifying the brightest students who would best profit in advanced math, science, and technology. -
National Defense Education Act
Congress passed the National Defense Education Act in response to the sense of "national emergency" caused by Sputnik's launch. The federal government was finally focusing on the nation's gifted and talented. -
Marland Report
The Marland Report, published in 1972, provided the first formal definition of giftedness and encouraged schools to define giftedness broadly. Not only did the definition discuss academic and intellectual talent, but also included leadership ability, visual and performing arts, creative or productive thinking, and psychomotor ability. The report also discussed the Federal government's virtually non-existent role in gifted education. Sadly, after about 4 decades, it is still the same. -
Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness
Joseph Renzulli’s Three Ring Definition of Giftedness: There is an interaction between three main clusters of traits—above average ability, creativity, and task commitment. Where the three ring traits overlap is said to be where the gifted and talented students are found. This three-ring conception of giftedness was originally rejected by the journals of gifted education when the article appeared in 1978, but has now become one of the most widely cited articles in the field. -
A Nation at Risk
A Nation at Risk reports the scores of America’s brightest students and their inability to compete with international counterparts. The report contains policies and practices in gifted education, raising academic standards, and promoting appropriate curriculum for gifted learners. -
Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Professor Howard Gardner developed the theory of “Multiple Intelligences” which says that IQ should not be measured as an absolute figure. It is a mistake to assume that IQ is a single fixed entity which can be measured by a pencil and paper test. It is not how smart you are but how you are smart. As human beings, we all have a repertoire of skills. He defines intelligence as "an ability to solve a problem or fashion a product which is valued in one or more cultural settings.” -
Congress Passes The Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act
This act focuses resources and funding on identifying and serving students that are generally underrepresented in gifted programs. Federal money through the Javits Act is designed to fund model projects that focuses on the identification and service delivery to students of poverty. Yet, after over 25 years of this funding approach, it has not spurred a movement to do more at the federal level for gifted students. -
Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent
Gagné claimed that gifts, which are untrained natural abilities, must be translated into talents. This developing of talents can either be facilitated or hindered by two types of catalysts: intrapersonal and environmental. -
A Nation Decieved
The John Templeton Foundation sponsored a report titled A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students. This report highlighted the disparity between the research on acceleration and the educational beliefs/practices that often run contrary. Research demonstrates the positive impacts of the various forms of acceleration. Yet the educational establishment remains skeptical. Voices in the field of gifted education have sustained support for acceleration, yet to little avail -
Work Cited
"A Brief History Of Gifted And Talented Education | National Association For Gifted Children". Nagc.org. N. p., 2016. Web. 3 Sept. 2021. Robins, J. H., & Johnsen, S. K. (2010). An explanatory history of gifted education: 1940-1960. VanTassel-Baska, J. (2018). American policy in gifted education. Gifted Child Today, 41(2), 98–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/1076217517753020