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The first formal attempt to publically educate gifted students was made by William Torrey Harris who was a superindentent at the time. He later went on to be the US Commissioner of Education in 1889.
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French researchers, Binet and Simon, develop a series of tests The Binet-Simon test was developed to categorize children according to intelligence. The results of the test provided a quantifiable by "mental age" by which low scoring students could be removed from the general public school population.
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American psychologist Lewis Terman adapts the Binet-Simon test to identify gifted students. He would later conduct logitudinal studies called the Genetic Studies of Genius which followed the progress of students exhibiting high IQ scores.
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Leta S. Hollingworth begins her work providing gifted education for those identified as gifted. She would later publish several articles and author the book Gifted Children: Their Nature and Nurture. Her view on intelligence differed from Terman in that Terman believed intelligence was inherited, while Hollingworth believed in a combination of inheritance and environment.
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The National Association of Gifted Children is founded by Ann Isaacs.
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Following the launching of the Soviet Sputnik, the US invests money in identifying the brightest students. They also increase funding for the study of science and math.
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The National Defense Education Act passes. After realizing a shortage of scientists and mathematicians in the U.S., the Federal government endorses and invests in gifted education. Its goal was to encourage gifted students who were competent in science and math as well as drive more students in general to persue a college degree.
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National attention regarding giftedness is addressed with the publication of A Nation at Risk. The result is a reevaluation of gifted definitions and how the US is educating its gifted population.
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Congress passes the Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act. This act provided money for gifted research and grants to individual schools and districts.
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The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented was formed. This organization would help develop guidelines for gifted education and the education of gifted educators.
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NAGC publishes Gifted program standards. These were later revised in 2010.
