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William Torrey Harris
While serving as superintendent of public schools for St. Louis, he recognizes the need for schools to support educational opportunites for gifted students. Without his efforts students would not have had the opportunties to make advancements based on their academic performance. -
Lewis Terman
He publishes the Stanford-Binet test. This assessment measures the intelligence of children. It has provided for a quick and easy way to identify gifted students. -
World War I
Upon entering World War I the United States had to form an army that would help defeat the Central Powers. The Army Alpha and Beta tests were given to soldiers to identify those who showed leadership abilities. After the war, the United States recognized that children would have to be well educated in order to secure its safety and dominance in the future. Politicians and educators saw the need to prepare students who already showed signs of leadership and looked to gifted education for help. -
Leta Hollingworth
She publishes Gifted Children: Their Nature and Nurture. By publishing this book people were made aware of how to best educate the gifted and how to provide a positive academic experience. -
National Association of Gifted Children
Ann Isaacs is the founder of NAGC. This organization works with Congress and the U.S Dept. of Ed. to ensure that gifted students are being provided a challenging education. They also help teachers identify gifted learners, make sure states are providing an appropriate education for the gifted, and continue to raise funds for research in effective ways to identify gifted students. -
Space Race
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik. The United States felt upstaged. This led to the United States promoting gifted education. Focus was placed on producing students who could compete globally in the areas of math and science. This would allow the United States to compete on an international level. -
A Nation at Risk
This report exposes the failures of public education in the United States. The United States could not compete on an international level so reforms were made. Academic standards were raised along with college admissions standards, standardized tests were given from one level of schooling to another, and an appropriate curriculum for the gifted was provided.
