History of Gifted Education: Important Events

1918: Los Angeles

1918

Los Angeles began to identify the brightest and gifted students in the schools. They then went on to separate them and provide them with education tailored towards their needs. This is significant because it showcases the importance of realizing that gifted students need personalized and differentiated education.

1940: 17 Major Centers

1940

In 1940, there were 1,200 gifted students enrolled in over 17 major centers in Cleveland. These centers were specialized and meant to meet and tailored towards the needs of the gifted students. They did this by using Horace Mann and Winnetka methods in those schools. This is significant because this means that the gifted students were in a place that would be more to their benefit.

1954: National Association for Gifted Children

1954

In 1954, the National Association for Gifted Children was created. This is a very important event because even to this day, we still use that a resource to help gifted children.

`1955: NY School for Gifted Girls

1955

in New York, in 1955, there was a school created that was just meant for gifted girls. This seems particularly important to me because of the history of gender inequality in our country. Girls were given the opportunity to grow and learn in a place that met their gifted needs.

1969: Conference for Gifted Educators

1969

In 1969, the San Diego Association for Gifted Educators put on their first annual conference. I believe this is very significant because teachers being able to have a resource like that to help them become better gifted educators is valuable to students. When a teacher is well equipped and educated in the field of gifted they are able to create unique learning experiences for students.

1972: Lack of Diversity Concern

1972

In 1972, California, San Diego in particular, was concerned that they did not have enough cultural diversity. As a result, they began to look for alternative methods for testing and identifying gifted students. This is significant because it means that more students that may have not gotten the opportunity before were now able to qualify for gifted.

1983: Scholarships

1983

In 1983, in Chicago, scholarships were being offered to families to attend institutes and programs to help gifted learners attend these facilities to get education that meets their needs. This is seems especially significant because families in poverty would not really be able to support their gifted children if there is a hefty cost attached to it. With these scholarships, gifted learners in poverty were afforded the opportunity to pursue gifted education.