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Compulsory school laws
Massachusetts passed the first compulsory school laws in 1852. Thus requiring that all students attend a public school and limiting the advancement of students privately. In 1868, William Torrey Harris, of St. Louis, as superintendent of public schools, provided for early advancement for students based on their performance. See: https://dev.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/gifted-education-us/brief-history-gifted-and-talented-education -
Binet-Simon
French psychologists Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon created the first intelligence test. It went through two revisions by 1911. The Binet-Simon test measured knowledge of vocabulary and thinking skills. Lewis M. Terman, in 1916, adapted the Binet-Simon test for children and he coined the term "IQ" (Intelligence Quotient). -
National Defense Education Act and the National Association for Gifted Children
Title V of the National Defense Education Act implemented testing programs to search out and identify gifted students. Also, the National Association for Gifted Children began in 1954 -
California Recognition
Gifted education was officially recognized by the State of California in 1963 and then later by the state of Illinois in 1965. San Diego has the oldest continuously running gifted program in the nation, which was started in 1948. -
Marland Report
Marland Commission/Report provided the first federal and universal definition of giftedness for children. The definition was based on ability and high performance of students, -
Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act
U.S. Department of Education provided funding to identify and serve communities of under-represented gifted students. This opens up the door to provide increased opportunities for students in marginlized communities based on factors such as race and economic class.