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Public School System Reformation
In 1845, Horace Mann reformed the public school system so that schools were no longer only offering seven grades. Instead, the school system now ran from kindergarten through twelfth grade. This event is significant in the gifted education timeline because 177 years later, we are still educating students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. If this event was not part of our educational history, then perhaps the school system would look very different today. -
National Association for Gifted Children
In 1954, the National Association for Gifted Children began. This started the advocacy for gifted and talented students. Additionally, the creation of this association allowed for a community of gifted and talented students to form. -
Nature of Human Intelligence
In 1967, Joy Paul Guilford described 120 various kinds of intelligences in his book, “The Nature of Human Intelligence.” This is a significant event in the gifted education timeline since it shows that there are multiple ways for a student to be identified as gifted. -
Advancement in the Theory of Multiple Intelligences
In 1983, Howard Gardner helped advance the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Some of the new intelligences that were added to this theory include linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and existentialist. The advancement of this theory supports Gardner’s proposal that people may earn more intelligences over the course of their lifetime. -
Jacob K. Javier’s Gifted and Talented Students Education Act
In 1988, the Jacob K. Javier’s Gifted and Talented Students Education Act was passed as Public Law 100-297. This is significant in the gifted education timeline since it allowed for a focus on research and education through the creation of the Office of Gifted and Talented Education. Furthermore, this act allows primary and secondary schools to use evidence-based research to meet the educational needs of their gifted children. -
Identification of 3 Million Gifted and Talented American Students
In 2013, the National Association for Gifted Children identified three million gifted and talented American students. This is significant in the gifted education timeline because this is quantitative data showing that gifted and talented students are being identified in both primary and secondary education throughout the United States. Moreover, this data informs us that educators are educated on how to properly identify gifted and talented children in schools.