Teacherbyboard

Special Populations

By tanet2008

  • During 1940s - Conception of Giftedness Was

    During the 1940s, the conception of giftedness was expanded further when the federal government began to take an interest in the education of gifted and talented children. This federal interest was sparked during and after World War II when policy makers perceived a need for technological advancement in order to maintain the nation's military and political superiority.

  • National Science Foundation Act

    By 1950, Congress had passed the National Science Foundation Act, which marked the first time the federal government provided funds specifically for the gifted and talented. By providing funds for encouraging students to develop their abilities in mathematics and the physical sciences, the Act led to the designation of specific academic aptitude as a type of giftedness.

  • Structure of Intellect

    Another significant development in defining giftedness was the publication of Guilford's studies of the structure of the intellect. As early as 1950, Guilford had urged psychologists to explore the area of creativity, or divergent thinking.

  • Study by the U.S. Commissioner of Education

    In 1969, Congress mandated a study by the U.S. Commissioner of Education to determine the extent to which the needs of gifted and talented children were being met.

  • 1972 - Marland Report - Definition of Giftedness

    The ensuing document, known as the Marland Report (1972), contains a definition of giftedness that has been and continues to be the one most widely adopted or adapted by state and local education agencies.

  • Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act

    The federal government has included five broad areas in the definition found in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981.
    Gifted children are those who give evidence of high performance capability in areas such as: intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership capacity, or specific academic fields, and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop such capabilities.

  • Regulations for the Education Security Act

    The Regulations for the Educational Security Act of 1984 have defined the term "gifted student" as a "student, identified by various measures, who demonstrates actual or potential high performance capability in the fields of mathematics, science, foreign languages, or computer learning."