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American Industrial Revolution
During the American Industrial Revolution, a transition from a cottage industry to factory production, math and science had a new import role in advancing American business and technology. New solutions were needed to address social and environmental problems caused by factories and urbanization. It was during this time period that many Americans started to scrutinize education, calling for public schools and compulsory high school education. American heroes were smart, gifted people. -
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Development of Intelligence Testing
During the age of imperialism, Americans and Europeans were testing the hypothesis that intelligence is inherited. They needed some way to test intelligence to collect data. The IQ test was the first to be considered pretty reliable. Later general aptitude testing used to identify gifted individuals, like the SAT, would follow in that spirit. -
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Cold War
The Cold War rivalry between the US and USSR was in many ways a battle to see who had the better scientists. The Space Race and Arms Race led to a new focus on math and science education, so the US wouldn’t fall behind. State and Federal governments pumped tons of money into programs to identify and educate the next generation of astronauts and rocket scientists. -
National Office of the Gifted and Talented
Most of gifted education is led at the state level, and our National regulations don’t give many specific concessions for gifted students. The creation of this office is still a watershed moment because it signals that our federal government validates gifted education as a priority and provides some National guidance and coordination for our states. -
Gardener’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Gardener’s Theory got people thinking about the many different ways that a person could be gifted. It proposes that there are nearly a dozen different, specific intelligences, rather than just one general one. This widens the spectrum of students considered gifted and allows for curriculum to address those differences. There is not an overwhelming amount of data to support this theory, but it changed the way people conceptualized gifted learners. -
No Child Left Behind Act
NCLB set National minimums for education proficiency across the nation. States jumped to use funds and resources towards those students that fell below minimum standards. The effect was that gifted students became even less of a priority for program development and funding.