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Stanford-Binet Test Published
Terman (a leader in the gifted education movement) published the Stanford-Binet Test, a way to test intelligence. Inspired by the Binet-Simon assessments developed in France and brought to America by Hendry Goddard, the Stanford-Binet test kickstarted the efforts to quantify intelligence. Ultimately, testing intelligence led to a process for identifying people who are gifted in order to eventually educate them appropriately, fostering their giftedness. -
Longitudinal Study of Gifted Children Began
Terman began his study of giftedness over time with a sample of 1,500 children. This is the longest running longitudinal study of giftedness. By studying gifted individuals at an early age, a lot is learned about their characteristics, behaviors, needs, and the impact of education on their giftedness. Without this study, we wouldn't have as much quality data to use as the foundation for our decisions on how to educate gifted individuals. -
Sputnik Launched
When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, Americans felt an urgent need to take a closer look at math and science education in the U.S. Greater funding went to identifying students who would benefit from advanced education in math, science, and technology. To capitalize on their strengths and compete with globally, the federal government was compelled to attend to the needs of gifted people. The National Defense Education Act was passed soon after, supporting gifted education. -
Giftedness Defined in the Marland Report
This report's definition of giftedness encompassed academic, intellectual, leadership, artistic, creative, and psychomotor abilities. The broad scope of this definition encouraged the same broad look at giftedness in education. Expanding the understanding of giftedness changed the perception about gifted individuals and discouraged stereotypes. Formally defining giftedness also supported the Office of the Gifted and Talented becoming an official part of the U.S. Office of Education. -
A Nation at Risk Report
This report brought attention to the insufficient performance of America's brightest students in comparison to those in other nations. The United States needed that sort of data to raise the bar and reexamine the implementation of gifted education to better suit the needs of gifted students. This incited reforms in gifted education, such as the Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act which was enacted five years later. -
National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented Established
The establishment of this research center at the University of Connecticut drew researchers from various prestigious universities. Developing a headquarters for research on the underserved population of gifted and talented learners was crucial in reform movements because it supported research-based decisions on policies and practices in gifted education. Without the proper research, appropriate advancements and adjustments in academic standards and gifted curriculum might not have been made. -
Pre-K - Grade 12 Gifted Program Standards Published
The National Association for Gifted Children published these standards to provide additional support for gifted and talented programs. Establishing standards increased the level of accountability in gifted education. These standards served as the foundation (with revisions) for the 2010 Pre-K - Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards. The revised standards address learning and development, assessment, curriculum and instruction, learning environments, programming, and professional development.
