From February 6 to 8, 1958, approximately 200 educators and interested individuals were invited to New York City in hopes of discussing the education of academically talented students at the secondary level. Topics included identification, programming options, the social emotional well-being of students, and the limited resources allocated to…

The "Marland" Report was the impetus and structure to provide a more systematic approach to building state and regional gifted programs. One of the strategies used to proliferate the spread of programming for gifted students throughout the states was the National/State Leadership Training Institute on the Gifted and Talented…

As the field of gifted education has grown so too have the number of organizations and resources serving gifted children. Their prevalence across the United States varies from region to region but organizations for gifted children and their families are available to those who want to be involved. The Internet has exponentially expanded the…

Nearly 70 years ago, The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the GI Bill of Rights (GI standing for "Government Issue"), altered the social and economic terrain of American society. The Bill's basic tenets provided unemployment pay, home loans, and education and training for returning World War II veterans.…

When explaining why some are gifted and others are not, nature and nurture are invariably mentioned. Is Jason gifted because of his inherited genes, his home environment, or a combination of the two? Researchers and laypersons have debated this for decades. They have conducted research, created tests, written editorials, influenced legislation,…

In this article, the authors discuss Governor's Schools as an alternative for gifted students. When the word school is used, people typically think about traditional schooling. But Governor's Schools are different in the type of schooling provided and the type of students served--they educate predominantly gifted children, teach a wide array of…

Talent has been described as a special natural ability, or an aptitude or a capacity for achievement or success. Societies throughout history have sought to develop the talent of their citizens in an attempt to maintain dominance or advance the status quo. Since its inception, the United States has tried to do the same. Whether it was Thomas…

The past several centuries have presented well-documented cases of prodigious youth. Many represented extreme examples of children who had burned brightly and then faded into obscurity, succumbed to a mental illness or an early death, or entered into a career deemed below their mental capacity. These very public displays of mental prowess caused…

During the past several years, much discussion has focused on developing America's future scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians (STEM) in order to remain viable and competitive in a growing global economy. In retrospect, America has had a long-standing involvement with STEM issues that dates back to the establishment of West…

Although the field of gifted education generally recognizes the foundational work of Lewis Terman, rarely does one stop to examine the details of his longitudinal study and their connection to present-day gifted education. This article reexamines the beginnings of Terman's longitudinal study with a focus on elementary-school-aged children.…

Guy M. Whipple, a psychologist, best known for his work in mental testing, was the author of 1910 seminal two-volume "Manual of Mental and Physical Tests," which stood as the exclusive reference of psychological testers for nearly 20 years. Whipple was known for having described democratic education as the "equity of opportunity," and he asserted…

The previous Historical Perspectives column focused on the foundations of gifted education and the influence that Francis Galton, Alfred Binet, and Cesare Lombroso had in shaping the field. This work seeks to extend the examination of the historical roots of gifted education by focusing on definitions and theoretical underpinnings of giftedness…