Gifted and Talented Students

History and Development

For hundreds of years, many have been intrigued by students identified as having extraordinary intellectual abilities and remarkable talents. During that time, the definition—and even the very concept—of “gifted and talented” has gone through numerous changes and continues to evolve. Despite interest in the topic by educators, related professionals, and the general public, the definition of this construct has undergone some changes—but not without much discussion and debate. One reason for the lack of a single cohesive definition is that states in the United States determine their own criteria for eligibility and assessment procedures, resulting in variations in how students are identified. At first, giftedness was measured solely by intelligence testing. Eventually, it became evident that a score from a single measure of intelligence was too narrow to define the many characteristics that could be exhibited by students in this population. As a result of broader thinking about the topic, the definition became more inclusive over time. “Gifted and talented” now encompasses artistic and creative abilities, highly developed leadership skills, the ability to design and implement an altruistic community outreach project, and having or displaying the potential for significant ability to organize and solve problems. Thus, the definition of gifted and talented has evolved from simply being conferred upon students having a high intelligence test score, to encompassing a diverse array of displayable gifts and talents.

U.S. competitiveness with other countries in the area of space exploration caused an increase in the attention paid to gifted and talented education during the 1960s, spurred by the 1957 launch of Russia's Sputnik satellite. That event triggered a call for more to be done to identify and prepare the nation's brightest students. However, many students have been underrepresented in the area of gifted and talented education, especially students of color, women, and students from backgrounds of poverty. Students with disabilities have also been excluded from identification and participation in gifted and talented programs. However, as a result of increasing attention to the inequities of gifted education and the influence of the civil rights movement, the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act was passed in 1988. The passing of this law opened the field, thus making participation in gifted education programs a possibility for students from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds, students from low-income backgrounds, those with disabilities, and women.

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