ABSTRACT
The context in which the classical verbal deficit theory arose in the USA differed in a number of important respects from the post-war situation in Britain. Of the various official reports that appeared in the post-war period, there is one that is of particular interest in connection with the rise and reception of the verbal deficit theory, namely Early Leaving. This report, by the Central Advisory Council for Education, investigated the phenomenon of 'early leaving' from grammar schools. In the USA the development of the verbal deficit theory was closely linked with Project Headstart, which was launched in 1965 as part of the Johnson Administration's 'War on Poverty' programme. The USA enjoyed a prolonged boom during and after the Second World War and also experienced manpower shortages, especially at the skilled and professional levels, during much of this period, but the problem was not widely interpreted as one of educational waste, at least until the 1960s.
