ABSTRACT
The field of gifted education emerged in the midst of the American progressive education movement. The movement was based on the scientific findings of evolutionary concepts and the rising field of "new" psychology in conjunction with child-centered schools, which fostered creativity, self-expression, critical thinking, and individualism. Beginning in the 1830s, education reformers in the United States advocated for publically funded school systems throughout the country. The federal government, however, did not pass the Fair Labor Standards Act until 1938, setting the minimum age for work during school hours to 16 years of age. Apart from compulsory school laws, which gradually pushed school attendance upwards, an additional influx of school children resulted from a massive migration wave from Europe. Unraveling the myriad of readiness levels, learning difficulties, and cacophony of languages that students arrived at school with would require explicit, novel, and targeted policies and approaches.
