Julian Stanley
Encyclopedia
Dr. Julian Cecil Stanley (July 9, 1918 – August 12, 2005) was a psychologist, an educator, and an advocate of accelerated education for academically gifted children. He founded the Johns Hopkins University
Center for Talented Youth
(CTY), as well as a related research project, the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth
(SMPY), whose work has, since 1980, been supplemented by the Julian C. Stanley Study of Exceptional Talent
(SET), which provides academic assistance to gifted children. Stanley was also widely known for his book, coauthored with Donald Campbell, on the design of educational research. Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Research remains a classic in the field.
on July 9, 1918. After finishing high school he attended West Georgia Junior College (1936), now State University of West Georgia, and at the age of 19, after attending the Georgia Teacher’s College (1937), now Georgia Southern University, he became a high school math and chemistry teacher. During the Second World War he served in the Army Air Corps chemical warfare service (1942-1945). Upon his return he entered Harvard University where he completed his doctorate in education in 1950. Stanley’s first academic teaching position was as an associate professor in educational psychology at the George Peabody College for Teachers (1949), now Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. In 1951 he became the president of the Tennessee Psychological Association before moving onto the University of Wisconsin in 1953. It was here that he became famous for his work in experimental designs and psychometrics; his most cited work, Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Research, was produced with co-author Donald T. Campbell (1963). In 1965, he moved on to Stanford, becoming a fellow of Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and then onto the final chapter of his career, which took place at Johns Hopkins University. It was here that he began his work with intellectually gifted youth, creating in 1971 the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth
(SMPY), which would eventually lead to a revolution in how gifted children were to be identified and treated within the education system. He retired as Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (1992), although reportedly worked up until one week before his death in 2005 at the age of 87.
When Stanley was a young math and science teacher he became fascinated with intellectual talent while taking “tests and measurements” course at University of Georgia. But, it was in 1969 Julian Stanley’s interest with intellectually gifted youth was reignited when he was introduced to Joseph Bates, a 13-year-old boy from Baltimore, Maryland. Joseph was outperforming all of his classmates, specifically in mathematics. Stanley decided to test him using the SAT and found that it was a much more effective and reliable way to test for both advanced math and verbal skills and reasoned that such a method could be used to identify more of these high ability students, especially if a systematic approach was taken. Seeing a need for more research and development in mathematical reasoning ability, Stanley submitted a proposal to the Spencer Foundation of Chicago, which also had an interest in intellectual talent, to help fund his study.
On September 1, 1971 the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth
was formed at Johns Hopkins University. It began as a project designed to model the longitudinal study by Lewis M. Terman in the “Genetic Studies of Genius” series. The project primarily included holding talent searches with the intent of identifying gifted youth, particularly in the area of mathematics. The study then proceeded to examine both short and long term results of the students identified through this method. But, it didn't stop there; Stanley was also invested in helping them to further their educations by devising and offering many different programs and classes geared towards acceleration. At the time there was very little research to support the idea of acceleration, with educators often pushing gifted youths and their parents towards enrichment instead, as it seemed best to avoid attracting too much attention to the unusual abilities of these students and thereby make it easier for educators within the current system at the time to deal with their intellectual capabilities. It should also be noted that up until the time of Stanley’s study, there was the prevalent idea that cultural assimilation, stemming from the melting pot
ideology featured prominently within the United States’ immigration policies, was also a factor in educators veering away from providing acceleration opportunities for gifted students.
The very first talent search was held in March of 1972; 450 Baltimore grade 7 and 8 students took the SAT-M (School Aptitude Test-Math), which had previously only been taken by students in grades 11 and 12. This out of level testing method proved to be so successful in identifying intellectual talent and furthering the educations of the youths in ways that were on the whole deemed to not detract from the social and emotional development that the program continued with great achievement. Eventually verbal capabilities were added to the searches (SAT-V) and the program expanded to other universities (Duke, Northwestern, Iowa, and Denver). It was also deemed to have predictive validity, reasons for which this type of testing has now become a standardized method of identifying early intellectually precocious youth both within the United States and internationally. To date, the approach has identified and provided acceleration for millions of gifted youth. At Johns Hopkins University, the program is now called the Julian C. Study of Exceptional Talent
(SET). The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) continues at Vanderbilt University today, with colleagues of Stanley working to complete a fifty-year longitudinal study of gifted individuals. Currently there are 5000 previous students involved who are now nearing mid-life.
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
Center for Talented Youth
Center for Talented Youth
The Center for Talented Youth is a gifted education program for school-age children, founded in 1979 by Dr. Julian Stanley at Johns Hopkins University. It was initially a research study of the rate at which gifted children can learn new material and became the first program of its kind to identify...
(CTY), as well as a related research project, the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth
Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth
The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth is a study project and was founded by Dr Julian Stanley in 1971 at the Johns Hopkins University. In 1986, it moved to Iowa State University, where it was headed by Dr Camilla Benbow until 1990, and from then on by Dr Benbow and Dr David Lubinski...
(SMPY), whose work has, since 1980, been supplemented by the Julian C. Stanley Study of Exceptional Talent
Study of Exceptional Talent
The Julian C. Stanley Study of Exceptional Talent is an outgrowth of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth at Johns Hopkins University...
(SET), which provides academic assistance to gifted children. Stanley was also widely known for his book, coauthored with Donald Campbell, on the design of educational research. Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Research remains a classic in the field.
Biography
Julian Cecil Stanley Jr. was born in Macon, GeorgiaMacon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
on July 9, 1918. After finishing high school he attended West Georgia Junior College (1936), now State University of West Georgia, and at the age of 19, after attending the Georgia Teacher’s College (1937), now Georgia Southern University, he became a high school math and chemistry teacher. During the Second World War he served in the Army Air Corps chemical warfare service (1942-1945). Upon his return he entered Harvard University where he completed his doctorate in education in 1950. Stanley’s first academic teaching position was as an associate professor in educational psychology at the George Peabody College for Teachers (1949), now Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. In 1951 he became the president of the Tennessee Psychological Association before moving onto the University of Wisconsin in 1953. It was here that he became famous for his work in experimental designs and psychometrics; his most cited work, Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Research, was produced with co-author Donald T. Campbell (1963). In 1965, he moved on to Stanford, becoming a fellow of Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and then onto the final chapter of his career, which took place at Johns Hopkins University. It was here that he began his work with intellectually gifted youth, creating in 1971 the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth
Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth
The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth is a study project and was founded by Dr Julian Stanley in 1971 at the Johns Hopkins University. In 1986, it moved to Iowa State University, where it was headed by Dr Camilla Benbow until 1990, and from then on by Dr Benbow and Dr David Lubinski...
(SMPY), which would eventually lead to a revolution in how gifted children were to be identified and treated within the education system. He retired as Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (1992), although reportedly worked up until one week before his death in 2005 at the age of 87.
When Stanley was a young math and science teacher he became fascinated with intellectual talent while taking “tests and measurements” course at University of Georgia. But, it was in 1969 Julian Stanley’s interest with intellectually gifted youth was reignited when he was introduced to Joseph Bates, a 13-year-old boy from Baltimore, Maryland. Joseph was outperforming all of his classmates, specifically in mathematics. Stanley decided to test him using the SAT and found that it was a much more effective and reliable way to test for both advanced math and verbal skills and reasoned that such a method could be used to identify more of these high ability students, especially if a systematic approach was taken. Seeing a need for more research and development in mathematical reasoning ability, Stanley submitted a proposal to the Spencer Foundation of Chicago, which also had an interest in intellectual talent, to help fund his study.
On September 1, 1971 the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth
Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth
The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth is a study project and was founded by Dr Julian Stanley in 1971 at the Johns Hopkins University. In 1986, it moved to Iowa State University, where it was headed by Dr Camilla Benbow until 1990, and from then on by Dr Benbow and Dr David Lubinski...
was formed at Johns Hopkins University. It began as a project designed to model the longitudinal study by Lewis M. Terman in the “Genetic Studies of Genius” series. The project primarily included holding talent searches with the intent of identifying gifted youth, particularly in the area of mathematics. The study then proceeded to examine both short and long term results of the students identified through this method. But, it didn't stop there; Stanley was also invested in helping them to further their educations by devising and offering many different programs and classes geared towards acceleration. At the time there was very little research to support the idea of acceleration, with educators often pushing gifted youths and their parents towards enrichment instead, as it seemed best to avoid attracting too much attention to the unusual abilities of these students and thereby make it easier for educators within the current system at the time to deal with their intellectual capabilities. It should also be noted that up until the time of Stanley’s study, there was the prevalent idea that cultural assimilation, stemming from the melting pot
Melting pot
The melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" into a harmonious whole with a common culture...
ideology featured prominently within the United States’ immigration policies, was also a factor in educators veering away from providing acceleration opportunities for gifted students.
The very first talent search was held in March of 1972; 450 Baltimore grade 7 and 8 students took the SAT-M (School Aptitude Test-Math), which had previously only been taken by students in grades 11 and 12. This out of level testing method proved to be so successful in identifying intellectual talent and furthering the educations of the youths in ways that were on the whole deemed to not detract from the social and emotional development that the program continued with great achievement. Eventually verbal capabilities were added to the searches (SAT-V) and the program expanded to other universities (Duke, Northwestern, Iowa, and Denver). It was also deemed to have predictive validity, reasons for which this type of testing has now become a standardized method of identifying early intellectually precocious youth both within the United States and internationally. To date, the approach has identified and provided acceleration for millions of gifted youth. At Johns Hopkins University, the program is now called the Julian C. Study of Exceptional Talent
Study of Exceptional Talent
The Julian C. Stanley Study of Exceptional Talent is an outgrowth of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth at Johns Hopkins University...
(SET). The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) continues at Vanderbilt University today, with colleagues of Stanley working to complete a fifty-year longitudinal study of gifted individuals. Currently there are 5000 previous students involved who are now nearing mid-life.
Other Achievements
Julian Stanley wrote or edited 13 books, produced over 500 professional articles, received two honorary doctorates and numerous awards, including:- APA’s E.L. Thorndike Award (1978)
- James McKeen Cattell Award from the Association for Psychological Science (1994)
- AERA’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education (1980)
- NAGC’s Distinguished Scholar Award (1982)
- Mensa Lifetime Achievement Award (2000)