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T he rapid growth of the Talent Search movement from its early roots with the work of Julian C. Stanley's Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) unquestionably resulted from strong partnerships with schools. In this special issue of PHP devoted to the theme of the Academic Talent Search, we share some of the early obstacles that had to be overcome in order for partnerships to be established, how these partnerships vary from school to school, and most important of all, how they have proven to benefit so many academically talented students to date. Several K-12 educators in various Talent Search regions were kind enough to share their insights about how they use above-grade test data.
Getting Off to a Rocky Start
As is true of all meaningful relationships, a foundation built on mutual trust had to be established between the schools and Talent Searches, and those well acquainted with Stanley in the early 1970s can attest to the fact that this process was not always smooth sailing, especially in the beginning when the concept of the Academic Talent Search was novel. School personnel perceived Stanley as a critic of their methods on the basis that he helped some math prodigies to skip high school and matriculate into college in their early teens. At the same time, the concepts of above-grade-level testing and exposing able students to Advanced Placement coursework early in high school, which Stanley endorsed, were deemed "a ridiculous proposal" (Stanley, 2005, p. 8) by school principals and headmasters. Although much would change in the landscape of gifted education over the next few decades, in light of the palpable resistance to academic acceleration that was prevalent in the 1970s juxtaposed with Stanley's revolutionary ideas, it should come as no surprise that a strained relationship ensued.
Working Together at Last
Over time, however, as the Talent Search model became more systematized and schools more eager to serve their academically advanced students, a partnership between schools and the Talent Search centers grew. In fact, the exponential increase in Talent Search participation after the four regional centers were established (Johns Hopkins' Center for Talented Youth [CTY] in 1979, Duke's Talent Identification Program in 1980, Northwestern's Center for Talent Development in 1982, and Denver's Rocky Mountain Talent...