Expansion (1945 - 1965)
Searching for Talent
The increasing tendency of the Cold War made identifying and developing intellectual talent a national imperative
Julie Ruben
"Merit, Mission, and Minority Students: The History of Debate over Special Admission Programs"
The post-World War II world demanded a different way of thinking about educational issues. Events both abroad and at home forced Americans to reevaluate the position of education in American society.
Governmental and public concern over the state of American education in relation to the Soviet Union, especially after the launching of the satellite Sputnik, helped pass the National Defense Education Act, or the NDEA, in 1958.
The turn towards academic knowledge and its attendance search for talent begun after 1945 had its genesis in a number of things closer to home as well.
Criticism of progressive education as academically weak and not challenging for a wide majority of students renewed interest in academics. Within the College Board, the Advanced Placement Program emerged to provide advanced academic courses to challenge high school students.
Manpower concerns that the public education system was not producing enough well-educated people for the new technological society and its economy emphasized sorting and guiding of students into specific academic and vocational tracks. Concern also about womanpower needs led some educators to turn their attention to the needs of women, including the specialized needs of counseling the female student of the time.
The College Board's activities of this period reflected the concern about rigorous academics and guidance of students. The College Board developed tests, specifically the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), as a tool to aid in guiding and identifying talented students. The College Scholarship Service (CSS) aimed to identify students who merited college scholarships.
The search for academic talent can be viewed from a different perspective if the state of higher education is considered. Increasing the size of the student body was imperative to many in higher education, especially once the bulk of the G.I.'s had already passed through the higher education pipeline. Searching for better and more students allowed educators to maintain their belief in both merit and democratic access.
