Nurturing Talent: How the U.S. Succeeds

By Francis K. Schrag

Commentators often complain that U.S. schools do too little to challenge the most gifted students, especially in the sciences and mathematics. But might the country be doing something right?

Consider that this year five of the 11 Nobel Prize winners in the natural sciences and economics were educated in the United States. Or consider that since 1970, six mathematicians from the United States—all educated here—have won the Fields Medal, the highest honor in mathematics, awarded only once every four years. (Russia holds the lead, with seven Fields medalists.)

Given our public schools’ historical reluctance to single out, segregate, and groom the most talented (except in sports), how have we managed to produce so many outstanding scientists and mathematicians? To understand that, we need to focus on a set of remarkable nonpublic institutions—highly visible to their participants, but largely invisible to those who study and comment on U.S. elementary and secondary schooling—dedicated to the discovery and nurture of the most talented young people for the highest levels of accomplishment. Consider the fields of natural...