Our History

Find out more about the history of the Standard Celeration Society

A Timeline of Events

Learn more about the Standard Celeration Society and how we were founded as an organization.
1951
The Rat Knows
The rat knows best!

The beginnings of the phrase "the child knows best" came from an experiment by Ogden Lindsley while working in Skinner's lab. When an experiment in extinction occurred differently than predicted by the textbook, Skinner told Og, "The rat knows best! That's why we still have him in the experiment."

May 26, 1955
Precursor to the Standard Celeration Chart
Here is an equal interval by ratio chart, showing Lindlsey's experimentation with versions of the chart.
1956
The sensitivity of Rate
Lindsley writes for the first time, "Laboratory research had proven rate to be more sensitive than percent correct and other less direct behavior measures."
1957
Schedules of Reinforcement by Ferster and Skinner
Kelsia King Schedules of Reinforcement
1959
The beginning of Behavior Research Company
1959
University of Washington Experimental Education Unit (EEU)

Planning began to fund and construct a center on behalf of handicapped children at the University of Washington.

1960
Harring as Educational Director of children's rehab unit at UK Medical
1960
Lindsley's lab shows frequency as more effective
1962
Lindsley, O. R. (1962). Operant conditioning methods in diagnosis.
November, 1962
Lindsley, O. R. and Barrett, B. H. (1962, Nov).
1963
Acknowledging zero
1963
Washington state legislature authorizes UW Child Development and Mental Retardation Center with its Medical Research Unit, Clinical Training Unit, Behavioral Research Unit,
March 11, 1963
Direct Measurement and Prosthesis of Retarded Behavior
Og delivers workshop lecture leading to “Direct Measurement and Prosthesis of Retarded Behavior
1964
Ann Dell Warren Duncan
1964
Eric Haughton
October 1964
Acquisition and Maintenance Prostheses
October 1964
Og to Oz
November 1964
Lindsley buys 47th St Terrace house
January 1965
Og shuts down Harvard Behavior Research Lab
January 1, 1965
Og starts at KU medical center
1965 — 1966
ChartStat^TM
1965
Academic performance can be increased by chart display
1965
UW Experimental Education Unit established
first setting outside Kansas Medical Center to use Precision Teaching
December 1966
Semi-Log Chart Established

first setting outside Kansas Medical Center to use Precision Teaching

December 1966
First use of "Precision Teaching" as a term

first setting outside Kansas Medical Center to use Precision Teaching

March 4, 1967
First labeled Daily Graph

first setting outside Kansas Medical Center to use Precision Teaching

September 1967
The Chart's "Birth Date"

first setting outside Kansas Medical Center to use Precision Teaching

December 1967
The Record Floor and 0

first setting outside Kansas Medical Center to use Precision Teaching

1968
Celeration

first setting outside Kansas Medical Center to use Precision Teaching