A decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court set a binding precedent which classifies gifted and talented students as exceptional children and requires that resources already in place within school districts be made available to develop individualized education programs for gifted students. (JDD)

Criticism has been made of continuing to increase expenditures of funds to assist the economically disadvantaged and the handicapped. Past decades have seen discrimination against "gifted" children due to a fear of creating an "elite." Recent federal funding has begun to create special programs for gifted children. (JN)