Considered in the paper are past and current developments in the education of gifted and talented students in the United States. Discussed are the following aspects: identification (including specific evaluations of giftedness, and distinctions between creativity and I.Q.); programing methods and approaches (such as creative problem solving techniques and creative thinking operations); problems of the highly gifted (including confrontations with peers brought on by nonconformity and independence); support for special educational opportunities (such as the establishment of the Office of Education for the Gifted and Talented and the National Leadership Training Institutes); and implications and future directions (including an increase in teacher training programs for the gifted and talented, and the development of technical assistance centers). (CL)