The document contains the Texas state plan for the education of the gifted/talented and principles and criteria for local school district program development. The state plan includes a section on background, a position statement, the state definition of gifted/talented students, and a statement of goal and objective. Responsibilities and activities of the Texas Education Agency, Regional Education Service Centers, and Local School Districts are delineated. The section on program guidelines has sections on planning, identification, program organization, curriculum, staff development, parental/community involvement, and evaluation. Each section is organized into a general discussion, a checklist of action steps, and principles with associated criteria to assure compliance. Appended is additional information on the identification process, suggested criteria for selection of students, principles of a differentiated curriculum for the gifted/talented, criteria for the selection of materials for the gifted/talented, needs assessment for inservice in gifted/talented education, an inservice planning model and example, characteristics of teachers of the gifted/talented, and organizing a local association for the gifted/talented. Also included is a glossary of 15 terms such as psychomotor ability, differentiated curriculum, and student objectives. (DB)