This document historically reviews the development of the gifted and talented program in Delaware's Department of Public Instruction and characterizes gifted and talented students. Eleven program standards have been developed by the state education agency and a state advisory council and were field tested in four school districts. The standards concern: a written philosophy of gifted education; written guidelines relating to screening, identification, and placement; written curricula for gifted programs; learning activities based on the curriculum's objectives; provision of a positive atmosphere conducive to learning; procedures for communication among staff and parents of gifted students; procedures for planning educational improvements; use of inservice programs to promote current awareness; established criteria for the employment of teachers for the gifted; continued development of programs for the gifted; and annual program evaluation. An appendix lists screening and evaluation instruments, along with their appropriate ages or grade levels, in the following categories: general intellectual ability, specific academic aptitude/achievement, creative or productive thinking ability, leadership ability and personal skills, visual and performing arts ability, and instruments for culturally different and disadvantaged populations. Other appendices list Delaware speakers bureaus, individual speakers, and places to visit; national journals; and national associations and foundations. (JDD)