Designed to assist local school districts, this manual provides guidelines for the development of local plans for the education of academically or intellectually gifted students in North Carolina. In 1996, the General Assembly in North Carolina passed legislation removing gifted education from the law governing children with special needs and requiring each school system to develop a local plan for gifted students. The plan must be sent to the State Board of Education for review, comments, and recommendations. By the fall of 1998, all local school systems must begin implementation of their local plans. The guidebook addresses the following planning components: (1) screening, identification, and placements; (2) program service options; (3) program evaluation and student evaluation; (4) professional development; (5) community involvement; (6) procedures to resolve disagreements; (7) additional information that may be included; and (8) state funds. A number of forms are included, such as a blank form to be used for an individual student identification/placement record for a differentiated education program, forms for differentiated education plan program service options for different grades and yearly performance reviews, and a sample letter to parents of gifted high school students. (CR)