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In 1996, the Rhode Island State Advisory Committee for Gifted and Talented Education surveyed 34 Rhode Island school superintendents on the status of gifted and talented education in their districts. Findings from the survey indicate: (1) Rhode Island school districts are serving about 4.5 percent of the student population; (2) there were inconsistencies in reporting identification criteria as they relate to service provisions; (3) 33 percent of the school districts reported they had no gifted and talented teachers; (4) some gifted and talented children were more likely to be served than others in 59 percent of the school districts in Rhode Island; (5) in 1996 11 cents of every $100 spent on K-12 education supported the education of gifted and talented children; and (6) 33 of the 34 school districts allow some form of acceleration. Recommendations urge local education agencies to increase identification efforts and provision of appropriate programs to all children, to promote staff development in the area of gifted and talented, to review policies so that instructional and/or institutional barriers to acceleration options are removed, to allocate a fair and equitable portion of limited funds for gifted and talented children, and to initiate research studies to determine the effectiveness of gifted and talented programs. (CR)