Developing leadership to successfully implement gifted policy and create long term and sustainable change

Key to the successful implementation of the High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) policy in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, is the focus on developing the capability of educational leaders. Evidence-informed professional learning which deliberately targets leadership development, includes a dedicated 10-hour course incorporating the HPGE Evaluation and Planning Tool. The HPGE Leaders course uses a self-assessment framework and a leader-administered teacher survey to capture baseline data for the range of unique school contexts across NSW. This leadership development approach has been instrumental in changing mindsets about gifted education at all leadership levels.