De-implementation

Peter DeWitt (Ed.D) is the founder and CEO of the Instructional Leadership Collective, and approaches everything with a learner′s mindset. He was a K-5 teacher for 11 years and a principal for 8 years. For over 12 years, he has been facilitating professional learning nationally, and internationally, based on the content of many of his best-selling educational books. DeWitt′s professional learning relationships are a monthly hybrid approach that includes both coaching and the facilitating workshops on instructional leadership and collective efficacy. His work has been adopted at the state level, university level, and he works with numerous school districts, school boards, regional networks, ministries of education around North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the U.K.Peter writes the Finding Common Ground column for Education Week with Michael Nelson and they host Corwin’s Leaders Coaching Leaders podcast. In 2020 DeWitt co-created Education Week′s A Seat At the Table where he moderates conversations with experts around the topics of race, gender, research, trauma and many other educational topics.Peter is the author, co-author or contributor of numerous books and his articles have appeared in educational research journals at the state, national and international level. His books have been translated into numerous languages.

• ForewordAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorIntroductionWhat Are Educators Interested in De-implementing?Chapter 1: The Trouble With Implementation (and how to make it better)Educational Trends Over the Past Thirty YearsFive Reasons We Over-ImplementImproving ImplementationA Quick Guide for Good ImplementationAddressing Our AssumptionsAnticipating RoadblocksMonitoring Our Minds—MindsetIn the EndDiscussion QuestionsChapter 2: The De-implementation Research (with practical adaptations)Defining De-implementationTwo Types of De-implementationFormal and Informal De-implementationAnticipating RoadblocksMonitoring Our Minds: Unlearning and RelearningIn the EndDiscussion QuestionsChapter 3: What Gets De-implemented (based on reflection and evidence)Partial ReductionReplacement ActionsThe Foundations of Your De-implementation PlanCriteria for What Gets De-implementedGathering EvidenceGathering QuestionsAnticipating RoadblocksMonitoring Our Minds: Locus of ControlIn the EndDiscussion QuestionsChapter 4: The Cycle of De-implementation (for big ideas around school change)The Cycle of De-implementationSometimes Slow Is FastAnticipating RoadblocksMonitoring Our Minds: Filling the VoidIn the EndDiscussion QuestionsChapter 5: Your Team’s De-implementation Process (considering who you need and how fast to go)This ChapterPart I: Your TeamPacing and AgendasPart II: Your Official Cycle of De-implementationAnticipating RoadblocksMonitoring Our Minds: Well-BeingIn the EndDiscussion QuestionsOne Final ActivityReferences

Constantly bombarded by new innovations that fail to yield promised results, education leaders often grow frustrated and discouraged. Rather than becoming skeptical of all innovations, Peter advises leaders to become thoughtfully discerning through the process of de-implementation. It’s wise advice that is long overdue and vitally important.