De-implementation: Creating the Space to Focus on What Works

When it comes to school initiatives, more isn’t always better. Today’s educators are buried under old practices, new ideas, and recommended initiatives. The problem? With such an abundance of strategies, it’s hard to recognize what, if anything, is working. Before you’re tempted to add just one more idea to the pile, take a step back—and an objective look—so that you, central office leaders, building leaders, and teachers can decide which practices to keep, which to modify, and which to eliminate altogether. This guide provides A research- and evidence-based framework for determining efficacy Practical steps for removing, reducing, or replacing ineffective practices Action steps, examples, and tips for beginning the work—and getting teacher buy-in Templates for charting your school’s individual path to de-implementation Ineffective practices don’t just waste teacher time; they can have a catastrophic impact on student progress. Use de-implementation to shine a light on the path forward—one where teachers can focus on what works, and students can focus on learning.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction What Are Educators Interested in De-implementing? Chapter 1: The Trouble With Implementation (and how to make it better) Educational Trends Over the Past Thirty Years Five Reasons We Over-Implement Improving Implementation A Quick Guide for Good Implementation Addressing Our Assumptions Anticipating Roadblocks Monitoring Our Minds—Mindset In the End Discussion Questions Chapter 2: The De-implementation Research (with practical adaptations) Defining De-implementation Two Types of De-implementation Formal and Informal De-implementation Anticipating Roadblocks Monitoring Our Minds: Unlearning and Relearning In the End Discussion Questions Chapter 3: What Gets De-implemented (based on reflection and evidence) Partial Reduction Replacement Actions The Foundations of Your De-implementation Plan Criteria for What Gets De-implemented Gathering Evidence Gathering Questions Anticipating Roadblocks Monitoring Our Minds: Locus of Control In the End Discussion Questions Chapter 4: The Cycle of De-implementation (for big ideas around school change) The Cycle of De-implementation Sometimes Slow Is Fast Anticipating Roadblocks Monitoring Our Minds: Filling the Void In the End Discussion Questions Chapter 5: Your Team’s De-implementation Process (considering who you need and how fast to go) This Chapter Part I: Your Team Pacing and Agendas Part II: Your Official Cycle of De-implementation Anticipating Roadblocks Monitoring Our Minds: Well-Being In the End Discussion Questions One Final Activity References

About the Author :
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. 

Review :
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. STOP. We add, reform, innovate, and tinker but rarely consider how to reduce and halt that which has the least impact and distracts from the joy of teaching. DeWitt invites you to reflect, respond, and remove, and introduces the notion of efficiency into your life. This book in education is so overdue. It is the Konmari decluttering bible for schools.  Schools are busy places that are often filled with the debris of failed initiatives. Peter′s latest book tackles this unspoken challenge head-on. Highlighting the science of de-implementation and presenting a practical framework, his book is a must for any leader seeking support in clearing the decks in their buildings and empowering their teachers to focus on the important work of teaching.  De-Implementation is a core competency for any organization that focuses like a laser on only those high value initiatives that have real impact. Peter shows "the why" behind implementation, and helps you map your own process and success criteria.  If your leadership goal is to be more purposeful in where you focus your time, resources and talent, De-implementation can help. In De-implementation: Creating the Space to Focus on What Works Peter Dewitt convincingly makes the case for getting serious about stopping or reducing (some) existing practices, and he provides no-nonsense tools to help you get this work done. It will help you to take the ‘less-path’, whilst also getting more done in the process! The pace and breadth of initiatives in schools seem to grow exponentially. De-implementation offers a much-needed sense of relief to step back and "creates space to focus on what works."  The text reads like a conversation, offers a roadmap back to balance, and outlines a clear process and hands-on tools to support along the way. My goal this year as a principal was to evaluate what we are doing in our building that is effective.  As always, Peter Dewitt breaks down big ideas into immediate action steps that are simple.  This book is timely for leaders in education because it is an opportunity to make evidence-based changes that focus on student learners and effective practices. After decades of adding on in public education, DeWitt’s De-Implementation guides readers through a thoughtful experience of reflection, wonder and questioning.  He challenges decades of assumptions that more is better.  Instead, he encourages more implementation of deep, important practices.  Frankly, I will use the concept of "clutter checks" for the rest of my career!  Like Peter says, "It’s now your turn!" A timely and necessary read, DeWitt challenges us teachers and  leaders to look introspectively and consider what might we no longer need in education. The process of implementation should first look at what isn’t serving our best interests and DeWitt provides a practical model to do so. All stakeholders who are responsible for initiatives and professional learning should read this book immediately. Peter has touched on a topic that so many school leaders have at times completely missed. De-implementation comes at a time when schools are being asked to take more on without considering what needs to be left behind. Peter’s notion of de-implementation provides a platform for school communities to examine not just what they do but how and why they do it. Due to the increased stress and complex issues currently compounding educational systems, there is no better time than now to read DeWitt’s De-implementation. Filled with practical guidance, this book provides direction for educators to help navigate the de-implementation process. Specific steps are given for leaders and teachers to take together as they engage in critical conversations to understand the impact of their choices. Our current situation has created stressful challenges and uncertainties that could jeopardize our well-being as educators. Added expectations have shifted our attention away from our mission as educators—student learning. DeWitt provides a clear and evidence-based process to make us highly selective about what we bring into our schools. By integrating the evidence on effective implementation and collaboration throughout his book Peter DeWitt empowers schools with the rationale, tools and important discussions needed in schools for de-implementation. The De-implementation Handbook challenges schools to sharpen their focus and ′de-clutter′ what has not made an impact in schools by strategically collaborating in schools and systems using a cycle of de-implementation that can support schools and systems to improve student outcomes and build collective teacher capability. DeWitt offers practical examples, and internal professional learning opportunities at the end of each chapter for schools and leaders to strengthen a shared language for supporting improvement in their contexts in closing the implementation gap for schools.  Peter Dewitt has a habit of leaping ahead avoiding tinkering and focusing on a substantial change agenda. Fortunately, he also insists on making the reader an action partner. There are five great ideas; and five stops along the way. Each time you have a ‘clutter check’ where you clean up before you proceed. De-implementation is a book that helps you de-tox your change agenda replacing it with a healthy, streamlined focus on what really works