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

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

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

Peter DeWitt (Ed.D) is the founder and CEO of the Instructional Leadership Collective. He was a K-5 teacher for 11 years and a principal for 8 years. For the last 10 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.

Additionally, in the Summer of 2021, DeWitt created a year long on-demand, asynchronous coaching course through Thinkific where he has created a community of learners that include k-12 educators in leadership positions.

DeWitt¿s 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, which has been in circulation since 2011. 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, sexual orientation, research, trauma and many other educational topics.

Additionally, DeWitt is the Series Editor for the Connected Educator Series (Corwin Press) and the Impact Series (Corwin Press) that include books by Viviane Robinson, Andy Hargreaves, Pasi Sahlberg, Yong Zhao and Michael Fullan.

He is the 2013 School Administrators Association of New York State¿s (SAANYS) Outstanding Educator of the Year, and the 2015 Education Blogger of the Year (Academy of Education Arts & Sciences), and sits on numerous advisory boards.

Peter is the author, co-author or contributor of numerous books. Click on title to purchase. They include:
Dignity for All: Safeguarding LGBT Students(Corwin Press. 2012).

Flipping Leadership Doesn¿t Mean Reinventing the Wheel(Corwin Press. 2014)

Collaborative Leadership: 6 Influences That Matter Most(Corwin Press/Learning Forward).

School Climate: Leading With Collective Teacher Efficacy(Corwin Press/ Ontario Principals Council. 2017).

Coach It Further: Using the Art of Coaching to Improve School Leadership(Corwin Press. 2018).

Instructional Leadership: Creating Practice Out Of Theory(Corwin Press. 2020).

Collective Leader Efficacy: Strengthening the Impact of Instructional Leadership Teams(Corwin Press. Learning Forward. 2021).

De-implementation: Creating the Space to Focus on What Works (Corwin Press. 2022).

Leading with Intention - Developing self-awareness to fostering an unreasonable human interconnectedness to impact the school community(co-authored with Michael Nelson. Corwin Press. 2024).

Peter¿s articles have appeared in educational research journals at the state, national and international level. His books have been translated into numerous languages.

Some of the organizations Peter has worked with are the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Learning Forward, National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), University of Oklahoma, Cognition Education (New Zealand), Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL), Victoria Department of Education (Australia), University of Rotterdam (Netherlands), Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA), Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), the National Education Association (NEA), New Brunswick Teacher¿s Association (Canada), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Education Scotland (Scotland), Glasgow City Council (Scotland), Kuwait Technical College (Kuwait) the National Association of School Psychologists, ASCD, l¿Association des directions et directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes (ADFO), the Catholic Principals¿ Council of Ontario (CPCO), and the Ontario Principals¿ Council (OPC), National School Climate Center, GLSEN, PBS, NPR, BAM Radio Network, ABC, and NBC¿s Education Nation.

Learn more about bringing Peter DeWitt to your school or district at petermdewitt.com

When it comes to school initiatives, more isn’t always better. 
Today’s educators are buried under old practices, new ideas, and recommended initiatives. Before you’re tempted to add just one more idea to the pile, take a step back—and an objective look—so that you and your 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
• Templates for charting your school’s individual path to de-implementation