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.
Зміст
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
Про автора
Peter De Witt (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. De Witt′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, De Witt 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. De Witt′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 De Witt 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, De Witt 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