About the Companion Website
Why this book?
This Book’s Features
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction
Tap Into Your True Inner Instructional Leader
Blog - Help! My Principal Says He’s an Instructional Leader!
Chapter One: Instructional Leadership: A Holistic Approach
What the Research Says About Instructional Leadership
In the End
Study Guide Questions
Chapter Two: The Logic Behind Implementation
What Is Program Logic?
From Program Logic to Implementation Cycle
Implementation Multi-Stage Model
In the End
Study Guide Questions
Chapter Three: A Focus on Learning: Deepening Our Impact as
Instructional Leaders
Types of Learning: Knowledge vs. Skills
Levels of Learning: Surface, Deep, and Transfer
delete
Knowledge Dimensions
In the End
Study Guide Questions
Chapter Four: Student Engagement: From Alienation to
Social-Emotional Learning
Alienation
Social-Emotional Learning
Five Easy Steps to Social-Emotional Learning
Enabling Conditions
Blog - Educators Need Mindfulness. Their Mental Health May Depend
on It.
In the End
Study Guide Questions
Chapter Five: Instructional Strategies: Exploring Surface, Deep,
and Transfer Learning
Academic Engagement
Blog - The Myth of Walkthroughs: Eight Unobserved Practices in
Classrooms
Teacher Clarity
Classroom Discussion
Metacognition
In the End
Study Guide Questions
Chapter Six: Collective Efficacy: Easy to Define, Hard to
Build?
Collective Teacher Efficacy: A Definition
Why Do We Need Collective Teacher Efficacy?
Blog - No Testing Week
No Testing Week
Leadership Efficacy
When Do We Build Collective Efficacy?
Why Is Collective Efficacy Hard to Build?
Collective Efficacy: A Program Logic Model
In the End
Study Guide Questions
Chapter Seven: Evidence: How Will You Evaluate Your Impact?
Evidence of Impact
Student Engagement Practices
Blog - Advisory Groups: Helping to Create a Positive School
Climate
Instructional Leadership
In the End
Reflection Tool
Study Guide Questions
References
Index
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
Peter De Witt’s book is clearly written from the heart, based
on his own research and his extensive experience (and challenges
faced) in many leadership roles. It is a book that will resound
with, and be of immense value to, all existing and aspiring school
leaders who attempt to balance the complexity of tasks and the
demands of accountability and compliance, while also
attempting to be leaders of learners.
*Kenneth Muir*
So much has been written on the topic of instructional leadership,
but too little is known about how to implement it. DeWitt once
again finds a balance between research and practice by focusing on
implementation, developing program logics, and evidence of impact.
He is offering a road map to help leaders put their focus on
learning and build credibility with staff while doing it.
*John Hattie*
The practical tips and reflections are highly informative.
Continually Peter brings us back to the perception-reality gap that
makes the day-to-day processes of educational leadership far more
reactive than we think. As Peter explains, what we think we do as
educational leaders is often neither what our colleagues observe or
how time stacks up. By following this practical recipe for
instructional leadership, busy leaders can adjust their current
practices to focus on that which matters most: improving the life
chances of learners through increased impact in learning.
Leadership will never be easy in an increasingly complex world, but
the clarity with which this books unpacks the key ingredients it
will certainly be easier.
*Steven Cox*
Instructional Leadership is the nexus between the key instructional
leadership research and the practical day-to-day role of the school
leader. For the first time, here is a book that addresses and
provides the ‘why’ and ‘how’ underpinned by an implementation
framework that can successfully be adopted to support the learning
of all school stakeholders when addressing any school improvement.
The book identifies and provides clear examples for leaders on
‘what’ instructional leadership, based on research and practice,
can look like on a day-to-day basis that is effective for all
leaders; from the classroom to district or regional roles. This
should be a book read by all aspiring leaders in preparation; and
by experienced leaders as a reflection of our current leadership
and responding to the key questions Peter asks in each chapter. As
Peter says in the beginning of the book, "This book is about
defining a common language and common understanding" about
instructional leadership. He has achieved what he set out to
address.
*Helen Butler*
Principals have the potential to magnify and multiple effective
instruction. But far too often, this potential is not realized.
Peter DeWitt provides a pathway to get the job done. This
thoughtful and practical guide will help you become the
instructional leader you have always wanted to be. And, if you take
his advice seriously, the students in your school will learn more
and learn better. I promise.
*Doug Fisher*
This book is long overdue! It is time instructional leaders heed
the tools in this book to begin walking the walk of true
instructional leaders. DeWitt clarifies that common language does
not always equate to common understanding—it requires purposeful
planning and design. He does a masterful job of defining
instructional leadership and applying it through relatable
situations throughout the book. This book alone would help to
prevent what I refer to as SOS, Shiny Object Syndrome, in
education. We have tended to consistently react to the newest and
shiniest program or promise in education, and this has led to
initiative overload and reactive leadership as opposed to proactive
leadership and creating evidence of impact. The program logic model
DeWitt demonstrates is a great way for leadership teams to create
evidence of impact through dialogue and action and allow
instructional leaders to shift their focus to how learning works
and the concepts of learning.
*Todd Wiedemann*
This book will help leaders to overcome the challenge of
operationalising instructional leadership. The six areas
identified by Peter provide a clear and practical route map for
developing the practice of instructional leadership. The mindful
moments are timely and effective punctuations that help you to stop
and think, process and apply the learning. Likewise, the student
voice questions ensure that we calibrate what we think with what
our students say, do and experience. As we move into an age with
even greater focus on implementation and the fidelity of
implementation, Peter’s work will support leaders in developing and
delivering clarity and action that will improve the life chance of
our children and young people.
*Sarah Philp*
Peter tackles the topic of instructional leadership head-on as a
researcher, consultant, coach and former school administrator. As
is his style, Peter shares his findings as if the reader were
having a personal conversation with him about the hard work of
being an instructional leader and at the same time managing the
day-to-day operation of the building. This work provides
administrators with a road map in understanding this complex topic
but, more importantly, identifies six areas of implementation.
Peter provides a complete workshop wrapped up within the pages of
this book. It is a must-read for school administrators who seek to
understand how to implement improvements effectively, build
collective efficacy and focus on student learning.
*Jim Verlengia*
Peter DeWitt draws on research and personal experience as he
skillfully unpacks the complexities involved in the practice of
instructional leadership. School leaders will find the ideas in
this book relatable, practical, and significant in relation to
improving student outcomes. If you aspire to lead school
improvement by strengthening the quality of classroom instruction
and reaching deep levels of implementation, this book will provide
the guidance you seek.
*Jenni Donohoo*
Peter DeWitt has been a learner from day one since he first became
a teacher, and especially shortly thereafter when he became a
principal. In 2006 he enjoyed being a leader in a small rural
community. Then he had a growing and compelling realization that
something was wrong, and became what I would call a ‘positive
rebel,’ devoting himself to making a difference. Now we have a
short, focused book on what he has been learning over the past
decade. ‘Instructional leadership’ is a crystal-clear treatise on
‘mindful moments’ organized around six principles. If you want to
know what instructional leadership is—and, equally importantly,
what it is not—this is the book for you. Clear models, guiding
questions and insights, and a to-do list that will have you leaning
toward action from page 1. Read it, use it, and tell your
friends.
*Michael Fullan*
Instructional leadership is something that we strive to foster in
ourselves as well as those around us because we know, as leaders,
it is the type of leadership that leads to the most significant
impact on student success. This is not an easy task, as many of us
do not fully understand what it means to be an instructional leader
or how to successfully grow in that area. In this book, highly
acclaimed author and consultant Peter DeWitt guides readers down
the path to understanding and becoming an instructional leader
through ideas that are grounded in research and presented with the
aid of outstanding practical examples and models. If you are ready
to begin your journey toward instructional leadership, this book is
an excellent place to start!
*Heath Peine*
DeWitt brings the heart of a true leader to every sentence in this
book. He illuminates important leadership concepts about
instruction, social-emotional learning, and
collective efficacy with a humanity that allows us to see the
potential we hold. DeWitt matches the courage to lead with the
tools to do so and, in the process, lets readers see how coherence
and clarity drive the growth of students and adults.
*Nancy Frey*
Blending personal experience, research, and observations acquired
through coaching others, DeWitt offers important insights and
practical guidance to school leaders aspiring to improve their
students’ life chances.
*Kenneth Leithwood*
DeWitt’s Instructional Leadership: Creating Practice out of Theory
provides practical solutions to the challenges of being an
instructional leader within an educational system not designed to
meet the needs of all students. It provides a clear and concise
program logic model that I will be using to broaden the impact of
our initiatives. This book inspires us and gives us tools to engage
teachers and students to co-create inclusive and supportive
learning environments that will support our efforts to achieve
equity in our schools.
*Blanca Baltazar-Sabbah*
Instructional Leadership provides actionable research-based methods
to help teams move the needle as instructional leaders in a
concrete way. It feels as though Peter is coaching you through the
process as you learn to utilize the tools provided to make your
schools successful. A perfect choice for principals, assistant
superintendents, and superintendents!
*Mary Ann Bryan*
Peter DeWitt’s conversational writing style will engage all
leaders. He is knowledgeable and confident in writing about
leadership, as he has been there, done the work successfully, and
now writes about ‘living in’ the instructional leadership role.
DeWitt challenges us to be reflective about the strategies that we
collaboratively discern make a difference to attain all students’
growth and achievement. His thinking is clear about what leaders
must do to move all students forward. Most importantly DeWitt gives
us the tools, like his comprehensive logic model, pithy
myth-busters, real-life vignettes, reflective questions and mindful
moments, to do the work together. This inspirational book is a
must-read for all aspiring and seasoned leaders. DeWitt convinces
us that leadership which makes a difference is doable,
personalizing his content with narrative from his own lived
experiences as a leader.
*Lyn Sharratt*
This book is well-timed in a world where school leaders are
expected to be instructional leaders but also building managers.
Peter understands that being an instructional leader is
complicated, and this book has both challenged and reinforced my
thinking around my leadership practices. His experience as a
principal allows him to identify the many challenges and the
important impact of instructional leadership on student
achievement. He recognizes that, due to our competing
responsibilities as leaders, we cannot be expected to focus solely
on instructional leadership, yet we can set aside some time to
focus on it. As leaders, we decide how much and when, but we need
to commit to it to make it a part of our leadership time. This book
helps identify the key components we need as leaders, as well as
structures that will help us make a positive impact. It is a
fantastic read if you are looking to find ways to balance
the competing challenges of a leadership position. Thank you,
Peter, for inspiring my instructional leadership as I begin my 17th
year as a principal.
*Dave Westway*
Peter DeWitt sets out to connect research and practice—and he has
succeeded! The two are interwoven superbly, resulting in a book
that is both practical and wise. The chapters dig deeper into the
meaning and practices of instructional leadership in ways that are
relevant to an international readership.
*Elaine Munthe*
From his personal experience and urgency, Peter wrote this
wonderful book about Instructional Leadership, as a practical ‘how
to achieve the necessary impact’, with very helpful Program Logic
Models. I especially loved the Mindful Moments and the Student
Voice Questions, because this is how I came to know Peter: a person
with a very large focus on the impact on students learning. To wrap
it all up this books gives you a Reflection Framework to keep you
going.
*Monique van den Heuvel*
In his latest book, Peter provides practical ideas for how to
implement instructional leadership strategies in a school, for
principals with all levels of experience. It is a go-to resource
that everyone should have on hand. Instructional Leadership is full
of concrete ideas to start implementing instructional leadership
the way it should be, with the ultimate goal of improving teaching
strategies and having an impact on student learning.
*Marie-France Crête*
Peter DeWitt provides tremendous context and understanding of what
principals face today each day in meeting the demands of educating
all students. He provides an excellent framework and
practical applications to move leadership from managerial to
authentic instructional leadership. He gives in-depth advice and
strategies to improve the work and efficacy of school
leadership. His use of mindful moments, student voice
questions, study guide questions, and reflection allows each reader
to look at their practice and challenge the norm.
Instructional Leadership: The What, Why and How is a
must-read for all school leaders.
*Peter D. Marano*
I have never read an educative book that was so
compelling. What makes this book so powerful is that it
tackles every challenge from various angels, as the perspective of
the teacher and the student are taken into account as well. Not
only would I advise every principal to read this book, but also
every other member of the team as it gives the reader a profound
understanding of what instructional leadership entails, what it
should look like, and how it can effectively be implemented.
Instructional leadership encompasses all the right ingredients that
can help lead any school toward success.
*Charly Boerboom*
Peter Dewitt’s approach to instructional leadership takes what
sometimes feels as a hugely overwhelming and sometimes
unsustainable task into a bite-size framework. Each chapter’s
content and mindful moments provide practical guidance and
encourages purposeful reflection. This book is a must read for
principals who are seeking best practices for effective
instructional leadership in an ever-evolving and busy role.
*Crystal Haskins*
Peter DeWitt’s Instructional Leadership book is a perfect balance
between theory and practice. As a principal, these two elements are
essential for the implementation of the instructional leadership
model, which includes implementation, focus for learning, student
engagement, instructional strategies, collective efficacy, and
understanding impact through evidence. Instructional Leadership
also offers a framework to use with building and district
leadership teams. For example, each chapter lends itself to taking
a deeper dive with the components using lenses such as student
voice and mindfulness moments. Peter’s Instructional Leadership
work has inspired and motivated me to develop sustainable habits to
be an instructional leader for my school community.
*Susan Inman*
Peter′s newest book answers key questions for any school
administrator interested in the what, why, and how of instructional
leadership. With its focus on defining a common language and
common understanding, the inclusion of a logic model, research, and
clear examples from practice this book is a must-read for any
leader engaged in the implementation of practices to positively
impact student learning!
*Trista Hollweck*
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