Collective Leader Efficacy

In this excellent book, Peter DeWitt demonstrates how instructional leadership teams can have a greater impact on student learning. Offering a balance between research and practice, DeWitt shows, for example, how the mindsets both of individuals and of their teams can help them meet challenges and achieve that impact. As an experienced teacher, principal, worldwide consultant, and writer, DeWitt speaks with authority and wisdom. -- Carol Dweck * Stanford, CA * Collective efficacy has a powerful impact on leaders, teachers, and students, but it is hard to implement. DeWitt teases out the key skillsets and mindsets needed: understanding one another, collaborating, and evaluating impact. He addresses the critics and shows more than a correlation of successful students and teachers; DeWitt proves that actively implementing a culture of collective efficacy leads to higher levels of satisfaction, greater impact on students, and successful implementation across the school. This is not only a ""how to"" book, but also is grounded firmly in evidence, and a pleasure to read. -- John Hattie * Melbourne, Victoria, Australia * Insightful and practical—this book is a must read for formal and informal school leaders as well as leadership teams who aspire to improve outcomes for all students. DeWitt combines research and field experience in order to demonstrate specific ways to strengthen commitment, collaboration, and confidence among members of leadership teams in schools. This book is timely, relevant, and an important contribution to the literature on collective efficacy. -- Jenni Donohoo Instructional leadership teams play a vital role in supporting learning in schools. They are especially important during this time of rapidly changing expectations. In this book, Peter DeWitt applies the theory of collective efficacy to these instructional leadership teams, outlining eight important contributors. Including student councils as part of a school’s leadership is a fresh new approach. -- Megan Tschannen-Moran * Williamsburg, VA * This book will challenge leaders and make a difference for children. It offers a pragmatic, research-based approach to building the collective efficacy of leaders in all roles in a school with intention and commitment to relationship building, collaboration, data collection, and action research toward measurable outcomes. The pandemic pivot highlighted the need for collective leader efficacy as foundational and essential in responding to the changing parameters and dynamics of our new reality in education. It will likely never look the same and this is the right focus at the perfect time. The skills are built toward the development of a theory of action model logically and on the shoulders of great practitioners and scholars. The learning, digesting, and applying to practice model is transformative. The contributors to CLE are clear and built on the foundation of mindset and well-being. In that environment, the other contributors are enhanced. -- Janice White * Troy, NY * Collective leader efficacy is a new concept that Peter proposes to consider how leadership teams can work together to make a difference in the lives of students. While there are many books on the nature and change of school leadership, this book makes a difference with its practitioner-oriented approach. Not only does it propose a new concept that extends our thinking on leadership towards its collective impact, but it sets out the individual dimensions that shape this practice in a very practical way. For each dimension that contributes to collective leader efficacy, it lays out the theory of change, provides bibliographical resources, guiding questions and activities that educational leaders can use to reflect on how to improve their practice. A very practical resource for educational leaders internationally which is valuable in the current times of uncertainty and change -- Beatriz Pont * Senior Education Policy Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills, Paris, France * DeWitt straddles the ground between collective efficacy, instructional leadership, and distributed leadership. The book is packed to the rafters with practical exercises, tools, and protocols that will help you to get (meaningfully) busy at enhancing the learning lives and well-being of children. You will not be handed silver bullets or magic beans, but you will find much to support deep impact. -- Arran Hamilton * Group Director, Education Cognition Education Ltd., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia * We have known for quite some time that collective teacher efficacy is a powerful influence on student learning. Before we can expect teachers to focus on building their capability though, we first need school leaders and leadership teams that believe that: 1) this is possible; 2) it is their responsibility to nurture, and; 3) have the skills and capabilities to do so. Put simply we need Collective Leader Efficacy! In this book, Peter DeWitt draws upon research and personal practice to create a compelling narrative in support of deliberately and intentionally building collective leader efficacy (CLE). This is a book I will be both referring to and recommending to colleagues well into the future. -- Timothy O’Leary * Former School Leader, Education Consultant * As a researcher, academic and experienced school leader, DeWitt offers a refreshing approach and insight into leadership in schools. The structure of the chapters takes you on the journey of learning, experience and always draws it back to key questions/reflections and actionable steps. DeWitt presents models in clear language to meet all busy school leaders. He gets it. He understands the complexities and multiple relationships in schools. This book is highly suitable for any school leader in any country. Many leadership books can leave you inspired but with no idea or time to apply it. This book is different—you will be inspired and empowered to leave with strategies, models, and activities that actually work! -- Anne-Marie Duguid * Director Empowering Education Partnership, London, UK *