How do we prevent the systematic loss of the hard-won professional learning of school leaders from
their daily practice?

The LIDERA Initiative is a binational Chile–U.S. collaboration dedicated to advancing evidence-based
school leadership through a research-practice partnership. Launched in its Foundations Phase and in pilot
work with Chilean NGO’s Impulso Docente and ChileMass, the initiative is building a professional
infrastructure designed to capture, refine, and circulate leadership expertise at scale. LIDERA utilizes a
three-pronged approach: immersive, simulation-based learning; Social Network Analysis (SNA) to map
and strengthen expert knowledge sharing; and systematic knowledge capture/curation to transform
fragmented, tacit professional judgment into shared, actionable tools matched to the needs of frontline
leaders.

The National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching (NCREST) at Teachers College,
Columbia University, serves as a primary academic collaborator in this initiative. Building from its
domestic and international experience, NCREST provides foundational research and methodological
expertise necessary to analyze how professional judgment evolves within complex educational contexts.
By integrating NCREST’s rigorous research with practical school leadership networks, LIDERA ensures
that the professional learning developed is both evidence-based and translatable into sustained capacity
for educational improvement. Ultimately, the partnership aims to empower principals to make better-
informed decisions that foster more equitable learning environments for millions of students
If you are interested or have any questions – please email Dr. Mike Johanek
at mcj2009@tc.columbia.edu.