Research & evidence

Rooted in research.
Built for relationships.

The evidence is strong, and easy to connect to daily practice.

MARIO is grounded in what works: strong teacher–student relationships, structured 1:1 conversations, and evidence-informed implementation that fits real school routines. We make the research easy to understand and easy to act on.

[ Photo — students and educators learning together ]
Students and educators in a classroom
Brand-aligned stock (Pexels). Swap for a licensed or owned photo before publish.

Headline findings

0.91
Cohen’s d, top 5% of educational interventions (NASEN-published)
99%+
of students reported feeling more supported (MARIO research)
95%
of educators said MARIO training improved their relationships with students

Effect sizes this large are rare in education — a signal the approach reliably changes outcomes, not just measurement. Read the NASEN study, co-authored with Dr. Katie Novak →

  • A six-year retrospective study, co-authored with Dr. Katie Novak (Novak Education), published by NASEN.
  • Professional learning accredited for graduate credit by the University of San Diego.

New evidence

An independent study with the University of Essex

An independent University of Essex study examining the efficacy of MARIO’s structured 1:1 conversations is now complete, with publication forthcoming. We’ll link the findings here as soon as they’re released.

Build note: add the citation/link once published; the 95% educator figure is pending final source confirmation.

Request the full research summary →

Bring the evidence to your next board conversation

We’ll help you connect the research to what it looks like in your school.

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