Marzano Research
Meet Carrie Serio
Carrie Serio is an Education Improvement Specialist at Marzano Research with two decades of experience spanning classroom teaching, instructional coaching, and district leadership. Her passion for school improvement—especially around literacy—shines through her work, where she supports schools and districts in translating research and best practices into actionable strategies. Originally from New Hampshire and now living in Southern California, Serio brings both heart and expertise to every initiative she touches.
Q: What excites you most about working at Marzano Research?
A: What excites me most about working at Marzano Research is the opportunity to bridge research and practice in meaningful ways. With my background in literacy and instructional coaching, I’m passionate about supporting educators in translating evidence into classroom-ready strategies. I’m energized by the chance to contribute to projects that directly impact student outcomes and elevate educator capacity across many contexts.
Q: Can you tell us about your current work on a Marzano Research project?
A: One of the projects I’m currently working on is a Special Education Systems Review. This work is especially meaningful because it’s designed to support the district in understanding and improving how they serve their learners with disabilities. My role involves collaborating with district leaders to gather and analyze data to build a comprehensive picture of the district’s special education systems. We use this data to guide school and district teams through strategic decision-making to help educators turn evidence into actionable, lasting improvements.
Q: Could you share a recent success at Marzano Research you played a part in?
A: A recent success I’m proud to have contributed to is our multi-year partnership with Converse County School District #1 in Wyoming. This work exemplifies Marzano Research’s mission to support educators through evidence-based systems transformation. I’ve supported this work by delivering professional development and coaching to support a districtwide alignment of literacy and MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) from PreK–12.
One major success has been the co-development and implementation of high-leverage instructional tools and frameworks—including an Instructional Playbook, Literacy and MTSS Frameworks, and an Instructional Cycle Framework. Additionally, I supported data literacy initiatives through the 5D Data Analysis Process and helped build the capacity of instructional coaches and leadership teams to sustain success through continuous improvement cycles.
This collaboration has led to a more coherent instructional system, increased educator capacity, and actionable district guidelines that ensure lasting impact for students and teachers alike.
Q: What do you find most meaningful about your work?
A: What I find most meaningful about my work is the opportunity to support educators in creating learning environments where all students can thrive. Helping districts design coherent systems, align resources, and build educator capacity is deeply human work. It’s about listening, collaborating, and empowering schools to make sustainable changes that impact real students every day.
Q: What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve received?
A: When I was serving as an instructional coach, a beloved principal encouraged me to “water my roses.” She was reminding me to intentionally invest time and energy into the teachers and relationships that were positive and growing, rather than focusing all of my attention on convincing others to engage in coaching cycles. This advice has stayed with me as a reminder of the power of positive relationships and intentionality.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
A: I’ve never been to Japan but would love to travel there with my family.
Q: What’s your go-to weekend activity?
A: The beach! I haven’t always lived close to the coast, so now that I do, I try to take full advantage and enjoy it as much as possible.
Read more about Carrie Serio and her role at Marzano Research.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
