Four Schools Earn State School Counseling Award

Four Delaware schools have earned the 2025-26 Sapphire Award for Excellence in School Counseling, a recognition that honors school counseling programs that are comprehensive, data-informed, and designed to serve each and every student.
This year's honorees are:
• Mount Pleasant High School (Brandywine School District)
• Brader Elementary School (Christina School District)
• Thurgood Marshall Elementary School (Christina School District)
• Laurel Intermediate School (Laurel School District)

Now in its sixth year, the Sapphire Award celebrates school counseling programs that not only provide individual student support, but also build school-wide systems to improve academic outcomes, raise graduation rates and boost attendance.
"These schools show what happens when counseling is part of the core program, not an add-on," Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said. "Counselors use real data to spot barriers early and make sure every student is seen, supported and on a path to success."

Data-Driven Impact Stories

• Mt. Pleasant High School - Counselors Rachel Herskowitz, Jeanne Beadle, Della Schweiger, and Iman Turner focus on students at risk of not promoting to 10th grade. Through small group interventions focused on goal setting and career planning, they saw a 20% increase in students staying on track, proving how counseling can support academic recovery and motivate learners.

• Brader Elementary - Counselor Alexis Ridgeway used disaggregated data to uncover discipline disparities among male special education students. By implementing restorative practices, behavior support plans, and targeted counseling, the school was able to see a 17% decrease in suspensions and improved classroom engagement.

• Thurgood Marshall Elementary - Counselors Martina Fontana-Daguerre and Jessica DiRienzo introduced "Fixed Freddie" and "Growth Gretchen" lessons to teach students about growth mindsets. Following the lessons, 96% of students said they believed they could improve in areas they once struggled with, which is a critical step in building academic resilience.

• Laurel Intermediate - Counselor Tracie Dutton designed gender-specific counseling groups in grades 5 and 6 - anger management for boys and conflict resolution for girls - focused on behavior-based barriers to learning. The result: behavioral referrals dropped by 26%, keeping more students learning and connected to school while improving school climate.

"Achievement doesn't happen by accident - it happens by design," Marten added. "Counselors create the systems that make success possible: fair access to challenging classes, timely interventions, and caring adults who know each student by name, by strength, and by need. When they unlock each student's genius, they open doors to opportunity."

A Model for the Future of Delaware

Delaware's Sapphire Award winners show that when school counseling is fully integrated into a school's academic mission, students succeed and thrive, not just academically. These programs are the proof points that show what happens when schools invest is systemic counseling supports, the outcome is higher achievement, better school climate and stronger futures.