What is the stated goal of the ASCA National Model regarding student competencies?

• A. Increasing the number of students who graduate from high school and go on to post-secondary options
• B. Meeting the developmental needs of students and articulating grade-level benchmarks
• C. Helping all students to maximize their academic, career, and personal/social development.
• D. Addressing transitional issues that students encounter in school.

Answer: (C)

The main concept here is the overall goal guiding the ASCA National Model's student competencies. The best answer reflects that school counseling aims to help every student maximize three interconnected areas: academic development, career development, and personal/social development. This universal focus ensures that all students receive support to succeed academically, plan for the future, and grow socially and emotionally, rather than concentrating on a single outcome or a narrower set of needs.

Other options touch on important educational aims, but they don’t capture the model’s comprehensive objective. Increasing graduation rates or post-secondary options describes outcomes rather than the broad developmental aim. Meeting developmental needs and articulating grade-level benchmarks refers to standards and developmental considerations, not the full three-domain development focus. Addressing transitional issues is part of the counselor role but is not the overarching stated goal.