Portfolio assessment of multicultural counseling competency

Portfolio assessment is an alternate approach to the measurement of multicultural counseling competency. Most approaches to the assessment of multicultural counseling competency have focused on the development of point-in-time instruments that determine the degree to which an individual has acquired the awareness, knowledge, and skills associated with being a multiculturally competent counselor. A portfolio assessment encourages the learner to present concrete evidence that demonstrates his or her current level of multicultural counseling competency. This approach can be effective at both identifying the level of multicultural counseling competency for purposes of evaluation and for stimulating the development of further competence. The strengths and weaknesses of this approach to assessment of multicultural counseling competency are also discussed.