Visual and performing arts are transcending the strict disciplinary borders of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by offering significant connections within these subject areas. Serving as a guide to STEAM-based education, this book investigates how these disciplines coalesce to enrich pedagogical practices by offering a wide…

As a visual arts educator in teacher education, the author is aware of the complexity of assessing art at the primary level. Most authorities recommend a formative style of assessment for art, but how can this work in practice in the primary classroom? This paper focuses on the perspectives and experiences of the child. It defines the…

Self-assessment is crucial to visual art learning. Firstly, because the art experience is personalized, any external assessment is insufficient and deficient; secondly, because an individual's creativity is inexhaustible, any acquired criteria of assessment are too static for an open-ended process that is multidirectional and with infinite…

The National Art Education Association (NAEA) believes, given the research on employment trends and, anticipating that a variety of new career opportunities will emerge over time, that visual arts education is essential to every learner's educational foundation and training for future employment in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.…

This White Paper offers a framework for art educators to evaluate the alignment of their assessment methods and goals/objectives for student learning. This effort is an attempt to develop "understandable guidelines" for classroom assessment, specifically attending to the issue of validity. Assessments are valid insofar as they produce…

The 1994 National Standards for Arts Education were succeeded by a new generation of standards published in 2014 by the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS). This iteration of voluntary standards provided a new foundation for designing curriculum for visual arts education. The design of the standards utilized the curriculum model…

Educators in the visual arts and other disciplines have long been advocates for portfolio development and assessment strategies that showcase advanced high school students' highest levels of achievement as well as their longitudinal growth in authentic ways. At the time of this research study, Advanced Placement (AP) art teachers in three…

This White Paper provides a selection of some general principles of assessment or overarching ideas that may guide educators in selecting, developing, and implementing assessments of students' learning at all instructional levels or educational settings in which they are used. These principles represent a framework for understanding the nature of…

The National Art Education Association (NAEA) believes there is a symbiotic relationship between a supported high-quality visual arts education program and a positive school culture and climate. The fundamental context for a school-based visual arts education program requires effective educators who are certified/licensed in visual art and…

Teacher education programs in 40 states require teacher candidates working toward visual art certification to take edTPA, a high-stakes summative performance assessment developed by Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity (SCALE) and distributed by Pearson's Evaluations Systems (Pearson Education, 2018). Since its implementation in…

In three broad sections--Foundations, Pedagogies, and Contemporary Issues--the editors and chapter authors of "Connecting Creativity Research and Practice in Art Education" articulate the significance of reconsidering creativity as a crucial dimension of art education research and practice today. This book represents a groundbreaking…

"Design Standards for School Art Facilities" is an invaluable resource for any school or school district looking to build new facilities for the visual arts or renovate existing ones. Discover detailed information about spaces for the breadth of media used in the visual arts. Photographs illustrate all types of features including…

Fully updated to reflect current issues in the field of art education. Checklists embedded in charts allow users to indicate where their school or district stands in relation to the criteria--which has been expanded to include district wide, elementary, middle, high school, and superior standards. The criteria within the checklists reflect…

The arts disciplines (visual arts, music, theatre, and dance) merit and require formal study. Policy makers should support studies in the arts as core disciplines, as specified in the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)," the federal legislation that sets policy and appropriations for public education. The arts merit and…

The National Art Education Association (NAEA) is committed to ensuring student access to a highly qualified, certified visual arts educator in every K-12 public school across the United States, recognizing that effective arts instruction is a core component to a 21st-century education. "Standards for Art Teacher Preparation" represents the…