Assessment in Arts Education

Book excerpt: With the current emphases on standards and evidence-based learning, it's time to revisit the question of whether standards liberate or stifle excellence in arts education. Assessment in Arts Education examines the pressing issues that educators everywhere and at all levels face as they make determinations about progress and achievement in the arts. Assessment in Arts Education critiques the application of standards in arts education and the extent to which benchmarks and attainment levels are practically and educationally sensible. It opens up an interdisciplinary discussion on arts-education assessment and provides helpful advice for thinking about assessment and evaluation. Leaders in drama, music, dance, and the visual arts detail how they've navigated the issues around assessment and tackled tough questions such as: How do assessment models shape teaching in the arts? How much guidance should standards provide for arts educators? Who benefits from national and local assessment standards in the arts? What contributions have standards made to the teaching of the creative arts? Meet standards and assessment head on. Read Assessment in Arts Education and find evidence not only of how your students think and learn, but of how the entire community of arts educators has considered and acted on the demands of these educational times.