standards for arts education

What Are the Standards for Arts Education?

"Standards" in American education define what students should know and be able to do in any given academic discipline. National standards in the arts (dance, music, theater, visual arts) have been developed to provide a guide and resource to states and school districts that want to develop their own standards.

• National Standards for Arts Education were developed in 1994 by experts in education and the arts. They describe what a child with a complete, sequential education in the arts should know and be able to do at various grade levels in each artistic discipline. The 1997 National Assessment for Educational Progress was developed in coordination with these national standards.
• State Standards for Arts Education. Most states have standards in place for arts education and others are still in the process of developing arts standards. State-by-state summaries of arts education standards and other policies are available, as are your state's specific standards in arts education as of fall 2001. Of the states that have completed arts standards, almost half mandate that local districts implement them. In the other states, the standards are voluntary. Most sets of standards are for dance, music, theater, and visual art and for all grades, but this varies from state to state and district to district.