NEA Assessment of Student Learning in the Arts

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With the creation of national standards for arts learning in the 1990’s, assessment of student learning in the arts has become critical for providers of arts instruction throughout the country. Through the Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth category, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awards millions of dollars each year to support arts education projects that include many forms of assessment designed to measure student learning and program effectiveness. Applicants are required to describe their assessment plans in their proposed projects. However, creating, identifying, and implementing effective assessment tools that support quality arts instruction can be a challenge. Arts educators who provide instruction in schools and communities are looking for models of assessment in all art forms. Through this project, the Arts Endowment seeks to collect and analyze information on current practices and trends in the assessment of K-12 student learning in the arts and to identify models that might be most effective in various learning environments. Upon completion of this project, the Arts Endowment may consider support for a followup project to disseminate the results gathered here broadly to the arts education field in ways that could help advance the state of student assessment in this country. Scope of Work The purpose of this Program Solicitation is to select an organization (Cooperator) to carry out this project. In brief, the Cooperator will: 1) Identify and review research, articles, publications, Web sites, and other resources and materials that focus on assessment of K-12 student learning in the arts that occurs in a variety of settings such as arts and cultural organizations; public, private, and charter schools; community organizations, etc. Supplement the literature review with other research as appropriate. 2) With input from leaders in the area of assessment of student learning, identify those forms of assessment (both formative and summative) that hold particular promise in various arts learning environments. 3) Develop a compendium of assessment practices showing the various environments in which particular methods and practices might be most effective. 4) Provide findings to the Arts Endowment in the form of a written report and Web site material. 5) Provide recommendations on ways in which the Arts Endowment can help improve the state of assessment of K-12 student learning in the arts. The Cooperator will work closely with the NEA Project Director on all phases of this project.

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