In the past decade of educational reform, there has been one astounding accomplishment: The federal and state governments and the private sector have recommended and adopted policies to advance the visual and performing arts as essential to a comprehensive education. The goals created by the president and the governors of all 50 states for American education now include the arts. Goals 2000 and other legislation have provided funding for arts education. The National Assessment for Educational Progress has adopted a policy to assess the arts each decade. These exemplary policies and resources for arts education are evidence of an educational direction aimed at the graduation of students who are artistically literate. However, several studies have revealed that there are serious flaws in some arts education policies. In this article, the author examines several of them. He focuses on issues such as content standards for the arts, the importance of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), gateway policies for K-12 students, and arts study and college admissions. (Contains 1 note.)