Considers the impact of testing on art education if it is conducted as a means to legitimate art studies. Concludes that some new art programs may be buying into a system that has produced an educational structure which alienates young people. Concludes that testing will contribute to lower levels of cognition. (GEA)

This article describes how recent changes in public support for art have diversified and expanded the role of art in everyday life. Maintains that this new presence of art in society has created the need for revitalizing art education. (JDH)

This article examines why both the individual-centered and discipline-centered approaches to art education lack social relevance. Maintains that the lack of a social orientation in these two approaches is due to our social context and our capitalistic system. Proposes that democratic principles serve as the basis of a socially relevant,…

Studio art education is being affected by dramatic changes in the art world, including the development of a postmodern aesthetic, the use of video cameras as artistic tools, the availability of better and cheaper computers for generating graphic images, and the development of alternative galleries. (IS)

The author looks back at the way she learned about art as a fourth grader in the 1930s and compares it to the sophisticated art programs of today. She concludes that she may have learned as much about art from just casual observation as art students do today. (RM)

Students in elementary art programs, designed using Utah's new official art guide "Art Is Elementary," demonstrated significant gains in cognitive achievement compared with students in regular art classes. The new art guide changed the focus of art teaching from a projects approach to an emphasis upon valid art concepts. (RM)

Suggestions for reforming K-12 art education are made. The arts must be seen as basic, not as extracurricular activities. Arts in the general education curriculum should teach content, concepts, and critical appreciation skills. An interdisciplinary approach to the arts should be used. (RM)

An art class for future elementary teachers was asked to select art activities for classroom demonstration. Eighty percent selected how-to-do-it, single shot, fun-therapy, manipulations with short-term success orientations. This emphasis on the superficial and frivolous aspects of art shows the need for reexamining elementary art education…

A review of reports, a survey, and national assessments of art education shows that visual art students are not learning art knowledge and skills because art teachers do not teach art appreciation, art history, or design and drawing skills. Priorities concerning art education content and teaching methods must be changed. (RM)

The College Board's report "Academic Preparation for College" (APC) claims that study and performance in the arts are essential for success in college. Discussed are the APC report and its development, the APC arts statement and its evolution, and problems and prospects for implementation of the arts competencies. (RM)

Teacher education in the visual arts in Canada has passed through a creative, golden age and is now in a critical period. The expansionist period of the 1960s and 1970s has passed, giving way to cutbacks and restraints. Possible scenarios are discussed. (RM)

It is important to understand the biological, psychological, and social pressures facing modern adolescents in order to use art education as a uniting force in the evolution of education. These pressures are discussed and the role of art as a catalyst in adolescents' total education is examined. (IS)

The Depression of 1929 heralded a difficult time for the teaching of art. Changes during this era included more utilization of technology, a shift from elitism to art for all children, integration of art into the social studies curriculum, and emphasis upon self-expression, rather than art appreciation. (CS)