Developing Assessment Methods to Benefit Middle School Art Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine what assessment rubrics middle school art students find most beneficial. The need for more reliable and effective assessment tools for visual arts teachers is addressed. Literature is reviewed on the risks and benefits of assessment in art education; the variety of assessment strategies that are available for art teachers; and how to design a scoring rubric, which is the most common assessment strategy used among art teachers. Eighth-grade art students in Massachusetts were surveyed to determine which of three rubrics were most helpful to them. The results allow art teachers to better understand how to communicate students’ grades through rubrics, how much information to include in rubrics, and students’ preferred rubric formats. This study can help art teachers develop rubrics that are consistent with what students find most useful and maximize the benefits that assessment can provide to art students.