ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a description of the current national assessment context including the impact of the standards movement, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the role of the art teacher in the assessment process. It discusses the expressive learning environment including the reform effort, the problem of selecting appropriate test measures, the quantification of qualitative learning, and art learning standards. The book describes the activities of the Illinois project, which focused mostly on the development of electronic formats for portfolio design. It explains the Florida project which focuses mainly on the assessment of student art portfolios and on the in-service training of teachers in curriculum development and in art studio practice. The book also reviews the Indiana project directed by Robert Sabol conducted both the studio and curriculum training of teachers and, in addition, the assessment of teacher, student, and artist attitudes.
