The state dept. of education has set the standards for art instruction for each grade level. This is the fourth grade standards, benchmarks, and indicators. While I don't expect every parent to be interested in this information, it is presented here to illustrate the high regard the state of Ohio has for visual art and the expectations for what Ohio art teachers must strive to accomplish. Thus far, there is no state standardized test for visual art.

State of Ohio Visual Arts Standards

Content Standard: Creative Expression and Communication: Students create artworks that demonstrate understanding of materials, processes, tools, media, techniques, and available technology. They understand how to use art elements, principles, and images to communicate their ideas in a variety of visual forms.

Benchmark: A. Demonstrate knowledge of visual art materials, tools, techniques and processes by using them expressively and skillfully.

Identify and select art materials, tools, and processes to achieve specific purposes in their artworks.

a. control a variety of materials, tools, techniques, and processes, and subjects while creating works of art

b. make informed choices in using materials, tools, techniques, procedures, structures, processes, and subject when creating, assessing, or revising art works.

c. prove through their own work that artists make choices that impact the communication of an idea

d. explore and expand the range of possibilities that materials and procedures have and apply to the making of art forms

Benchmark B: Use the elements and principals of art as a means to express ideas, emotions and experiences

a. discuss their artworks in terms of line, shape, color, texture, and composition

b. initiate and use strategies to solve visual problems; construct three-dimensional art objects that have structural integrity and a sense of completeness

c. connect ideas, materials, processes, and techniques while creating works of art

Benchmark C: Develop and select a range of subject matter and ideas to communicate meaning in two-and three-dimensional works of art

a. create a narrative image that expresses an event from personal experience

Benchmark D: Recognize and use ongoing assessment to revise and improve the quality of original artwork

a. give and receive constructive feedback to produce artworks that meet learning goals

Content Standard: Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts: Students understand the impact of visual art on the history, culture and society from which it emanates. They understand the cultural, social and political forces that, in turn, shape visual art communication and expression. Students identify the significant contributions of visual artists to cultural heritage. They analyze the historical, cultural, social and political contexts that influence the function and role of visual art in the lives of people.

Benchmark A: recognize and describe visual art forms and artworks from various times and places

a. Identify and describe artwork from various cultural/ethnic groups that settled in Ohio over time

b. create artworks using procedures borrowed from other cultures

c. adapt a technique, process or arts form from another cultural group to produce artwork which is relevant to the individual or to her/his cultural group

Benchmark B: Identify art forms, visual ideas and images and describe how they are influenced by time and culture

a. compare and contrast art forms from different cultures and their own cultures

b. discover how a group's beliefs and values are reflected in its arts forms and stylistic choices

Benchmark C: Identify and describe the different purposes people have for creating works of art

a. select an Ohio artist and explain how the artist's work relates to Ohio history

Benchmark D: Place selected visual art exemplars (artists, art objects or works of art) chronologically in the history of Ohio, the United States, or North America and describe how they contribute to and reflect the time period

a. Construct a simple timeline that places selected artists and their works next to historical events in the same time period

Content Standard: Analyzing and Responding: Students identify and discriminate themes, media, subject matter and formal technical and expressive aspects in works of art. They understand and use the vocabulary of art criticism to describe visual features, analyze relationships and interpret meanings in works of art. Students make judgments about the quality of works of art using the appropriate criteria

Benchmark A: Identify and describe the visual features and characteristics in works of art

a. compare and contrast how art elements and principles are used in selected artworks to express ideas and communicate meaning

b. work with various collections to discover the distinguishing characteristics of the sets

Benchmark B: Apply comprehension strategies (personal experience, art knowledge, emotion and perceptual and reasoning skills) to respond to a range of visual artworks

a. explain the function and purpose (utilitarian, decorative, social and personal) of selected art objects

b. describe how artists use symbols and imagery to convey meaning in culturally representative works

c. identify the steps or strategies used to create a work of art, analyze the historical and cultural contexts of existing art forms

d. consider and discuss the study, imagination, time, personal reflection, evaluation, creativity, commitment of labor, and effort in developing an idea into a work of art

Benchmark C: Contribute to the development of criteria for discussing and judging works of art

a. develop and expand arts vocabulary while discussing and writing about works of art

b. develop an openness to informed opinions and ideas that differ from their own

Content Standard: Valuing the Arts/Aesthetic Reflection: Students understand why people value visual art. They present their beliefs about the nature and significance of selected artworks and the reasons for holding these beliefs. Students reflect on and respect diverse points of view about artworks and artifacts

Benchmark A: Apply basic reasoning skills to understand why works of art are made and valued

a. explain how works of art can reflect the beliefs, attitudes and traditions of the artist

Benchmark B: Form their own opinions and views about works of art and discuss them with others

a. support their viewpoints about selected works of art with examples from the work

Benchmark C: Distinguish and describe the aesthetic qualities in works of art.

a. describe the successful use of one expressive element in an artwork, using sensory details and descriptive language