Visual arts education is committed to goals that advocate excellence, equity and inclusivity for all learners through differentiated educational opportunities, resources, communities and systems of support. A successful art education program respects a range of diversity in the uniqueness of all learners, their similarities, differences, and learning characteristics. Included in the range of diversity are learners who are underserved, typically these include marginalized identities around race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status/class, and disability/ability.

Art educators should incorporate learners’ prior knowledge and experience into practice by respecting and valuing their learners’ unique strengths through creating equitable learning environments. Instructional materials should present diverse populations as role models in various aspects of the visual arts. To this end, instruction and assessment should be designed so that all learners, based on their abilities and backgrounds, are afforded opportunities to communicate what they know, understand, and are able to do through the visual arts.

[Adopted March 2012; Reviewed 2015; Reviewed and Revised March 2020]