The purpose of this booklet is to draw attention to the need for a serious visual arts education program, to describe the experiences of seven school districts that are developing such programs, and to discuss the factors and issues involved in revitalizing visual arts instruction. An introductory section summarizes findings from a study in which seven selected school districts were analyzed to identify crucial characteristics of discipline-based art education programs. In the first section, "Art as Language: Its Place in the Schools," Ernest L. Boyer presents a rationale for art education, highlighting the need to include art making, art criticism, art history, and aesthetics in the art curriculum. The second section, "Art is Fundamental," is followed by an essay "The Signals of Art to the Workplace" (William F. Kieschnick), which considers how serious and continuing encounters with art can help individuals become more innovative and "ambiguity-tolerant." The fourth section, "Learning Art: Sketches of Art Education in America's Schools," presents case studies of each of the schools included in the study. The fifth section identifies critical elements in changing art education. The title of the sixth section is "Why Art in Education and Why Art Education" (Elliot W. Eisner). Conclusions are presented in the final chapter, "Moving toward Discipline-Based Art Education," by the Rand Corporation. (LH)