Arts education and its assessment are discussed, with particular emphasis on the visual arts. Suggestions are made concerning the role of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in the arts. The curriculum which is presented in art education varies a great deal among schools. The assessment of art should include production, perception, and artistic thinking. Previous NAEP test items focused on perception and response to aspects of art, valuing of the arts, production in the arts, and knowledge about art. About three-fourths of the NAEP items require verbal responses. Items involving the evaluation of art and production are more valuable than items assessing attitudes about art. More performance items are recommended. About 20 tests measuring artistic perception and knowledge are briefly described, as are the qualitative methods of responsive evaluation, connoisseurship, critiques, and portfolios. The NAEP items were judged, in general, to perform as well as any of the tests. An alternative approach involving student portfolio is discussed. Suggestions for other approaches to consider involve artistic critques, aesthetic reasoning, and the relationship of artistic activity to one's personal life and values. (GDC)