Meaningful drawing curriculum construction is an especially difficult challenge for art teachers of early adolescent students, given such students'"crisis of confidence" with art skills and the cultural diversity of present day classrooms. This document describes an analysis of six published drawing instruction programs employing three approaches to teaching drawing that parallel three major developmental dimensions. The paper questions the notion of a generic curriculum, arguing that the best drawing programs take an eclectic approach. Guidelines for balanced and culturally relevant drawing programs that the study produced help explain how drawing content inappropriate for the sociocultural context can diminish learning. The document contains 24 references and six tables. (Author/SG)