This document outlines what beginning classroom teachers and arts education specialists should know and be able to do to teach the arts effectively. The volume serves as a guide for individual states, professional organizations, and teacher education programs as they develop and refine their standards and practices. The Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Arts Education Standards Committee worked from the premise that arts are a critical element of a student's general education. Through the arts, students learn alternative ways of knowing and communicating. Additionally, arts education offers a powerful means of developing abilities that are essential to learning in all the other disciplines This document is organized according to INTASC's 10 core teacher principles: (1) understanding the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) and creating meaningful learning experiences; (2) understanding how children learn and develop, and providing learning opportunities that support that development; (3) understanding how students differ in their approaches to learning and creating instructional opportunities adapted to diverse learners; (4) understanding and using a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills; (5) using an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation; (6) using knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom; (7) planning instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals; (8) understanding and using formal and informal assessments strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner; (9) teaching as a reflective practitioner, continually evaluating the effects of choices and actions on others, and actively seeking opportunities to grow professionally; and (10) fostering relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well-being. (BT)