The National Art Education Association (NAEA) is committed to ensuring student access to a highly qualified, certified visual arts educator in every K-12 public school across the United States, recognizing that effective arts instruction is a core component to a 21st-century education. "Standards for Art Teacher Preparation" represents the characteristics that high-quality programs for preparing arts educators should possess to ensure that all art educators are capable of providing excellent art instruction for all students. It includes the content and pedagogical practices of the preparation programs as well as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the faculty in such programs. In addition, the "Standards for Art Teacher Preparation" are inclusive of those of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The Standards presented in this paper represent the professional judgment of the art education field about the characteristics of preparation programs that will enable all visual arts educators to provide high-quality art instruction for every student. The Standards apply to both elementary and secondary art teachers, as well as arts educators who teach in museums, early-childhood programs, and other community settings. Users of the Standards should be careful to apply the standards that are appropriate for their setting.