“A search for my voice:" Socioculturally responsive assessment in AP Art and Design
Escoffery, D. S., Fletcher, K. E., & Stone-Danahy, R. A. (2025). "A search for my voice:" Socioculturally responsive assessment in AP Art and Design. In R. E. Bennett, L. D. Hammond, & A. Badrinarayan (Eds.), Socioculturally responsive assessment (pp. 262–282). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003435105-16
Abstract
Advanced Placement (AP) Art and Design (titled AP Studio Art from 1972 through 2020) is an art-based portfolio curriculum and assessment encouraging examinees to submit original artworks demonstrating the following skills: inquiry; practice, experimentation, and revision; synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas; and artmaking. Although the course has evolved over the years, the portfolio structure has always encouraged student choice in creating a body of work with minimal content, style, materials, and media constraints. As a result, exam takers can use their cultural background, beliefs, and experiences to inspire and find expression in their work. AP Art and Design is a model for socioculturally responsive assessment (SCRA) based on the idea that students are more likely to successfully demonstrate knowledge and skills when engaging with personal ideas and relevant cultural backgrounds. Because it is socioculturally responsive and has no prerequisites, AP Art and Design allows many underrepresented students to achieve college credit, including those with lower PSAT scores, whose parents have an associate degree or less, or who come from traditionally underserved groups. Analysis of a national sample of students in the high school graduating class of 2022 found that taking at least one AP Art and Design exam was associated with an increased likelihood of enrolling in a college or university immediately after graduation. In this chapter, we look at the structure of AP Art and Design, particularly the requirements for the current curriculum, link AP Art and Design to SCRA literature and theory, and explore the qualitative outcomes through four student sample portfolios and quantitative outcomes via a national sample of AP students of the AP Art and Design portfolio exams. We showcase how AP Art and Design, viewed through the lens of SCRA, is an assessment model applicable across disciplines.
Enhancing Access to Inquiry-Based Art Education in Title I Schools: Addressing Inequities and Promoting Student Driven Learning
Stone-Danahy, Rebecca, "Enhancing Access to Inquiry-Based Art Education in Title I Schools: Addressing Inequities and Promoting Student Driven Learning" (2024). All Dissertations. 3794.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/3794
Abstract
This study investigates the enabling conditions that support inquiry-based art education programs in Title I schools, addressing a literature gap regarding effective practices for high school art educators working with economically disadvantaged students. Inquiry-based art education empowers students by fostering creativity and problem-solving skills and encouraging self-expression. These attributes are essential for equipping students with the tools they need for success in college and their future careers. While existing research has underscored the benefits of the arts for marginalized students, the literature lacks guidance on how to support an inquiry-based art education program in a Title I school.
The study uses an improvement science framework to identify professional development and support strategies for teachers implementing inquiry-based learning. The findings highlight the critical importance of transparent budgeting and the material resources necessary to teach artmaking and skill development in support of student-centered inquiry. Moreover, qualitative analysis revealed eight key focus areas art teachers cultivate throughout the academic year within their unique school environments:
1. Artmaking and skill development
2. Art presentation and critique
3. Classroom environment and student support
4. Community building and peer interaction
5. Curriculum development and instructional strategies
6. Resource management and technology integration
7. Student accountability and classroom management
8. Student growth, careers, and real-world connections
Supporting inquiry-based art education practices is especially important for Title I students, who may not have access to student-driven curricula. An art education program’s unique needs require that art educators work cross-functionally with multiple groups (e.g., administrators, parents, students, bookkeepers, district support personnel, and feeder schools) to resource and build art programs that can attract, retain, and nurture students, ultimately unlocking their full potential.