The Importance of Assessment in Art Ed

Assessment in art education is a topic that holds allot of controversy. I personally have struggled with the idea of grading art work since it is so subjective compared to math or science where you there is only one right answer. Do I grade the work by ability alone or by work ethic? What if someone works really hard and shows strong improvement but is not naturally gifted as some artists are? I am really interested to know how they grade art in other countries such as Korea. I imagine that they have a more disciplined approach which hinges upon the notion that art is a skill that can be learned just like math or science if one works hard enough. I say this because I have been amazed at the skill level of the Korean students in all our classes. When discussing this one of the students I learned that they begin learning in elementary school what we in America don't learn until high school. Ideally, I would love to see that same approach and belief system implemented in America. I strongly believe that art can be learned, although it is true that it comes easier for some than others depending on the functioning of the brain, left or right brain strength. It is a difficult subject to address indeed. What I have to conclude from my own experience student teaching is that grading must be based on a number of factors, hard work and effort being the central factors. The finished work is a combination of hard work, learned skill and natural talent. A less talented student can get an A by working hard and showing some improvement. I think grades are important in motivating some students to work, who would not care otherwise.