NAEA Position Statement on Visual Art and its Relationship to Career Technical Education (CTE)

NAEA believes students who are enrolled in any course where visual arts, media arts, and design credit is earned, including courses designated as Career Technical Education (CTE), should be taught by certified/licensed and highly qualified visual art educators who are using visual art/media arts standards. Visual Arts educators possess the knowledge and preparation necessary to deliver quality instructional content that develops the creative-problem-solving and critical thinking skills afforded through visual arts education.

Courses awarding visual arts credit should address the state and/or national visual arts standards including the four artistic processes of Creating, Responding, Presenting, and Connecting. The visual art language is one of creative expression steeped in skills related to problem-solving, communication, divergent and convergent thinking, and higher order skills. Instruction in the visual arts develops student capacity for artistic expression with original thought leading to creative production, resulting in success in higher education, careers, and real world situations.

This Position Statement was formerly titled: Position Statement on Visual Art and its Relationship to CTE. [Adopted March 2013; Reviewed and Revised November 2014; Reviewed and Revised March 2019 when it was also retitled as part of the rewriting.]