New Zealand's National Education Monitoring Project commenced in 1993 with the task of assessing and reporting on the achievement of New Zealand primary school children in all areas of the school curriculum. Children are assessed at two class levels: Year 4 (halfway through primary education) and Year 8 (at the end of primary education). Different curriculum areas and skills are assessed each year, over a four year cycle. The main goal of national monitoring is to provide detailed information about what children can do so that patterns of performance can be recognised, successes celebrated, and desirable changes to educational practices and resources identified and implemented.

Each year, small random samples of children are selected nationally, then assessed in their own schools by teachers specially seconded and trained for this work. Task instructions are given orally by teachers, through video presentations, or in writing. Many of the assessment tasks involve the children in the use of equipment and supplies. Their responses are presented orally, by demonstration, in writing, or through submission of other physical products. Many of the responses are recorded on videotape for subsequent analysis.

In 1995, the first year that national monitoring was implemented, three areas were assessed: science, art, and the use of graphs, tables and maps. This report presents details and results of the assessments of both making and responding to art.

• the very dedicated staff of the Educational Assessment Research Unit
• Dr Hans Wagemaker and Mr James Irving, Ministry of Education
• members of the Project's National Advisory Committee
• members of the Project's Art Advisory Panel
• art consultant, Graham Price, for his guidance on exemplar descriptions
• technical consultants, Professor Warwick Elley and Dr Alison Gilmore
• principals, staff, and children of the schools where tasks were trialed
• principals, staff, and Board of Trustee members of the 256 schools included in the 1995 sample
• the 2873 children in the 1995 sample, and their parents
• the 94 teachers who administered the assessments to the children
• the 20 senior tertiary students who assisted with the marking process
• the 120 teachers who assisted with the marking of tasks early in 1996