Visual Arts Assessment Standards

Photography
Grades 9-12
ACS Cobham High School Art
The High School Art Department uses the standards adopted by ACS Cobham in the visual arts to
assess work done in each of its course offerings. The standards are broad and apply to a range of
activities in the visual arts, so art elective courses adapt each of the standards that relate
specifically to the particular coursework to assess the work done in each course.
Please refer to the main handout of Visual Arts Assessment Standards Grades 9-12 ACS
Cobham High School Art Department for an overview of the complete set of assessment
standards used in the visual arts in the High School at ACS Cobham.
This handout is an overview of the specific assessment standards that apply to the
Photography course, to give students an understanding of how their work is assessed.
In Photography, the coursework assessment is based on learning and applying techniques of
camera control, exposure theory, compositional principles, communicating with photography and
editing photographs digitally in Photoshop.
The coursework assessment also emphasises good organisational and research skills, the ability
to work effectively in a timely way on individual assignments, and a knowledge of historical and
current artistic and journalistic developments in photography, which help to inform and inspire the
students own work.
Safe and appropriate use of studio materials, equipment and computers is included in the
assessments, and assessments also take into account the growth and skills development
demonstrated by a student in each of these areas over time.
The grading in the course includes assessments of individual stages in research and development
of shooting assignments as well as class progress grades, which reflect effort and timeliness.
The grades are both formative and summative, with feedback on progress given during the stages
of research, idea development and initial shooting sessions, and formal grades given on
completed projects.
Final projects are assessed for creative and technical qualities relating to the approaches and
techniques used. Grading includes written evaluation of results and grades earned for each
assignment component.
There are also grades earned from worksheets, tests and quizzes of information and techniques
presented during the course, and from critiques done during the course of work-in-progress and
final project results.
Quarterly grades are computed from the average of all assessment grades earned during the
quarter.
First semester exams are comprehensive written exams and second semester exams are practical
studio-based project exams.
The following visual arts standards apply more specifically to the coursework in Photography:

STANDARD 1: Methods, Materials, and Techniques

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the methods, materials, and techniques unique to
the photography.
1.9 Demonstrate the ability to create photographs that show knowledge of unique
characteristics of particular methods, materials, and tools
1.10 Use electronic technology for reference and for editing or creating original work
1.11 Explore a single subject or theme through a series of photographs, varying the
approach or technique

1.12 Describe and apply procedures to ensure safety and proper maintenance of the
workspace, materials, and tools
1.13 Make reasonable choices of photographic methods, materials, tools, and techniques to
achieve desired effects in specific projects
RUBRICS FOR ASSESSMENT OF STANDARD 1AT THE LOWEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:
The student will be largely ignorant of the variety of photographic methods and techniques
available to them, or how their own cameras work, and will not be able to make reasonable
choices about which controls or techniques to use to create effective or expressive photographs.
They will not be able to pre-visualise, shoot or edit effective photographs, and their choice and use
of methods and techniques will not contribute any sense of coherent style or expressive qualities
to their photographs.
They will not be knowledgeable about the safe and appropriate use of studio materials, equipment
or computer editing and printing programs in the production of the coursework, which will lead to
technical problems and time wasted correcting mistakes.
AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:
The student will be thoroughly familiar with a variety of photographic shooting and computer
editing techniques and be able to plan for their use when pre-visualising, shooting and editing
photographs that are technically effective and expressively creative.
They will be able to pre-visualise, shoot and edit photographs that creatively exploit the technical
and expressive qualities of their chosen methods to enhance their originality and the coherence of
their visual style.
They will be thoroughly familiar with the safe and appropriate use of studio materials, equipment
and computer editing and printing programs in the production of their coursework, and will be able
to avoid technical problems during shooting and editing or waste time correcting errors caused by
ignorance.

STANDARD 2: Elements and Principles of Design

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the elements and principles of visual and
photographic design.
2.12 Apply knowledge of the principles of visual composition to shooting assignments
focusing on the use visual art design principles in general and photographic design
principles in particular to pre-visualise and create photographs that clarify and emphasise
the assigned subject matter or theme
2.14 Review systems of visualizing information in the photographic medium and create
photographs using these systems
2.16 Create photographs that demonstrate a purposeful use of the elements and principles
of design to convey meaning and emotion or establish a mood
2.17 Create photographs that demonstrate facility in selective use of elements and
principles of design to establish a personal style
RUBRICS FOR ASSESSMENT OF STANDARD 2AT THE LOWEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:
The student will be unable to pre-visualise, shoot or edit photographs that use the principles of
visual design or photographic principles of design effectively.
Their shooting and editing work will lack the understanding of visual design qualities and
knowledge of the principles of photographic composition needed to create good visual or
expressive effects or communicate ideas.
Their development and creation of photographs will lack any sort of stylistic or design coherence
and fail to elicit any sense of mood, convey meaning or communicate ideas in the final results.

AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:

The student will be able pre-visualise, shoot and edit photographs that successfully apply the
principles of visual art and photographic design.
They will be able to pre-visualise, shoot and edit photographs that demonstrate a strong visual and
stylistic coherence and can help to establish mood, emotional qualities, convey a sense of
meaning or communicate ideas clearly.
Their photographs will all have a coherent visual style that helps to add a distinctive creative
quality to their body of work.

STANDARD 3: Observation, Abstraction, Invention, and Expression

Students will demonstrate their powers of observation, abstraction, invention, and
expression in a variety of photographic methods, materials, and techniques.
3.9 Create photographs that explore the abstraction of ideas and representations
3.10 Create photographs that are original and communicate ideas
3.11 Demonstrate the ability to portray emotions and personality through the photographic
medium including methods such as computer manipulation and photo-screen printing
3.12 Demonstrate the ability to use representation, abstraction, or symbolism to create
photographs that convey a personal point of view about issues and ideas
RUBRICS FOR ASSESSMENT OF STANDARD 3AT THE LOWEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:
The student will be unable to pre-visualise, design or shoot photographs that rise above a crude,
uninformed or incorrect use of photographic techniques and methods, and lack any sense of
originality or creative qualities resulting from effective technical or expressive approaches. The
work is unable to convey conceptual or emotional qualities or communicate ideas clearly.
AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:
The student will be able to pre-visualise, design and shoot photographs, using a variety of
effective technical and design approaches, that are visually and expressively coherent, and that
help to enhance their meaning, convey specific emotional qualities or communicate ideas
effectively and creatively using the language of visual art and the principles of photographic
design.

STANDARD 4: Developing, Revising, and Exhibiting

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the processes of shooting, editing and exhibiting
their own photographs: developing, critique, self-assessment, refinement, and exhibit
preparation.
4.9 Demonstrate the ability to conceptualize, organize, and complete medium-term projects
Conceptualize: plan, generate ideas, do preliminary shooting assignments, participate in
discussions, imagine outcomes, and set goals Organize: choose methods and techniques
to attain the desired look and feel, maintain work space and personal schedule, review
progress of work with others, and revise work appropriately Complete: prepare
photographs for presentation or exhibition
4.10 Demonstrate the ability to develop an idea through multiple stages, responding to
criticism and self-assessment
4.11 Maintain a course workbook that demonstrates a progression of ideas and skills over
time
4.12 Choose and prepare photographs for exhibition, and be able to discuss their choices

4.14 Demonstrate an ability to see their own personal style and discriminate among
historical and contemporary styles
RUBRICS FOR ASSESSMENT OF STANDARD 4AT THE LOWEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:
The student will fail to research and develop their photography assignments in an organised and
timely way, and their workbooks will be used sporadically or not at all in support of their idea
developments.
Preliminary shooting assignments will not be done thoughtfully or thoroughly and will fail to explore
the design and expressive potential of the assigned subject matter or theme.
They will be unable to make thoughtful choices among possible techniques and approaches for
their work, and will fail to respond to formative feedback or criticism to refine and improve their
work in a timely way, resulting in final work that is uninspired, poorly developed, lacks a sense of
artistic or stylistic coherence and shows no consideration for its display exhibition.
AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:
The student will research and develop their photography assignments carefully, making good use
of their workbooks to document their research and their technical and creative developments, and
working in a timely way.
Their preliminary shooting assignments will be adventurous, thoughtful and thorough, resulting in a
variety of creative and design ideas explored conceptually and technically.
They will plan ahead for possible technical and creative approaches and refine their work
thoughtfully during the shooting and editing process by reflecting on formative feedback and
criticism, and by finding ongoing inspiration in the work of others.
Their final work will be stylistically coherent, inspired and informed by their persistent research and
creative refinements, and accomplished in a timely and efficient way. They will also consider
carefully and plan for the most effective way to display the finished work.

STANDARD 5: Critical Response

Students will describe and analyze their own photographic work and the work of others
using appropriate photographic and visual arts vocabulary. When appropriate, students
will connect their analysis to interpretation and evaluation.
5.9 Use published sources, either traditional or electronic, to research photographs or
photographers, and present findings in written or oral form
5.10 Critique their own work, the work of peers, and the work of professional
photographers, and demonstrate an understanding of the formal, cultural, and historical
contexts of the work
5.11 Analyze a body of photographic work, or the work of one photographer, explaining its
meaning and impact on society, symbolism, and visual metaphor
5.12 Demonstrate an understanding how societal influences and prejudices may affect
viewers' ways of perceiving works of photography
RUBRICS FOR ASSESSMENT OF STANDARD 5AT THE LOWEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:
The student will be ignorant of creative accomplishments of others in the field of photography.
They will be unable to discuss or analyse their work, or the work of their peers, in relation to
cultural or artistic traditions of photography, and will be unaware of how artistic influences or
societal conventions influence the perception of photography.
AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:
The student will have a good foundation of knowledge about the work of others in the field of
photography.

They will be able to knowledgeably discuss their work, and the work of others, in relation to the
cultural and artistic traditions of photography, and will be clearly aware of how artistic influences
and societal conventions influence the perception of their own photographic work and that of
others.

STANDARD 6. Understands the visual arts in relation to history and cultures

1. Knows a variety of historical and cultural contexts regarding characteristics and purposes
of works of visual art
2. Knows the function and meaning of specific photographic works within varied cultures,
times, and places
3. Understands relationships among works of photography in terms of history, aesthetics,
and culture
RUBRICS FOR ASSESSMENT OF STANDARD 6AT THE LOWEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:
The student will be ignorant of historical or current trends in the larger world of visual arts and be
unable to demonstrate any understanding of how those historical and cultural traditions in visual
arts relate to or inform the specific field of photography.
AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT:
The student will have a good grounding in the history of visual arts in general and understand how
that context helps to give meaning and purpose to visual expression.
They will understand how the cultural contexts of visual arts affect their meaning and purpose, and
how this process relates specifically to the field of photography.
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