This White Paper provides a selection of some general principles of assessment or overarching ideas that may guide educators in selecting, developing, and implementing assessments of students' learning at all instructional levels or educational settings in which they are used. These principles represent a framework for understanding the nature of assessment and for building comprehensive assessments and assessment programing. Using them is fundamental in creating assessments that reflect and measure the various learning outcomes and program goals in visual arts education. These principles are intended to provide general frames of reference for art educators to consider as they create and develop assessment programs for their schools and classrooms. No single principle outweighs another, and the order in which principles are discussed does not reflect a priority. When consistently and collectively used, these principles provide a foundation for objectively assessing students' learning and performances in art education programs. Assessment White Papers for Art Education is a collection of essays that teach about current and established assessment practices and theories, and how they are relevant to all of the National Art Education Association's membership. This series offers a starting point for National Art Education Association (NAEA) members--across all levels--as well as parents, administrators, and the general public to understand assessments' applications to art education.