Having a large-scale national assessment in the arts makes an important statement about the need for all children in our country to obtain the special benefits of learning that only the arts provide. In recognition of the importance of the arts in education, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation's Report Card, began assessing music and the visual arts in the 1970s. The National Assessment Governing Board, which has overseen and set policy for NAEP since 1988, then commissioned the development of a framework for the 1997 NAEP Arts Education Assessment, and the framework has remained in place since then. The NAEP arts education assessment framework resulted from the work of many organizations and individuals involved in the arts and arts education, including K-12 teachers, postsecondary arts educators, practicing artists, researchers, and assessment specialists. For members of the education community and the general public, the "2016 NAEP Arts Education Assessment Framework" (see ED604372) shows the scope and methodology of this arts assessment. This report provides highlights of the 2016 Arts Education Assessment Framework.