Art academic quality evaluation based on core literacy: tool development and level measurement for sustainability literacy

Purpose Cultivating students’ core competencies in art has become an inevitable trend and responds to the practical needs of development in basic education. Grounded in the concept of core art competencies, this study addresses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 on quality education, SDG 12.8 on knowledge and awareness for sustainable development, and SDG 13.3 on climate change education. In this context, there remains a lack of scientific, systematic, and practical tools for assessing students’ academic quality in art. Design/methodology/approach Based on China’s Art Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education, this study constructed a four-dimensional framework for art academic quality, comprising core art competencies, disciplinary knowledge, authentic contexts, and disciplinary tasks. A 30-item assessment instrument was developed using Item Response Theory (IRT), with weighting coefficients adapted to the developmental characteristics of secondary school students. Webb alignment analysis and pretesting were used to examine the instrument’s validity and reliability. Findings The results showed that the instrument met alignment requirements and demonstrated moderate difficulty, high reliability, and good item discrimination. It was further validated using 3,221 valid student responses collected from 120 junior high schools across five representative regions in China. IRT analysis indicated good model fit and showed that the instrument effectively captured students’ academic quality in art. Originality/value This study provides a curriculum-based and empirically validated assessment tool to support evidence-based improvement in school art education and to advance sustainable educational development in alignment with SDG 4, SDG 12.8, and SDG 13.3.