A GRADE in Art Class?

You may wonder how a student can be graded in art class.  Art is so personal and subjective, right?  For 5th-8th grade students, I use A rubric for excellence in art class as a general grading tool.  You'll see it is not based on my idea of artistic beauty or  student "talent", but mostly on motivation and effort.  When students reach 7th and 8th grades, I give more specific rubrics for  individual projects.  Students self-evaluate and I evaluate, using the same rubric.  The rubrics evaluate students' understanding and use of certain elements, principles, and methods of art.