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Kansas Thespians lobby State Board to add Thespians to high-school postsecondary asset list
Summary
Student officers and teachers from Kansas Thespians asked the State Board to add Kansas Thespians (International Thespian Society) to the approved list of postsecondary assets that students may earn toward graduation. Presenters described leadership, community service and technical skills students develop through the program.
Students and teachers representing Kansas Thespians and the International Thespian Society presented to the Board on April 8 and asked the state to add the Thespians program to the approved list of postsecondary assets for Kansas graduation requirements.
The presenters included student state thespian officers and chapter directors who described both onstage and backstage work: acting, stage management, costume design, social-media promotion, community outreach and large-scale production planning. "The baseline qualification is that you have to have a hundred hours of quality service to theater and the community," one director said, summarizing the induction and reporting system.
Why it matters: Kansas added postsecondary assets as a graduation requirement for the incoming freshman cohort; those assets give students a discrete way to document college- and career-oriented skills. Kansas Thespians leaders argued the program already documents hours, assessed student work and awards, and that adding Thespians to the asset list would recognize sustained leadership, technical skills and community service.
Student speakers provided several concrete examples: wardrobe and costume design for a musical that earned a "superior" rating at festival, regular student-led troupe meetings that double as leadership training, and community service projects such as food drives and holiday meal programs. Student officers described the Thespian honor-troop system (bronze/silver/gold) and noted that many Kansas troupes earn gold honor-troop status for sustained programming across performance, outreach and student leadership.
Teacher directors said the Thespians infrastructure includes verified reporting (teacher-approved logs and national/state induction processes) so student achievements are already documented in a way that is compatible with other recognized postsecondary assets. The Kansas Thespians presenters asked the Board to consider the addition and told members they would welcome guidance on how to meet any evidentiary standards the Board wishes to require.
Ending: KSDE staff said the postsecondary asset list is intended to evolve; Director Watson and KSDE staff indicated they will work with the Board and stakeholders to clarify how Thespians could fit the asset criteria and what documentation would be needed for a formal addition.
