Honors and AP Courses are important for those students who desire challenging coursework to gain experience for college or trade schools.  Access to honors performing/visual art high school courses will help retain talented Fine Arts students instead of those same students pursuing other non-Fine Arts courses to fill their "honors curriculum" for college or work preparedness.

Blue Valley West High School currently has three honors/AP courses listed for the Fine Arts Department:  Honors Music Theory, AP Drawing, and Advanced Debate

1. Why advocate for more Honors Credit opportunities for the Fine Arts?

-To give students an opportunity for a more rigorous curriculum in the Performing Arts and Visual Arts program for college readiness or work experience

-To provide Honors credit of the higher level of Performing and Visual Arts achievement.

-To afford students the opportunity to remain competitive with their GPA and class rank corresponding to other advanced honors courses.  Some colleges give scholarships based on class rank.

2. Which Fine Arts courses could offer Honors Recognition?

Ultimately the school board and administration would need to determine how to add more honor classes in the Fine Arts.  A possibility would be for Honors recognition for All Fine Arts student in select courses of bank, choir, orchestra, theatre, speech and/or the visual arts.  Students would possibly need teacher permission to be in the Honors classes and may require an audition.

3. Would regular and advanced credit students take class at the same time, or would there be a separate class designated for honor students? 

Again, the school board and administration would need to consider if extra coursework, or competitions, or district or state recognition could qualify a student for honors credit vs those students who are in the same course but do not perform the extra coursework or receive recognition for their talents. 

4. How do I advocate for more Honors class opportunities at Blue Valley West High School?

We need students, parents and teachers interested in adding “honor” classes to petition the school board and administration to consider this change to the Fine Arts curriculum so changes are reflected for next academic year.  Please sign this petition if your family is  zoned for Blue Valley Schools in Overland Park, KS or you are a faculty at this school district.