Fine Arts

Fine Arts Education includes five separate and distinct disciplines: dance, music, theatre arts, visual arts, and media arts - each with its own body of knowledge and skills.

The arts are core subjects in the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and Kansas’ Basic Education Program. While not all students will become professional dancers, musicians, actors, visual artists, or media artists, all students will benefit from skills and processes that are developed through the arts and that can be applied in a variety of disciplines and settings.

These disciplines aim to develop students' creative and technical skills through creating, presenting, responding, and connecting across grade levels.

Dance and Creative Movement

Dance education is essential to academic growth, fostering creativity, expression, cultural understanding, and communication through movement.

Media Arts

Media Arts Education places creativity and cultural relevance at the center of contemporary learning, using evolving forms such as film, television, and digital media to engage students.

Music

Music is core to academic growth and central to the education of every student. Music Education is an essential, vibrant part of life.

Theatre

Theatre Education develops the capacity for creative emotional expression; expands physical, improvisational, and artistic skills.

Visual Arts

The Visual Arts have the power to enrich the lives and endeavors of humankind.

Graduation Requirements

The Kansas High School Fine Arts Graduation Requirement outlines the Kansas State Department of Education policy specifying the theatre credit expectations students must meet to earn a Kansas high school diploma.

Class of 2026-2027

One unit of fine arts, which may include art, music, dance, theatre, forensics, and other similar studies selected by a local board of education

Class of 2028 and beyond

One unit of fine arts, which may include art, music, dance, theatre, forensics, and other similar studies selected by a local board of education

Kansas leads the world in the success of each student.

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The Kansas State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. For more information, visit our grievance procedure page.

To accommodate people with disabilities, on request, auxiliary aides and services will be provided and reasonable modifications to policies and programs will be made. To request accommodations or for more information please contact the Office of General Counsel at gc@ksde.gov or by (785) 296-3201.