Okay, I'm going to try and not fall off my soapbox here. This is a topic of frequent discussion and something I get really fired up about so I'll try to contain myself. AP courses are developed by College Board. You can view this link here on how they supposedly develop new courses:
How Courses and Exams Are Developed - Advances in AP - The College BoardThey are also responsible for National Board Certification for teachers. Neither AP nor National Board Certification offer opportunities in Theatre Education. Jim Palmarini can speak to this. It's certainly a concern of EdTA and they've made some strides to change it.
However, this has more to do with a prevailing mentality that Theatre is not as legitimate as other subject areas. For example; in your state what is required of an individual looking to be certified in Theatre Education? In most states a degree in Theatre is not required. In most states a core teacher (typically English) can get an add on licensure with relative ease. Ask yourself- would they put a teacher in a music or art room without a degree in the actual field? I can guarantee it's unlikely. Why is that?
For what it's worth you can get National Board Certification in both Music and Art, but not Dance or Theatre. Likewise, AP courses are offered in both Music and Art. Not in Dance. Not in Theatre. Weird? Not according to College Board.
I make a call at least once a year to College Board regarding these issues. Every year they tell me the same thing: There's not enough interest in it. Not enough students would take AP Theatre for it to be worth their time and money to develop it. Not enough teachers would go for Board Certification in Theatre, beside you can just get Board Certified in ENGLISH. *Insert scene of me destroying the room.*
It's about MONEY. They don't believe they'd make enough money off of either. To be fair, not every school K-12 in the US has Theatre or Dance. Generally speaking, Art and Music can be found in the majority of schools K-12 whereas Theatre can be found at many high schools, some middle schools, and a few elementary schools. For Dance it's even worse. Somehow it was deemed necessary for Art and Music Education to be implemented at every level of Education but not Theatre or Dance.
I only mention Dance because I know how much I hate to have been forgotten. So I don't want to forget them- in my estimation they've got it worse than we do. But I don't have the data, just the life experience.
Okay, I'll stop here. I'm happy to entertain anyone's solutions to the challenge.
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Victoria Kesling Councill
Chapter Director - VA EdTA/ Virginia Thespians
Theatre Director- Fine & Performing Arts Department NKHS
Artistic Director - NKHS Trojan Theatre
Artistic Director - Kent England Exchange Production
Virginia Commonwealth University BFA Theatre Education, BFA Art Education '08
University of Houston - MA in Theatre Candidate '16
"Love the art in yourself and not yourself in the art." - Konstantin Stanislavski
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-15-2017 06:37
From: Christine Dougherty
Subject: AP Drama
Yes, we have a wonderful
AP program here at my school but no AP Drama. I wonder who we can get to spearhead this...it is needed!
Sent from my iPhone
Original Message------
My school has a thriving AP program. One of the best in the state. Does anyone know if there is such a thing as AP Drama? I've found no evidence that such a thing actually exists. This seems a gross oversight. But maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.
I know IB Drama exists but we are not an IB School. I would love to start a rigorous AP Drama class for my high achievers but AP in the Arts seems to be limited to Music Theory/ History and Studio visual arts.
Anyone out there teach AP Drama?