The Importance of Developing Leadership Skills in Grades 6-8 Middle School Students From the Perspective of Administrators, Teachers, and Students

Leadership is integral to all aspects of life, including educational institutions. Schools are charged with providing middle school students with the knowledge and skills needed to orient them to high school and beyond and to build future leaders in the global society of this 21st century. The job market demands leaders to fill positions such as technology executive, communication specialist, and leadership training and development specialist. However, schools, and most especially middle schools, focus on meeting the standards set forth by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which dictate what teachers must teach and thwarts the teaching of leadership skills development. Therefore, this study, from the perspective of administrators, teachers, and students, seeks to identify the importance of developing leadership skills of middle school students in grades 6-8. Through focus groups and individual interviews, data were gathered to determine the what, where, how, and why of leadership development for adolescents. The three stakeholder groups shared their perceptions of how leadership development is taught, what are the qualities of perceived leadership in adolescence, what barriers exist in the development of leadership, and what can be done to enhance leadership development in one middle school in Brooklyn, New York. The outcomes of the study will provide results that will positively influence the leadership skills developmental growth of middle school students. The findings may guide stakeholders to providing avenues that will aid students in unfolding their leadership skills potential in the classroom that will equip them with the tools to meet and supersede twenty-first century demands for leadershi