| This study explored the extent of youth leadership training in community and high school curricular and cocurricular programs. While many programs are widely believed to train youth for leadership, little is know as to what is actually occurring. Furthermore, no research has examined youth leadership training across various programs, and there has been no accepted model for evaluating programs. This study developed an instrument, derived from the West Point leadership model to evaluate youth leadership training. Specifically, the study examined scouting, and high school curricular, athletic and vocational programs in training leader character traits, teaching knowledge and skills required for leaders, providing leadership experience and practice, and total leadership training.; The study was conducted in 1990. The research sampled 248 top-rated Wisconsin scoutmasters and high school teachers, coaches and vocational student organization advisors. The respondents were surveyed by mail. The data consisted of information concerning youth leadership training methods and performance. The statistical analysis employed the Kruskall-Wallis, one-way ANOVA test followed by the Sheffe method of post hoc pairwise comparisons.; The study demonstrated that all the programs were operating well below their maximum potential. Overall, the findings rated the total leadership training of the programs as follows: curricular- poor, athletic- good, vocational- good, and scouting good. The findings also demonstrated that scouting and the high school athletic and vocational programs provided significantly more training than the curricular programs. Some major recommendations for educational policy were to provide youths with more deliberate character training and more leadership experiences with substantial and progressive responsibility. |
