School Uniforms: Effects on Discipline and Student Achievement

Introduction

Many schools across the United States have adopted school uniforms to meet the needs of a mandatory dress code. There are many opposing arguments on the issue of whether public school students in the United States should be required to wear uniforms or obey dress codes. Improvement of discipline and academic performance and reduction of fashion competition among students are a few of the reasons given in support of implementing school uniforms. However, opposing viewpoints maintain that requiring school uniforms violates students' First Amendment right to freedom of speech — specifically, students' self-expression through the way they dress. This paper examines the pros and cons of implementing school uniforms within a school system and considers how, when utilized, they affect student discipline and academic achievement.

Some educators say that fashion has become too distracting for students. Benjamin Bushman, principal at Beverly Hills High School in California, states that "Students should come to school dressed like they are coming to work" (Scholastic Action, 2001). To resolve the ongoing debate over proper and appropriate clothing, many schools are requiring that students wear uniforms. Some critics argue that uniforms are not always cost-effective and are merely a "quick fix" for urban-school problems that demand much deeper reform. Many students, likewise, do not want to wear uniforms (Cook, 2002).

Opponents of uniform policies stress the legal and financial implications of implementing them (Brunsma, 1998). Some parents have challenged "the constitutionality of uniforms in public schools" in cities such as Dallas, Texas, and Waterbury, Connecticut. In Waterbury, students who were suspended or expelled for violating a dress code claimed it infringed upon their civil rights and their right to a free public education. Support for the policy came from Philip Giordano, the mayor of Waterbury, who defended it by saying it had "reduced distractions and disciplinary problems in class." The trend of students wearing uniforms is gaining popularity. Cities such as New York and Philadelphia have recently mandated uniforms for just such reasons. With the implementation of school uniforms, rates of crime and fighting have declined. More than two-thirds of principals at middle and elementary schools with uniforms also reported improvement in their students' concentration on schoolwork, according to a survey by uniform suppliers such as Lands' End and French Toast, conducted in partnership with the National Association of Elementary School Principals.

Arguments in Support of School Uniforms

Supporters of school uniforms and dress codes offer several valid arguments for their position. One persuasive argument is the noticeable difference in student discipline and academic performance when uniforms are in use (Scholastic Action, 2001). While most school dress codes do not permit inappropriate clothing, such rules are more difficult to enforce than a standard uniform policy. Dress codes have also been introduced to reduce fashion competition among the student body, thereby eliminating the concept of "dress to impress."

Another argument in favor of uniforms is that they help curb school violence associated with gang-identified clothing. President Clinton spoke frequently on this issue and is quoted as saying:

"This morning I want to talk with you about what we can do to break the hold of gangs and violence in our schools and what we can do to create an atmosphere in our schools that promotes discipline and order and learning… I believe we should give strong support to school districts that decide to require young students to wear school uniforms" (Clinton, 1996).

President Clinton advocated the use of school uniforms in his 1996 State of the Union Address, supporting them in order to "make public schools more orderly centers of learning and safer sanctuaries for children" (Clinton, 1996).

Government and Legislative Support

After Clinton's address, many schools decided to follow his recommendation and created dress codes incorporating uniforms. Clothing that might identify association with gang activities on school grounds was eliminated and deemed inappropriate. Administrators across the nation reported that school crime was reduced by seventy-six percent once uniforms were required.

The government's development of the Manual on School Uniforms (1996) was based upon the achievements of "a few dozen public schools that had mandated school uniforms." With the backing of the United States Department of Education and supporting legislation, schools in twenty-five states adopted a uniform dress code. This legislation largely grants authority to local school boards to implement uniform policies or to strengthen existing dress codes. No state has yet mandated that all schools adopt uniforms. Washington State includes a clause stating that students who participate in a nationally recognized youth organization must be permitted to wear that organization's uniform "on days that the organization has a scheduled activity." The law also stipulates that a district may not prohibit students from wearing clothing in observance of their religion.

Conclusion

Cook, Stephanie. "Do School Uniforms Stifle Expression or Protect Students?" Christian Science Monitor 92 (2000): 12.

Department of Education. Manual on School Uniforms. 1998. Accessed 3 Dec. 2003.

Frandsen, Julie. "School Uniforms Yield Disappointing Result in Miami." Inside School Safety 3 (1999): 4–5.

Junior Scholastic. "Require School Uniforms?" 102 (1999): 5.

Kizis, Sarah. "School Uniforms and Dress Codes: The Pros and Cons." Writing 23 (2000): 18–20.

Scholastic Action. "Dress for Success." 25 (2001): 4.

Starr, Linda. "Can Uniforms Save Our Schools?" Education World. Accessed 3 Dec. 2003. http://www.education-world.com/a_admin/admin065.shtml