An inductive content analysis approach was used to examine 155 dress-related newspaper articles following the Columbine High School shootings in 1999. Analysis revealed two dress-related responses: (1) other-imposed regulation to protect students and deter them from expressing hatred and (2) self-designed acts of resistance for grieving. (Contains…

Reports findings of a survey of secondary school administrators showing that they hold a strong belief that the way teachers dress is related to school success and that they are influenced by a teaching candidate's dress in making hiring decisions. (FL)

Explored the role of clothing in expressing individual and collective identity among preadolescent English students. Results found that a relaxed enforcement of school uniforms created space for students to use clothing to gain recognition, generate common bonds, and share interests within peer groups. Clothing and footwear were used as an…

This study identifies and evaluates sanctions for dress code violations in secondary school handbooks. Sanctions, or consequences for breaking rules, vary along seven interrelated dimensions: source, formality, retribution, obtrusiveness, magnitude, severity, and pervasiveness. A content analysis of handbooks from 155 public secondary schools…

The hidden curriculum in schools is frequently reflected in clothing worn by students. Schools grapple with the implications of dress codes as they relate to the appropriateness of the items students wear and, in this study in particular, to the messages placed upon tee shirts. Legal precedent indicates that schools have the right to eliminate…

A survey was mailed to all 66 Louisiana public school district superintendents and to 50 state department of education superintendents on school district policy regarding student dress code and student/faculty uniform use. States reported no statute or mandate for student uniforms. Uniform policy was optional and popular in 36 Louisiana districts.…

Although many modern occupations require employees to express particular types of emotions while doing their jobs, little empirical evidence exists about factors related to emotional behavior on the job. This study investigated the relationship between emotional displays (smiling, greeting, thanking, eye contact) of sales clerks and variables of…

This study examined high school student handbooks for evidence that school administrators consider dress codes as one strategy to address the physical and psychological security of students. "Physical" security refers to freedom from actual harm to the body. "Psychological security refers to freedom from implied threats to personal well-being.…

Subjects were 138 inmates from the pre-release unit of a Southwestern prison system, randomly divided into three groups of 46 each. Each group viewed a video-taped model delivering a speech. The independent variable had three levels: (1) lecturer attired in a shirt and tie; (2) lecturer attired in a correctional officer's uniform; and (3) model…

This essay examines the influence of a mandatory school-uniform dress code on academic achievement and discipline infractions. In addition, student gender and type of school district were compared to show the influence of this policy. Only schools that implemented a mandatory school-uniform policy in 1996 and had data for discipline infractions…

School districts in the Education Service Center, Region 2, (southern Texas) were surveyed to examine procedures the districts have put in place to identify threats of violence to school safety and security. The target population was 47 school districts. Data collection was done using mailed questionnaires with a simple yes/no answer format.…

Previous research suggests that Muslim women can experience particular problems when taking physical education (PE) lessons, for example with dress codes, mixed-teaching and exercise during Ramadan; and they can face restrictions in extra-curricular activities for cultural and religious reasons. The area is under-researched and there is little…

This working paper discusses safety in urban charter schools relative to other urban public schools, using several indicators from the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). SASS is the nation's most extensive sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the teachers and administrators who staff them. The indicators measure the frequency of…

This study examines the impact of uniform/dress codes and practices on school climate, educational attainment, and student affective and cognitive domains in Washington (District of Columbia) schools. Information was drawn from surveys of 301 principals and teachers and 268 parents. The following findings are presented: (1) reasons cited for…

Articles in a military wives' magazine have indicated that officers' wives are questioning their roles. If the wives' attitudes are different from those of the past with respect to the role they believe the military expects of them, these changes must be recognized. A 45-statement questionnaire, with each statement reflecting a particular…