The Arizona Court of Appeals, in the first court decision regarding public school uniform policies, held that mandatory school uniforms do not violate students' First Amendment rights. Discusses the Arizona decision and its effect on the structuring of school uniform policies and their potential successful institution at the high school level. (31…

Gang violence, thefts, and costs are among the reasons schools are adopting dress codes or uniforms. Evidence of their effect on behavior is largely anecdotal; empirical research is needed. Home economics professionals can work with parents to set dress policies, get student input, incorporate the teaching of values about clothing, build student…

Addresses clothing-related behavioral problems for public school children and the increasing use of dress codes and uniform policies as preventive measures. It describes dress-related conflicts for black public school students and parents across socialization and contextual settings. The implications of preventive policies and practices are…

A challenge for teachers and administrators has been to develop security policies that will effectively reduce violence and improve school climate. This paper describes students' reactions to security measures implemented at a Chicago high school that served a low-socioeconomic-status neighborhood comprised predominantly of African-American and…

In response to growing levels of violence in American schools, many communities are deciding to adopt school-uniform policies as part of an overall program to improve school safety and discipline. This document provides the following guidelines for parents, teachers, and school leaders who may consider adopting a school-uniform policy: (1) Get…

Most of the data on the outcomes and effects of school uniforms come from elementary and middle schools. In many cases, school uniforms are only one part of an overall reform effort. More research is needed. Offers suggestions to help schools work on developing school-uniform policies and summarizes the legal view. (15 references) (MLF)

Public school uniforms are a recent development. Legal trends suggest that the courts are willing to defer to school authorities regarding dress codes--provided a clear link is established between the dress regulations and furtherance of the educational mission. Lists a range of options for a dress-code policy and how each of the available options…

This report describes a national telephone survey of randomly selected middle and high school principals to measure the impact of school-uniform dress codes on perceived level of school violence. In addition to measuring the impact of school uniforms on principals' perception of violence, selected variables such as region, gender, and educational…

Two essays present opposing viewpoints on school uniforms. One suggests that uniforms make safer schools and better students. The other states that teenagers will rebel, and the uniform debate is a diversion from more pressing problems in education. The article includes brief opinion statements from teachers and other professionals. (SM)

This is a collection of paper copies of overhead transparencies that were used for a presentation on student rights and school law. The presentation covered the following topics: (1) student First Amendment rights, focusing on freedom of speech expressed through speeches, articles in student newspapers, demonstrations, T-shirts, and the…

This collection of papers examines the causal and contextual issues surrounding the emerging rash of student expulsions, suspensions, and dropouts; discusses legal restrictions that school personnel must consider when establishing and implementing student codes of conduct; and presents promising programs and practices to reduce the number of…