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…

It is argued that current school disciplinary policies are ineffective instruments for delivering moral messages: they are poorly justified; fail to distinguish moral violations (violence, vandalism, deception) from conventional school-limited violations (attendance, dress codes, eating venues), leaving the impression that dress code violations…

Students do not always make choices that adults agree with in their choice of school dress. Dress-code issues are explored in this Research Roundup, and guidance is offered to principals seeking to maintain a positive school climate. In "Do School Uniforms Fit?" Kerry White discusses arguments for and against school uniforms and summarizes the…

Describes how administrator-imposed discipline of students is circumscribed by their legal rights. (PKP)

The benefits of school uniforms far outweigh their short-term costs. School uniforms not only keep students safe, but they increase their self-esteem, promote a more positive attitude toward school, lead to improved student behavior, and help blur social-class distinctions. Students are allowed to wear their own political or religious messages,…

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…

This study attempted to determine whether or not the teachers in a rural Georgia elementary school believed that a strict dress-code or student-uniform policy was needed to improve student behavior. A 20-item Likert Scale questionnaire was developed to measure teachers' feelings and/or beliefs concerning the students' dress code and effects on…

In 1994, Long Beach (California) Unified School District began requiring uniforms in all elementary and middle schools. Now, half of all urban school systems and many suburban schools have uniform policies. Research on uniforms' effectiveness is mixed. Tightened dress codes may be just as effective and less litigious. (MLH)

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…

Examines the reasons for the rapid intervention of courts into areas primarily an administrative decision-making process and describes those areas in which legal decisions have drastically defined and restricted the permissible scope of administrative activity in schools. (Author/RK)

Based on past incidents involving racial tension and student wearing apparel that displayed the Confederate flag, a South Carolina middle school prohibited clothing with the Confederate flag visible. Judge William B. Traxler Jr. ruled for the district. Advises administrators that they can regulate or ban expressive conduct by students only if…

This qualitative investigation explores the responses of 22 U.S. urban public high school students when confronted with their newly imposed school uniform policy. Specifically, the study assessed students' appraisals of the policy along with compliance and academic performance. Guided by ecological human development perspectives and grounded in…