Lays out the basic requirements of a sound antigang symbol policy. Discusses ways in which a school board can develop a sound policy that prohibits the wearing or display of gang-related symbols without overstepping constitutional boundaries. (LMI)

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)

In this article, the author focuses on the issue involving zero tolerance in the Texas district whether the dress code policy is reasonable. In a small Texas school district, over 700 students were suspended in a single month for violating a zero-tolerance dress code policy. This suspension, which attracted national attention and threats of…

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…

This report discusses various types of student codes, presents the need for such codes, outlines court challenges of these codes, and provides guidelines for drafting codes. Sample codes in the packet include citywide codes from eight cities, four Statewide policy statements, and selected model codes. (JF)

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)

Selected perceptions of college educational psychology students toward middle class values evident during their secondary education experience, called by Charnovsky the "middle class aura", are presented, along with their own attitudes toward those values. (MJB)

Whatever their preference in schools--Fundamental, Alternative, or something between--residents of this California city have it at hand. (Editor)

Any restrictions on student dress must have a legitimate educational rationale. Standards of attire for school employees are also permissible. A dress-code policy that calls for reasonable restrictions and is enforced with common sense can create a better school environment. Restrictive measures can lead to costly lawsuits. Cites advantages of…

Japanese teachers participating in a workshop activity shared observations about U.S. schools. Teachers saw American schools' disciplinary procedures as stricter and more punitive than their own, marveled at principals' visibility and students' attention to attire, and noted that strict grading practices conflicted with instructional creativity…

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…

Since the mid-1980s, judicial decisions have broadened school authorities' discretion to restrict student expression (in oral and written communications, grooming, and attire). The category of protected student expression has eroded. Despite replacement of the "Tinker" presumption favoring student expression with one favoring validity of…