Uniform Thought
One does not need to look long or particularly hard to find recent examples of schools experiencing difficulties with violence, gang related activity, or theft. The safe schools provision of the landmark federal legislation No Child Left Behind can be seen as an effort to remediate these problems while offering students an alternative choice of educational placements if there home school was unsuccessful in decreasing violent occurrences. Before NCLB aimed to decrease violence and thus improve school climate and culture legislatively, school uniforms were seen in some circles as a great solution to the problems that ailed public education in America. Some school boards, in an attempt to provide the safe learning environment that they are charged with doing, were eager to adopt policies specifying dress codes and or, the utilization of school uniforms. While some parents and community members applauded these mandates others, fearful of the violation of student rights, pleaded for a quick return to previous policies. A majority of challenges to school dress codes are based on claims of First Amendment violations of free expression and Fourteenth Amendment violations of liberty. While some argue over the legality of installing dress code policies regarding school uniforms, others are debating if such policies accomplish what they set out to do.
Sharon Shamburger Pate, in an article titled The Influence of a Mandatory School Uniform Policy, examines the impact of school uniforms on academic achievement and discipline infractions and provides what she believes is data supporting the adoption of such policies. Pate’s study was conducted in two southern Florida school districts (one rural and one urban), and included 6 middle schools and 80 elementary schools. The results of the study show, states Pate, that elementary students in both the rural and urban environments exhibited academic improvement the school year following the adoption of a school uniform policy. Pate goes on to state in her paper that discipline infractions resulting in out-of-school suspensions and juvenile referrals also showed a significant statistical improvement in the school year following the inclusion of a school uniform policy. Pate concludes her support for school uniforms by stating that grade promotion rates also improved after school uniform policies were introduced to the schools / districts in her study. While Pate cites the need for further studies to validate her action research, she also uses the aforementioned results to support her belief in the school climate and culture changing effectiveness of school uniforms. While some line up to support Pate and her belief in school uniforms, others are in no such hurry.
David Brunsma and Kerry Rockquemore, in their journal article Effects of Student Uniforms on Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Use, and Academic Achievement, paint a different picture than does Sharon Pate. Tenth-grade data from The National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 was utilized in the testing of claims made by school uniform supporters. These claims include, but are not limited to the ability of school uniform policies to decrease substance abuse, decrease behavioral problems, increase attendance, and increase academic achievement. Brunsma and Rockquemore state that their findings indicate school uniforms have no direct effect on the aforementioned claims. In fact, contrary to the current public perception of school uniforms and their effectiveness, the author’s data indicated a negative link between school uniforms and student academic achievement. While the authors allow for an indirect improvement in school environment and student outcomes due to the adoption of school uniform policies, the results of their study reaffirms their belief (they state) that school uniforms are analogous to a coat of paint. A coat of paint to a room in a deteriorating building will grab people’s attention, but it does not change the fact that the building is deteriorating. Only structural solutions will solve such problems. Mandatory school uniforms are no such solution, say the authors.
While I can understand and support the arguments made both in favor of school uniforms and in opposition to them, the image of the deteriorating building made by Brunsma and Rockquemore still resonates the most with me. School uniforms may, I believe, improve a school’s overall climate or culture. But alone, this is not enough. Much like a deteriorating building needs fresh paint and structural reinforcements, a school with violence and other issues may need more than what school uniforms can offer. Which is why I advocate the use of mandatory uniform policies as part of an overall school improvement plan, not as the plan itself. Thinking of school uniforms in this manner, rather than in an all or none type of model, might be most effective for today’s school districts, and thus, today’s students.
Tags: education, school uniforms, first amendment, fourteenth amendment
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