Worthington 1

Grace Worthington

Professor Barnes

English 1201

March 20, 2021

School Uniforms in the United States

For quite a while, dress codes have been a significant issue for students. Schools enforce

specific dress code standards on students for the purpose of academic excellence, but in some

cases, it seems to have the opposite effect on a student's education. Some people question what

kind of dress codes have a better impact on students-uniforms or non-uniform dress codes. And

although there is no method to solve the dress code problem in schools completely, research has

shown some ways in which dress code can be more manageable.

In 1996, The U.S Department of Education endorsed and tried to implement more

uniforms in schools across the United States. Implementing school uniforms was meant to stop

the spread of violence, peer pressure, gang colors, and foster academic discipline in every

student. Underwood also discussed how there were fewer legal problems to run into than non-

uniform dress codes by using school uniforms. With non-uniform dress codes, the argument of

whether an article of clothing is appropriate or not can, but not always, lead to court cases

(Underwood). This source can be helpful in my research paper because it discusses the legal

issues associated with non-uniform dress codes.

Some research has shown that wearing school uniforms helps students have a better

learning environment, stops peer pressure, creates an even playing field, and promotes team

spirit. For parents, buying uniforms could save them more money than buying regular clothes for

their children. And, uniforms have also helped with the identification of students, which can be
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crucial in-school field trips (Walmsley). This source can be used in different ways for my

research paper because it covers various benefits of school uniforms.

The banning of spaghetti straps, durags, natural hair, short skirts/pants, and so forth in

schools can be unfair and may target a specific group of people. Moreover, many times, students

lose class time because of an article of clothing, which can seem counterintuitive. If schools were

to take a deeper look into what is considered "inappropriate" and relax dress code regulations,

students would feel more comfortable. Furthermore, if students were exempt from academic

discipline due to dress code mishaps, dress code would cause less of an argument (Sikes). With

these sources, I could show a significant problem with the non-uniform dress codes in the United

States and their usage on specific students.

However, there is a downside to implementing uniforms; it is unsure if school uniforms

are effective in schools. Research on this topic was done by a sociologist named David Brunsma.

His research was done at a district to see if uniforms were practical, and his reports ended up

discrediting the idea that they would (Boutelle). The source is helpful because it can be used for

a non-uniform argument in my research paper, and it questions whether or not uniforms can be

practical for students.

Many students feel as though the school uniforms implemented in their schools are

restricting their self-expression. Students may find uniforms ugly, and that they feel more

comfortable wearing what they want. But there are also many students who feel like uniforms

help with discipline and enjoy the benefits of implementing them (“Are School Dress Codes

Fair?”). This source can help me see uniforms from a student’s perspective and use it as a form

of pathos (emotion) in my paper.

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An alternative to uniforms that may work better is the means/ends test. Using this will be

easier for teachers or principals to decipher whether something a student is wearing should be

permitted or if what they are wearing could put them in harm or someone else in harm. Using

observational analysis and previous research/data correlates the article of clothing with the

student's action. This could prevent any dress code associated with gangs, violence, and so forth

because it is based on previous data (Workman). If a school were to use this method, it would

require much time and effort to compile research; this method certainly has its pros and cons.

When working on my research paper, I included many more important sources to my

argument and counterarguments. The list is very long, but I only include those that had the most

usage and support. The first of these sources was an article done by Lisa Runge. In this source,

she discussed how she and many parents are concerned with how expensive school uniforms are.

Moreover, how school uniforms can be costly, up to $20 apiece. However, many schools have

ways for students to afford uniforms through different mechanics (Runge). The second source

was done by Elisabetta Gentile and Scott Imberman. The source discussed various points to

school uniforms, but mainly how they can reduce peer pressure, especially for children with

socioeconomic difficulties. Furthermore, it can help students focus more on class and instill

respect (Gentile and Imberman). The third and last source used was Jafeth Sanchez and others.

This source went over a survey done at a Nevada urban school. The school wanted to implement

a school uniform policy and needed student feedback. The student feedback showed that the

Latino students and women attending had more benefits from school uniforms, including better

attendance, fewer detentions, and less bullying (Sanchez et al.).

It seems that a practical alternative that would limit some disputes over dress code is

school uniforms. Uniforms could possibly help with legal issues, discipline, and identification.
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However, there is still much more information to collect on the usage of school uniforms in

American schools and whether data and research back up the effectiveness of uniforms.
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Works Cited:

“Are School Dress Codes Fair? Dress Code Controversies Are in the Headlines--Violations,

Protests, Even Arrests! Are Our Bodies Distracting Others? Or Maybe Clothing

Standards Are Just Part of Growing Up?” Scholastic Choices, vol. 35, no. 5, Feb. 2019,

pp. 2–5. EBSCOhost, http://sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?

url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=f5h&AN=134230490&site=ehost-live. Accessed 21 Mar. 2021.

Boutelle, Marsha. “UNIFORMS: Are They a Good Fit?” Education Digest, vol. 73, no. 6, Feb.

2008, pp. 34–37. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=31169490&site=ehost-live. Accessed 20 Mar. 2021.

Gentile, Elisabetta., and Scott A. Imberman. “Dressed for success? The effect of school uniforms

on student achievement and behavior.” Journal of Urban Economics I, vol. 71, 12 Sept.

2011, pp, 1-17. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094119011000611.

Accessed 26 Mar. 2021.

Runge, Lisa. “School Uniforms Don't Have to Cost so Much.” Greater Greater Washington, 25

Sept. 2013, ggwash.org/view/32438/school-uniforms-dont-have-to-cost-so-much.

Accessed 26 Apr. 2021.

Sanchez, Jafeth E., et al. “Uniforms in the Middle School: Student Opinions, Discipline Data,

and School Police Data.” Journal of School Violence, vol. 11, no. 4, Oct. 2012, pp. 345–

356. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/15388220.2012.706873. Accessed 25 Mar. 2021.

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Sikes, Chloe Latham. “Racial and Gender Disparities in Dress Code Discipline Point to Need for

New Approaches in Schools.” IDRA, IDRA Newsletter, Feb. 2020,

www.idra.org/resource-center/racial-and-gender-disparities-in-dress-code-discipline-

point-to-need-for-new-approaches-in-schools/#. Accessed 6 Mar. 2021.

Underwood, Julie. “School Uniforms, Dress Codes, and Free Expression: What’s the Balance?”

Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 99, no. 6, Mar. 2018, pp. 74–75. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1177/0031721718762429. Accessed 6 Mar. 2021.

Walmsley, Angela. “What the United Kingdom Can Teach the United States About School

Uniforms.” Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 92, no. 6, Mar. 2011, pp. 63–66. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1177/003172171109200614. Accessed 6 Mar. 2021.

Workman, Jane E., and Cathryn M. Studak. Use of the Means/Ends Test to Evaluate Public

School Dress-Code Policies. Mar. 2008, https://journals-ohiolink-

edu.sinclair.ohionet.org/apexprod/rws_ejcsearch/r/1507/99?

p99_entity_id=22337003&p99_entity_type=MAIN_FILE&cs=3m7o_zw_mNlyJ3ZWNI

yk53QZ66ZcI-

Cqc_bg7Aw6qvX1lQOmMR7KzXaHeJkayeW6ouhmMGiH8u1ZnlSWLEFaCbA.

Accessed 20 Mar. 2021.

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