Does wearing a school uniform improve student behavior?

3/26/20, 5)54 PM

Academic rigor, journalistic flair

Does wearing a school uniform improve student behavior?

December 15, 2015 5.53am EST

Author

Todd A. DeMitchell
Professor of Education, and Professor of
Justice Studies, University of New
Hampshire

Should school students wear a uniform? Students' image via www.shutterstock.com

In a growing number of school districts across the nation, students must wear a uniform.

This is not the stereotypical school uniform associated with Catholic schools – pleated plaid skirt with a
blouse for girls; a button-down shirt, a necktie and dark pants for boys. Instead, these are mostly khaki
and blue or khaki and red shirt/blouse and skirt/pants uniforms.

According to the US Department of Education, wearing a uniform can decrease the risk of violence and
theft, instill discipline and help school officials recognize intruders who come to the school.

As a former teacher, principal and superintendent and now a policy and law scholar, I am skeptical
about such claims.

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Research on the effects of school uniforms is still nascent. And the findings on the impact of school
uniforms on student behavior, discipline, connection to the school, attendance and academic gains is at
best mixed.

Lawsuits, protests, individuality

About half of schools around the country have dress codes policies. A dress code identifies what clothes
cannot be worn to school. A school uniform policy defines what clothes must be worn to school. Dress
codes limit clothing options while school uniforms define clothing options.

Schools claim that when students come in uniforms, it improves discipline and leads to academic gains.
The Bossier Parish School Board in Louisiana enacted a uniform policy in 2001 in order to increase test
scores and reduce disciplinary problems.

However, such mandatory policies that decide what students can or cannot wear to schools, have led to
free speech violations lawsuits. Students allege such policies are unconstitutional, as they restrict their
freedom of expression.

There have been nine lawsuits up to 2014. School districts have won almost all the cases, except one,
where an appeals court found the uniform policy of a Nevada school unconstitutional. The school
required students to wear shirts emblazoned with the school motto, “Tomorrow’s Leaders,” which the
court found to be a violation of students’ free speech rights.

In addition, students have protested in their schools as well.

An example of student and parental reaction to school uniforms is found in my home state of New
Hampshire when Pinkerton Academy, a private secondary school, considered adopting a “uniform dress
code” (a school uniform).

Students in an online protest wrote:

[A school uniform] takes away individuality. Also, [it] will not change study habits of students.
[It means] too much money [needs to be spent] for each child. Parents do not have that type of
money, especially in this economy. We have the right to freedom of expression and would like
to keep it that way.“ [And] "its [sic] my right to wake up in the morning and have my own
unique individuality.”

Mixed impact of school uniforms

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A more important question is whether there is any evidence to show that mandatory uniform policies
can lead to improved student outcomes.

Research shows mixed results: it’s true that some studies show a reduction in the incidence of
misbehavior. But then, there are others that show an increase in student suspensions. A few others show
no significant change in student misbehavior.

Research shows mixed results of the impact of school uniforms on student behavior. Student image via
www.shutterstock.com

For example, a 2010 study in a large urban school district in the Southwest found that asking students to
wear uniforms did not result in any change in the number of suspensions for elementary school
students.

In fact, middle and high school students experienced a significant increase in suspensions.

By contrast, a 2003 study that used a large national data set concluded that elementary and middle
schools with school uniforms had fewer student behavior problems.

But, again, it found that high schools had a greater frequency of misbehavior.

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Interestingly, even when evidence is available, educators’ perceptions could be at odds with it. For
example, a study of educators in 38 North Carolina high schools found that 61% of the responding
principals and assistant principals believed that there was a reduction in cases of misbehavior on
campus when school uniforms were introduced. In reality, the data showed no change in incidents of
crime, violence and suspensions.

Similarly, research on the efficacy of school uniforms on increasing student attendance and achievement
is conflicted. For example, one study concluded that school uniforms resulted in increased student
achievement and increased attendance.

However, another study found little impact on academics at all levels and little evidence of improvement
in attendance for girls and drop in attendance for boys.

Implications for policy

So, what does lack of consistent research mean for policy?

In my view, it does not mean that schools should not implement such policies. It does mean, however,
that educators must be clear about the goals that they hope to achieve with mandating school uniforms.

There is often a cost associated with mandatory school uniform policies. Lawsuits and community
reactions can take up scarce resources of time and money.

Decreased discipline problems, increased attendance and increased academic achievement may not be
achieved just by wearing khaki and blue. But there may be other benefits, such as, it could help a school
promote its brand through a uniform look. School uniform may also serve as symbol of commitment to
academic achievement.

The point is that clarity of purpose and outcome is necessary before students don their uniform in the
morning.

I believe school uniforms may be part of a broad array of programs and approaches that a school may
adopt to bring change. However, as a standalone measure, it implies that schools are simply trying to
find an easy fix for difficult and complex problems.

School uniforms alone cannot bring about a sustained or large-scale change.

 Free speech Teachers School discipline School uniform Elementary school suspensions freedom of expression

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