Student Dress And Grooming

Student Dress and Grooming William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

Research Subject  Student

Uniforms and Grooming

History 

1987 Cherry Hill Elementary made history when it became the first public school to adopt uniforms.

History 

1996 State of the Union Address by President William Clinton which he strongly recommended uniforms as one way to keep schools safe.

School Uniforms ~Pros~     

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Reduce violence Increase school safety Increase attendance Improve grades Financial benefits for parents Reduce visible economic differences

~Cons~ 

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No confirmed effect on safety and violence No bearing on academic achievement May mask risky behaviors (gang participation) Violates student’s rights to free expression

Student Grooming  

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Common Standards: Hairstyles must pose no disruption to the learning environment Good, clean hygiene Neatness, and order are paramount

Legal Issues 

Parents and School Tangle Over Waldorf Tot's Locks Boy, 3, Suspended From Private Academy



By Megan Greenwell Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, November 24, 2007; B01

Conclusion Research has shown that the implementation of school uniforms has no direct effect on school safety or performance. What is most often visible is a sense of “order”. A school that has a uniform policy is no safer than one that does not have a uniform policy, and student performance ahs been linked to parental involvement, not uniform mandates.

Conclusion Grooming policies often thwart radical behavior, and disruption to the learning environment, and are therefore believed to be beneficial, all be it sometimes controversial.

Resources

Baltimore City Public School System www.bcps.k12.md.us  National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) www.naesp.org 