Uniforms in Public Schools

Contrary to some of the nation's most prominent newspapers, politicians and educational administrators, and the evening news, there is absolutely nothing simplistic and straightforward about the current movement to uniform public school students in the United States. The debate over whether to require uniforms is highly controversial, undeniably complex, and, from the analyses and arguments presented in this book, unquestionably rooted in multifaceted social, political, legal, cultural, racial material, and educational structures.

Much of the empirical research on school uniform policies' effectiveness has remained in dissertation and/or policy brief formats. This book provides an antidote to the ungrounded, anecdotal components that define the contemporary conversation regarding policies of standardized dress in American K-12 districts and schools. The contributors draw upon years of educational teaching and administrative experience, as well as research directed at objectively and empirically understanding the issue of school uniform policies elementary and middle schools. Uniforms in Public Schools is of the utmost importance for those who wish to be informed and insightful participants in the contemporary debate on school uniform policies.

Chapter 1 Introduction: Evaluating Public School Uniforms-A Decade of Research
Part 2 Part I: School Uniforms in Elementary Schools
Chapter 3 1. The Influence of a Mandatory School Uniform Policy in a Rural and an Urban School District
Chapter 4 2. Studying Public Elementary School Uniform Policies With Small Samples: Promises and Perils From Rural Pennsylvania
Part 5 Part 2: School Uniforms in Middle Schools
Chapter 6 3. Effects of Mandated School Uniforms on Student Attendance, Discipline Referrals, and Classroom Environment
Chapter 7 4. School Uniforms in Middle Schools: Enhancing Identity and Security
Chapter 8 5. Student Uniforms and School Climate: The Urban Middle School Teacher's Perception
Part 9 Part 3: School Uniforms: Critical and Comparative Processes
Chapter 10 6. School Dress Codes and Uniforms: Perspectives on Wearing Uniforms in Korea and the United States
Chapter 11 7. The Implementation and Impact of Mandatory School Uniforms in Long Beach, California
Chapter 12 Postscript: Looking Back, Looking Ahead-On the Future of Educational Research and Training