William Kritsonis, School Law, Ch 9 Dress and Grooming

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Student Dress and Grooming

• William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

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Research Subject

• Student Uniforms and Grooming

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History

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

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History

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

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School Uniforms

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

• Cons
• No confirmed effect on safety and violence
• No bearing on academic achievement
• May mask risky behaviors (gang participation)
• Violates students rights to free expression

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Student Grooming

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

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Legal Issues

• Parents and School Tangle Over Waldorf Tot's
  LocksBoy, 3, Suspended From Private Academy
• By Megan GreenwellWashington Post Staff
  WriterSaturday, November 24, 2007 B01

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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.

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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.

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Resources

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