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Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Dressed for Success?

Spanish Translation

By Kathryn R. Hoffman

On the first day of class in public schools throughout Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there wasn't a belly button in sight. There weren't any baggy, sagging jeans or T-shirts with big logos or skimpy little tank tops.

Veronica Santana, 9, and her sister Carina, 8, strolled into class that day in identical navy blue skirts and white shirts. Even the principal showed up in the same outfit. And Carina didn't seem to mind: "I like that she has on the same thing." Is it time to call the fashion police?

Actually, the fashion police have already arrived. Veronica and Carina are students at the William Cramp School. This year, the Cramp school, along with Philadelphia's 264 other public schools, has a mandatory uniform policy. Each school can pick its own style of uniform. Students must wear that uniform every school day.

At the Cramp school, the uniform consists of white shirts, red ties and navy blue bottoms—jumpers for girls, pants for boys. Uniforms make principal Adrienne Carpenter's job easier. Before uniforms, she says, "We had to remind the kids that midriff blouses and tank tops were not school wear."

Do Clothes Make the Student?
In 1996, President Bill Clinton encouraged the use of school uniforms as part of an education program that sought to improve safety and discipline. Since then, a growing number of school systems in the U.S. have donned stricter dress codes and uniform policies. In 21 states and the District of Columbia, schools and districts have the authority to tell their students what to wear.

Six of the nation's largest school districts now have uniform policies. Philadelphia joins New York City; Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; and Houston, Texas. They hope that the use of uniforms and dress codes will increase student safety and enhance learning.

But can a change of clothes really change attitudes? Yes, suggest studies from Long Beach, California, the first district in the nation to have a mandatory uniform policy. School officials there say that since uniforms were required beginning in 1994, the number of suspensions and fights has dropped dramatically. Also, the average attendance has reached an all-time high.

Another benefit of uniforms is a drop in teasing and competition, notes Karen Williams, principal of Lowell Bayside Academy in Long Beach. When the whole school has to wear the same thing, no one can be picked on for having an uncool brand of sneakers or jeans. "We're not here to parade outfits around," says Williams. "We're here with our shirts tucked in, ready for the day."

Freedom of Fashion
Still, many kids don't want to be told what to wear. One fifth-grader at the Cramp school, who doesn't like his uniform, says, "I'd rather wear the clothes my mom bought me."

TFK News Team kid reporter Lauren Donahoo, a student in North Richland Hills, Texas, doesn't wear a uniform. But her school does have a dress code that bans some styles. Frayed pants and short shorts are no-no's. Lauren, 12, says some of her classmates would like to change the rules, but not too drastically. "They're glad there's a rule against tank tops," she says. "A lot of girls go too far."

Not all adults think uniforms and dress codes make the grade. Some educators suggest that the positive results at Long Beach and other schools may have to do with policy changes and not uniforms. Some parents and teachers believe that kids should be able to express themselves as individuals. Principal Carpenter and other pro-uniform administrators argue that it's easier for kids to express themselves when they don't have to worry about what they're wearing.

Where do you stand on the uniform debate? Are you for them or against them?

Next: "Freedom and Fear Are at War"