Implications of School Uniforms on Student Achievement and Self-Esteem Over the past decade school reform policy has taken a step towards pushing sameness in school settings. This is evidenced by the adoption of the common core standards, replicating charter school models, and the recent increase in the utilization of school uniforms. There appears to be an assumption that if students are taught the same standards, experience the same school culture, wear the same clothes, their schooling experience will harvest a higher level of academic achievement. According to the 2015 United States News study, only one out of the top ten ranked high schools in the nation mandate school uniforms. Embedded in the same study were the results of the top ten high schools in Illinois, none of which require students to wear uniforms. The highest performing students in the nation and the state of Illinois are not wearing uniforms to school on a daily basis. This trend is something that needs to be further explored because the populations that disproportionately wear school uniforms are schools that have a significantly high poverty rate. In fact, 47% of high-poverty public schools reported requiring school uniforms, compared to 6% of low poverty public schools (U.S. Department of Education, 2014). Due to this, there is a need for research that studies the impact school uniforms have on student achievement as this is a impending threat to educational equity. Purpose of the Study This research paper seeks to analyze the affect that wearing school uniforms has on the academic performance and self-esteem of students in their junior year of high school. By performing a study that has both quantitative and qualitative components, we can gain a rich und... ... middle of paper ... ...ent achievement. The goal of any schooling system is to ensure that students have the opportunity to achieve at their highest possible level; uniforms could hinder or perpetuate this reality. Potential Limitations There are few limitations to this study that need to be acknowledged. It might be particularly challenging to find as many students to participate in the study as necessary since their participation is dependent on parental consent since the majority of students will still be minors in their junior year of high school. Additionally, the qualitative part of this study can be somewhat limiting since it is difficult to compare and quantify feelings. Finally, coding the in person interviews can be challenging since there is not a clear hypothesis or answer researchers are searching for. Rather, they are trying to gather sufficient data to form a solid theory.
One aspect of having all students wear the same school-district uniform, is that it helps students focus on learning. In my case, I went to a private junior high school few years ago. Students there are required to wear the uniform every day; everyone dresses like a student. When I wake up every morning, I just grab my uniform and put it on without having any other thoughts about how it will look on me; thus I have more time to spend on learning. Therefore, I was prepared every day, and so were others. Yet, the high school I went to was a public school; it does not have any uniform policies. Comparing to my junior high, students dressed differently every day with different kinds of clothing. Since it does not require un...
One of the most controversial topics revolving around schooling is the weather students should or should not wear uniforms to improve academic and social behavior. Many sources say that school uniforms improve discipline, attendance, lower criminal activity, and increase academic achievement in students; Furthermore, this is due to less distraction and conforming to the idea that uniforms makes you smarter. This false ideology that is expected from school uniforms has not been proven in any way to work and is more of a waste of the tax-payers money than an improvement. There are more outlying factors that contribute to success or failure than just uniforms and pro-advocates do not get this big picture. The most outspoken reasons why to use
“The Manual on School Uniforms”, printed and issued by the United States Department of Education, noted that Long Beach, California, reported a decrease in crime, fights, sex offenses, weapons offenses, and vandalism after they adopted their uniform policy (4). Contrary to government findings, The National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 discovered that school uniforms have had no real effects on behavior, drug abuse or attendance; furthermore they also came to find that uniforms actually have negative effects on the academic achievement of the students (Brunsma and Rockquemore 54). If school A is emphasizing that school uniforms are conducive to the learning environment, yet school B down the road has higher testing scores but no uniform policy, then their stand is no longer valid. This proves that uniforms have no effect on the learning process.
School uniforms should be part of the school systems, because statistics had shown that students who wear uniforms are doing better than dress codes. More students also feel a sense of equality among each other and there are fewer judgments of others. It allows teacher quickly to identify people who do not belong in the building and limit the ways that gangs can identify themselves. School outfit provides students identity, individual spirit, and pride. Uniforms are increasing throughout different schools. School uniforms make students look more formal, and progressively affects student’s self-esteem, discipline, and safety, and develops students be more confident of what they can achieve in life.
In society today, school-age children are under tremendous pressure to fit in with their peers and still perform well academically. I believe that school uniforms at pre-K through high school levels are an excellent way to help children succeed not only in school, but to prepare them for college and the “real world.” Three reasons why I believe school uniforms should be used in all schools is first, they are economic, next, they reduce distractions and finally, they help with social equality. To begin, school uniforms are economic. When schools have a uniform policy, it makes it easier on the children and parents.
At the beginning of the 20th century almost no parent or faculty had any concerns with how students dressed to attend school. Nowadays, though, this is a giant concern among students, parents, and school board officials. Many arguments have been made over the matter saying uniforms should be required and enforced in schools. But, uniforms should not be required as they ultimately eliminate freedom of expression, promote conformity over individuality, may have a detrimental effect on students self image, emphasize the socioeconomic divisions they are supposed to eliminate, and lastly, school uniforms in public schools undermine the promise of a free education by adding an extra expense for families.
Worrying more about others, rather than themselves, students pay more attention to the appearance of their peers instead of their academics. To begin, if school uniforms became apart of the school policy, students’ academics would improve phenomenally. Hanley noted that “The reason for the policy [was] to further improve ascending test scores and provide a safe, comfortable learning environment” (A1+). Clearly, school administrators wanted to improve test scores, and they figured if students dressed the same, then they would have no other choice but to focus on their school work. If the students can concentrate on their school work, then they will have high self- esteem. Furthermore, Valdez believes that school uniforms, positively, will change student academics: “… [they] decrease self consciousness and increase self esteem...” (14). Reasonable and realistic, students who feel better about themselves will succeed in school rather than those who have poor self-esteem. Not only do school uniforms encourage students to have a better attitude about themselves, but they also change the environment in which students learn....
By requiring school uniforms in public schools, education will be improved. A dress code will enforce discipline toward learning. Uniforms improve a person’s outlook toward success. Students generally act the way they are dressed. With fewer distractions, students see the school as a workplace for teaching and learning. Students also have less stress in their lives because they are not in a fashion competition. Dress codes also lead to a change in grades. Mainly this happens because the student’s attendance comes up. There is also a change in grades because it is easier to focus when everyone looks alike.
School Uniforms School uniforms are increasingly popular across the nation. In fact, it is a huge controversial argument of communities rejecting these mandated school uniforms in their schools. However, school uniforms are not meant to be a negative thing; in fact, they can be positive in many ways by: eliminating cliques, saving money for parents, and taking away the bullying from students less fortunate. Meanwhile, on the other side of the argument, people believe that school uniforms will violate students’ freedom of expression, create a financial burden on families, and uniforms will not alleviate problems. However, with a solution that would benefit both parties, the public school systems in Oklahoma City district would benefit greatly if this policy were adopted in all the schools; since, the district only has 74 public schools in uniforms, while 17 schools are not.
School uniforms lack effectiveness. They don’t help fix any problems. Many believe that school uniforms take away the students distraction towards clothes and appearance and enhance academic performance. However, it does not take a genius to realize that wearing a uniform does not automatically make a student more attentive or hard-working. There may be several other reasons as to why a student lacks focus or is distracted. Those reasons may include problems at home, with other students or even with teachers. Schools should do everything they can to help students with those proble...
Ups, Downs, Cups, and the Crown “‘You may have signed for Man United, but you haven’t done anything yet’” (Beckham 33). This was what the great David Beckham lived his life by: the idea that you must keep improving yourself even after you’ve proved yourself. In Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground by David Beckham (with Tom Watt), Beckham tells his life story from his time as a young boy, all the way to his time at Real Madrid Club of Football, where he was playing when writing the book. This proves to be a phenomenal book that perfectly portrays the glories and fallouts of being a professional soccer player.
School uniforms are a boiling conversation point these days. There are so many well-built points of view about what route parents, students, and superintendents wish to go in. It has been disputed that school uniforms have the potential to make a school safer, that uniforms reduce harassment or self-esteem issues, and that uniforms return the focus to the students' learning. I disagree. I, in fact think that school uniforms do not help make our schools a more secure place, I think that they do not revisit the center of attention to student's education - they just shifted where the attention was previous, and that they won’t help cut down on harassment or self- esteem issues in school.
“We cannot forget that reinforcing economic differences drives students further apart when schools should be drawing them closer together.” There are many problems in public schools with no uniforms. The use of school uniforms could eliminate some of these problems. Although school uniforms may take away a child’s individuality, there are more benefits than disadvantages to having school uniforms in public schools because school uniforms lessen the money spent on the latest fashion trends and school uniforms provide a positive school climate.
Should school uniforms be required? Some say that uniforms help students focus on academics instead of fashion. Others believe that students should have the freedom to choose what they wear to school in order to express their differences and their uniqueness. After considering both sides of the issue, I strongly believe that uniforms should be introduced in primary public and private schools. Wearing school uniforms does not promote unfair comparisons between student’s incomes in terms of clothing; they aid students in developing their inner qualities instead of focusing on the outer aspects of themselves in the crucial earlier years of their lives, and provides a platform for practicing discipline.
All individuals struggle with discovering who they are and who they may want to be in the future. School environment, either negatively or positively, impacts the result of this greatly. Uniforms in the learning environment have become a highly debated subject all across the country. Although some individuals believe school uniforms have a positive affect, those people should understand the negatives because uniforms promote appearance over character, lower student’s self-esteem, and conflict with the right of expression.