School Uniforms and the Results of Students - Essay Example

?Introduction In today’s world of kidnapping and human trafficking a reliable means of protecting our children is vital to our continued safe existence. We can no longer bury our heads in the sand and hope that our children are safe once they have been left in the care of teachers and administrators. There is need for a viable option which allows our children to be independent individuals whilst at the same time receiving maximum protection in their learning environment. Whilst the use of school uniforms offer the opportunity for students and non students of an organization to be easily identifiable, does covering every child with the same fabric allow for students to express themselves as an individual who has the right to choose a preferred type of clothing. The school uniform controversy although around for decades is still quite vibrant in our public arenas. Although politicians and certain administrators claim that the wearing of a uniform reduces the level of violence at school and improves academic performance there is a resounding lack of empirical evidence to support this viewpoint (Brunsma and Rockquemore, and Northern).The author of this paper intends to demonstrate that the wearing of a uniform is but a drop in the bucket of methods of reducing the negativity associated with poor academic performance and behavior problems. In addition, claims of improving academic performance through the implementation of a uniform policy have strongly been refuted by researchers and educators alike (Brunsma and Rockquemore, and Northern). There are several other justifiable means of improving the overall conduct and performance of students at school and on the streets. In 1998 Brunsma and Rockquemore conducted a scientific research to investigate the claims made by proponents of the use of school uniform. The researchers examined assertions that the wearing of school uniforms reduces the abuse of drugs by teenagers as well as the problems in their behavior. In addition, they investigated the likelihood of the use of school uniforms causing an improvement in school attendance and academic achievement. Initially, Brunsma and Rockquemore acknowledged that Long Beach Unified School District was the first urban school district to operate with a mandatory uniform policy. In fact, advocates of the uniform policy at Long Beach insisted that the uniform policy was the only factor involved in the positive outcomes at the school district. Contrastingly, the authors noted that opponents to mandatory school uniforms were adamant that the use of school uniforms encountered ‘legal’ and ‘financial’ problems. Further, they noted the ‘questionable effectiveness’ of the wearing of these uniforms (53). Thus, the researchers in their attempt to test the relationship between uniforms and the four major outcomes made by advocates of the uniform policy utilized data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study conducted in 1988 with 8th grade students. Their results were astounding for in all four cases the researchers discovered that the empirical evidence did not support the claims made by the advocates. Instead there appeared to be the need for alternative thinking on the cause of the positive effects of the use of uniforms at the Long Beach Unified School District. Brunsma and Rockquemore were quick to note that there was other ‘reform efforts’ implemented at the same time as the uniform policy at the Long Beach District (60). The researchers concluded that the negative correlation between the mandatory uniform policy and academic achievement was perhaps asymptomatic of the ‘quick fix nature’ of reform policies at schools. Interestingly, in her article entitled, “School Uniforms, Academic Achievement, and Uses of Research”, Bodine highlighted possibly erroneous conclusions in Brunsma and Rockquemore’s article. In fact, Bodine contrasted the results obtained by Brunsma and Rockquemore with the results of an Educational Testing Service article. Bodine emphasized the differences in the reasons put forward for the use of uniforms in the late 1800s with the varying reasons in the late 1900s. She noted that in the 1894 Winthrop Normal and Industrial College insisted on the use of uniforms in order to decrease the level of social disparity amongst their students. By 1990s the discourse on uniform had moved from social disparity to the use of uniforms to temper gang violence. Bodine noted: early discourse on uniforms in U.S. public schools focused on their leveling effect, whereas common dress was also advocated for simplicity, practicality, and frugality. Reflecting changes in social climate, the egalitarian theme has been muted in post-1980 public discourse on school uniforms, although “leveling the playing field for kids” remains the predominant theme of private discourse in some communities … In post-1980 research and policy discourse, relations of school clothes to gangs and violence, school safety, school climate, shoplifting, peer pressure, family stress, self-expression, esprit de corps, individual versus community needs and rights, truancy, competitive dressing, and commercial influences on the young. (Bodine 67) Brunsma and Rockquemore, who Bodine claimed were the first researchers to incorporate academic success in the uniform discourse, came in for harsh criticism from Bodine. She noted that in her reexamination of the data used by Brunsma and Rockquemore her findings suggested that the two researchers’ results of uniforms being correlated with lower test scores were inaccurate because there was ‘misleading use of sector analysis’ (67). She also emphasized that both Brunsma and Rockquemore and the Educational Testing Service article were written in 1998. However, Educational Testing Service found no correlation between uniforms and academic success whereas the Brunsma and Rockquemore study resulted in a positive correlation between the uniform and academic achievement (68). Bodine noted that although the data showed a positive correlation between uniforms and academic achievement, Brunsma and Rockquemore continued to claim that there was a negative correlation between the two variables. Thus, Bodine concluded by cautioning parents, teachers and fellow researchers from adopting stances which are erroneous and causing the entire society to be mislead. Not only was there debate in the public forum but Brunsma and Rockquemore and Bodine continued the uniform debate in the research arena. Brunsma and Rockquemore did not allow Bodine to have the last say. In 2003 they published a scathing article in response to Bodine’s criticism. In this article, “Statistics, Sound Bites, and School Uniforms: A Reply to Bodine”, the researchers chided Bodine for confusing causality with correlation. They defined correlation versus causality and suggested that Bodine was mistaken in her interpretation of causality and correlation. They also highlighted Bodine and other researchers’ obvious neglect of analyzing their results in context. What is more, Brunsma and Rockquemore maintained that Bodine was not only inaccurate about their findings but about the Educational Testing Service as well. They believed that the Educational Testing Service study was not about correlation but about the process. Thus, Brunsma and Rockquemore concluded by agreeing with Bodine in her observation that often researchers cannot prevent their findings from being misinterpreted (76). They believed that Bodine had lost sight of the greater importance that of the relationship between uniforms and academic achievement. They decided to remain with their original findings that school uniforms will not increase academic achievement (76). Consistent with the conclusion of Brunsma and Rockquemore, the author of this paper believes that although the use of uniforms may be one of the factors which contribute to academic success it does not cause the success. In the Long Beach positive results researchers noted that there were many other policies implemented simultaneously with the school uniforms. The introduction of different teaching methods was one such policy ((Brunsma and Rockquemore). Further, Northern highlighted Anthony Gell in the United Kingdom who refused to make uniform mandatory at his school. Gell along with other educators found the uniform issue to be highly political, complex and divisive (Northern). The uniform initiative should not be a ‘quick fix’ rather other initiatives such as ‘aggressive truancy reduction initiatives, drug prevention efforts, student-athlete drug testing, community efforts to limit gangs, a zero tolerance policy for weapons, character education classes, and conflict resolution programs’ can be used to improve behavioral problems at schools (Northern). Works Cited Northern, Stephanie. “School uniform does not improve results – discuss.” The Guardian., 18 Jan. 2011. Web. 30 June 2011. Bodine, Ann. “School Uniforms, Academic Achievement, and Uses of Research.” Journal of Educational Research 97.2 (2003): 67-71. Web. 30 June 2011. Brunsma, David , and Rockquemore, Kerry. “Effects of Student Uniforms on Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Use, and Academic Achievement.” Journal of Educational Research, 92.1(1998) 53-62. Web. 30 June 2011. ---. “Statistics, Sound Bites, and School Uniforms: A Reply to Bodine.” Journal of Educational Research, 97.2(2003) 72-77. Web. 30 June 2011. Read More