Dress Code

Your research paper on dress code could begin:

The state of public education in the United States has begun a downward spiral that has yet to find resolution. "The public school campuses of our nation are experiencing an unprecedented crisis of violence and a shocking decline in academic achievement. The National School Boards Association has estimated that approximately 135,000 guns are brought to the nation's 85,000 public schools every day". Further as standardized test scores in basic applications such as math and reading continue to plummet, many parents and teachers have begun to decry the state of public school education. The dilapidated state of many public schools across the United States has prompted educators and parents to seek alternative methods to improve school and student performance.The result of this search has lead many school districts around the country to utilize dress codes to improve both the efficacy of student performance and ensure greater security in the school environment.

Dress Code Defined

Dress code is defined by the Encyclopedia of American Education as: "Rules and regulations governing student, faculty and staff clothing, personal appearance and grooming, including makeup, hair length and facial hair". It seems that historically, private schools have had little resistance to adopting dress codes because of their status. However, many public schools have faced an intense amount of scrutiny for imposing regulations on clothing. Although the institution of dress codes in public schools has prompted an open debate over Constitutional issues, the reality is that school dress codes are being adopted more frequently all across the United States.The reason: because they work. While many opponents of dress codes tend to argue that the implementation of a dress code, promulgates the loss of self-expression among students, it seems reasonable to argue that when it comes to education, academic performance and safety are more important than self-expression.

Benefits of Dress Codes

You may have to argue in your research paper for some benefits of dress codes. The following may give you some ideas on what to write:

• Some students approve of school dress codes because they reduce peer pressure and eliminate the "keep up with the Jones" mentality.
• Others promote school dress codes as a safety factor.
• Dress codes are being enforced in some school districts as a means to discourage racial tensions.
• Dress codes also discourage overt sexual behavior by teens. In some cases, date rape and violence against teen girls by teen boys has been attributed to the clothes the girls were wearing.