Do School Uniforms Affect Academic Performance?

school uniforms

From 1st grade all the way until 12th grade I attended catholic schools that required a uniform in the dress code. I never really understood why we had to wear them but some people insisted it was because dressing nicer improves academic performance. Is there actually some truth to this claim or is it simply a myth? From the articles and information I have gathered, it seems that there are very mixed results.

In an article on channel 19-action news, they discuss a study that was done on 6 big city schools throughout Ohio on whether or not uniforms have an impact on students’ behaviors. Researcher Virginia Draa found that implementing a uniform policy in schools did not have any impact on academic performance, but it did play a role in other areas. Draa found that overall, graduation rates rose an average almost 11% in schools that implemented uniforms as opposed to schools without uniforms that saw a drop of around 4.6% in graduation rates. Other things that uniforms seemed to impact were attendance and expulsion rates. In uniform schools attendance increased 3.5% in four of the schools while it decreased in two schools. Expulsion rates declined by almost 1 student per every 100 students in that span. Because that number is so small, I believe that number could have been due to chance.

From all of the articles I have read, including this one, it seems that academic performance was not really affected by whether or no students wore a uniform; therefore it would not be reasonable to say that wearing a uniform has any impact on how kids will perform in school. Because there is no effect, the null hypothesis that uniforms do not have any impact on academic performance would be accepted. Although it did no affect academics, it did seem to improve other important issues such as attendance, graduation rates, and expulsion rates.

Just as Virginia Draa noted, the conclusions drawn were limited due to the size of the study. Although 6 different public schools contain a lot of students, a much larger study would be necessary in order to conclude more accurate results. But for now you might as well throw on the sweatpants and t shirt because it won’t make a difference!

http://www.19actionnews.com/story/4356460/study-says-school-uniforms-might-help-attendance-graduation-rates

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/way-kids-dress-affect-school-16454.html

4 thoughts on “Do School Uniforms Affect Academic Performance?

  1. Hunter Sean Smith

    I went to a public elementary and middle school but transferred to a catholic school in 6th grade that had a uniform. I also went to a private high school that had uniforms. I did not experience any difference in academic performance and although the average grades of my peers seemed to be better than my peers at my previous school, the catholic school was much smaller and in a better area. A study done by the NAESP shows schools reporting positive effects of implementing dress codes. There are studies that go both ways, supporting and dismissing the correlation between uniforms and academic performance. I feel that there are too many different factors that go into academic performance to prove whether or not uniforms have an impact.
    http://www.naesp.org/national-survey-school-leaders-reveals-2013-school-uniform-trends

  2. Madison Canter

    I myself attended private schools that required a uniform for 12 years. I am very surprised to see how little a uniform helps in terms of academics. Maybe I am bias, because uniforms are so near and dear to me. I loved wearing a uniform and I believe that it actually did help me stay on track with my academics, immensely. In my middle school, we weren’t even allowed to wear makeup, nail polish, or jewelry (unless it was a cross). I think this helped especially in the junior high years because that is when most kids, especially girls become interested in certain trends and start to judge others, based on clothes and looks. When you’re all wearing the same thing, there is little room to judge. You won’t get made fun of for not wearing the newest pair of sneakers or not following trends that everyone else is. I think if uniforms are able to distract people from bullying and caring so much about what others do, than it can keep them on track with their schoolwork. However, I know bullying will always happen, no matter what the circumstances. I witnessed first hand through my own education, that no one really paid too much attention to other people, because a uniform made us all equal and forced us to leave our socioeconomic status at the door. Thisjournal talks about “dressing for success” is not a myth, due to past studies. Therefore, uniforms that consist of button down shirts and ties can help students perform better on tests.

  3. Bria Marie Donnelly

    I relate to your post because went to a private catholic school from kindergarten through third grade. Within you post, there seems to be limited studies done as to whether uniforms affect academic performance but what if there was a confounding variable that needed to be looked at? A lot of the time people talk about school uniforms bullying comes up. Some people believe that eliminating the competition for the best clothes and kids getting picked on for not having nice clothes is a huge plus side on having school uniforms and helps decrease bullying. In a 2013 survey by the National Association of Elementary School Principals found that 64 percent of school leaders said that uniforms reduce bullying. If there were a decrease in bullying that could directly affect how will students may do when it comes to academics. Bullies will find anything to pick on but reducing the chance of one reason could really help improve a student attitude toward school and their academic performance.
    http://school-uniforms.procon.org/

  4. Charles Lloyd Johnson

    I attended an all guys private Catholic high school and we had a “dress code” not necessarily a uniform. We had to wear a button down shirt, a tie, khakis, a belt, dress shoes, and dress socks. I attended a public middle school which had no uniform policy and I did not notice a difference in my academics transferring from a school with no dress code to a school with a dress code. A lot of the facts in your article I think can be attributed to the fact that most schools that have uniforms, are private schools that have a tuition that must be paid in order to attend. If that is the case, the increased graduation rate makes sense because the family is paying for the child to go to that school and it would be a waste of money to drop out. Also with the attendance factor, if you are paying to go to school, your parents will make you go to school (at least that’s what my parents did). Overall I found it interesting to learn these little facts about schools with uniforms since I attended one myself.

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