Dress Code/Uniforms

Read more about school dress codes and uniform policies. Do they improve student achievement or school climate? Are they sexist or racist?

Explainer

School Dress Code Debates, Explained
What are they, who do they serve, and do they need to be changed?
Conceptual Illustration of clothing and dollar signs flying through the air.
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Teaching Profession What's Your Teacher Outfit of the Day? Educators Share Their Best School Fashion
Social media influencers reveal budget-friendly wardrobe tips for teachers to try this school year.
Marina Whiteleather, August 23, 2024
1 min read
Image of a hand moving hangers and clothes in a closet.
nicoletaionescu/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession How Should Teachers Dress for the Classroom?
Teachers on social media weigh in on the notion of dressing professionally—and what that means in reality.
Tanyon A. Duprey, August 8, 2024
3 min read
ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of U.S. Litigation David Cortman, left, and Liam Morrison speak at a press conference following oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit on Feb. 8, 2024.
David Cortman, senior counsel and vice president of Alliance Defending Freedom, left, and middle school student Liam Morrison speak to reporters following oral arguments over Morrison's "There Are Only Two Genders" T-shirt before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in Boston on Feb. 8, 2024.
Courtesy of Alliance Defending Freedom
Law & Courts Court Backs School That Barred Student's 'Two Genders' Shirt
The court said the shirt could be understood to demean transgender and gender-nonconforming students, and administrators could prohibit it.
Mark Walsh, June 10, 2024
5 min read
Illustration of clothes on hangers
Getty
Teaching Profession What Does It Mean for Teachers to Dress ‘Professionally’?
Warm weather makes teachers want to wear casual clothes. But is a dress code really necessary?
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 29, 2024
4 min read
Image of articles of clothing on a coat hook outside a school entrance.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
School Climate & Safety School Dress Codes Often Target Girls. What Happens When Male Teachers Have to Enforce Them?
Male teachers say the task can put them in a risky and uncomfortable position.
Alex Harwin & Sarah D. Sparks, February 15, 2024
11 min read
The Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon, April 19, 2023, in Washington.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon, April 19, 2023, in Washington.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Declines to Hear Closely Watched Case on Charter Schools
The justices won't consider whether charter schools are "state actors," which has implications for the push for religious charter schools.
Mark Walsh, June 26, 2023
5 min read
A teen girl in a red graduation cap and gown helps another graduate affix a tassel to her graduation cap.
Kristalynn Medina helps Jacqueline Medina attach her tassel onto her mortarboard on May 26, 2023, before the commencement ceremony for Harlingen High School's Class of 2023 in Harlingen, Texas.
Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald via AP
Families & the Community Pomp and Khaki Pants: What to Consider When Setting Graduation Dress Codes
District leaders should consider equity, enforcement, and community relationships when setting graduation dress standards.
Evie Blad, June 2, 2023
4 min read
A teen boy in a red graduation cap and gown wears an eagle feather on his neck. He stands outside among classmates.
Elijah Wiggins wears an eagle feather, a gift from his grandfather, at his graduation from Cedar City High School on May 25, 2022, in Cedar City, Utah. Utah is one of a growing number of states that have passed laws to allow students to wear items of cultural or religious significance during graduation ceremonies.
Rick Bowmer/AP
Equity & Diversity When Graduation Dress Codes Clash With Students' Cultural Expression
Students have sued to wear culturally significant items at graduation, and some states have also passed legislation protecting the practice.
Evie Blad, May 31, 2023
5 min read
Composite of 3 individuals, two looking at the camera and from behind playing the piano.
Courtesy photos
School Climate & Safety Students Push Schools to Overhaul Dress Codes: Their Success Stories and Lessons Learned
How girls and LGBTQ+ students punished for dress code violations fought to overhaul district policies.
Eesha Pendharkar, March 31, 2023
6 min read
Riley O’Keefe found her freshman yearbook at Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns, Florida altered with a digital black bar to hide her chest. The school later printed yearbooks without alterations.
Riley O’Keefe found her freshman yearbook at Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns, Florida altered with a digital black bar to hide her chest. The school later printed yearbooks without alterations.
Courtesy of Riley O’Keefe
School Climate & Safety High School Students Challenge Dress Code After Girls' Photos Were Censored
After 80 girls' yearbook photos were censored in one high school in Florida, then-freshman Riley O'Keefe fought to change the dress code.
Eesha Pendharkar, March 31, 2023
7 min read
Albany High School track team members pose after being kicked out their practice and a lacrosse game the same day for wearing sports bras on an 80-degree day.
Albany High School track team members pose after being kicked out their practice and a lacrosse game the same day for wearing sports bras on an 80-degree day.
Courtesy of Kayla Huba
School Climate & Safety How Athletes Suspended for Wearing Sports Bras to Practice Changed the Dress Code
Thirteen track athletes were suspended for wearing sports bras to practice. They fought the decision and pushed for a changed dress code.
Eesha Pendharkar, March 31, 2023
6 min read
Tristan, the 13-year-old child of Danielle Miller who identifies as nonbinary, was sent to in-school suspension for having long hair at Magnolia ISD.
Tristan, a 13-year-old child who identifies as nonbinary, was sent to in-school suspension for having long hair at the Magnolia ISD in Magnolia, Texas.
Courtesy of Danielle Miller
School Climate & Safety Nonbinary Child's Long Hair Results in Suspension, Dress Code Amended After Legal Battle
Magnolia ISD in Texas suspended a then-11-year-old nonbinary child for having long hair until a lawsuit forced a gender neutral dress code policy.
Eesha Pendharkar, March 31, 2023
5 min read
Thunder storm sky over the United States Supreme Court building in Washington DC.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Law & Courts Supreme Court Asks for Biden Administration's Views on Legal Status of Charter Schools
Stemming from a suit over a North Carolina school's dress code, the issue is whether "public" charter schools act with government authority.
Mark Walsh, January 9, 2023
3 min read
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Law & Courts The 8 Most Consequential Developments in Education Law in 2022
The list includes major decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court, a transition on the high court, and several lower court decisions.
Mark Walsh, December 22, 2022
6 min read