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?
School Dress Code Debates, Explained
What are they, who do they serve, and do they need to be changed?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Equity & Diversity
Districts Need Guidance on Designing Dress Codes That Are Fair to All. It Might Be On the Way
The Education Department has said it will develop resources, but experts say school districts also need to examine their own policies.
Equity & Diversity
School Dress Codes Aren't Fair to Everyone, Federal Study Finds
Girls, Black students, and LGBTQ students are disproportionately impacted by school dress codes, says the GAO's report.
Equity & Diversity
Q&A
‘Our Hair Is Our Identity’: What Educators Need to Know About Hair Discrimination Laws
More states are passing versions of the CROWN Act, which forbids race-based hair discrimination in schools.
Law & Courts
A Charter School Made Girls Wear Skirts to Promote 'Chivalry.' An Appeals Court Says No
A federal appeals court said the charter school's policy violates the Constitution and that Title IX applies to dress codes.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Why This Teacher Will No Longer Pay for the ‘Privilege’ to Wear Jeans
Getting to wear jeans occasionally at my school hardly seems worth the outlay, explains a teacher.