Principal praises dress code

By Emily Richmond

Friday, Oct. 15, 2004 | 10:52 a.m.

It's a claim made again and again by supporters of school uniforms -- that having children dress alike improves student behavior, reduces competition and makes campuses safer.

Just seven weeks into the new academic year, Garside Junior High School Principal Darlene Russell says a stricter dress code is already having a notable effect.

"There's a difference in the whole attitude and demeanor of our kids," said Russell, who is in her second year as principal of the campus on Torrey Pines Drive near the Jones Boulevard exit of Interstate 95. "We tell our students, 'These are your work clothes. Your job is to come to school and get educated.' "

Last month Garside had 20 students referred for required parent conferences, compared with 65 in September 2003. There were 11 students cited for insubordinate behavior last month, compared with 32 cases a year ago. And there's been a single campus disruption so far this year, compared with seven in September 2003.

But the number of students sent to the dean for dress code violations has also gone up -- to 114 last month from 59 in September 2003. That's part of the "learning curve" as the school adjusts to the new policy, Joseph Winfield, Garside's dean of students.

"We expect that number (of dress code violations) to drop way down," Winfield said.

What's also increased, however, is the school's average daily attendance -- 96 percent last month, up from 93 percent a year ago. Russell attributed the improvement to a new incentive program where students earn rewards -- such as pizza parties or a night at the movies -- by setting perfect attendance records.

Opponents of school uniforms say the gains touted by educators like Russell are proof of nothing more than the "halo effect," where other changes at a campus -- in addition to uniforms -- many yield positive results.

"There's no way to prove it's the uniforms that make any difference," said Deanna Wright, a Clark County School District parent who opposes the proposed stricter dress code policy. "It could be the principal, better teachers or the fact that it's a new group of kids."

Russell decided to implement the "Dress for Success" program this summer after learning the number of criminal citations handed out at the school had gotten Garside flagged by the Nevada Department of Education.

The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires districts to identify "persistently dangerous" schools and provide additional support to those campuses. Each state was allowed to devise its own definition of "persistently dangerous," which critics say allowed education officials to circumvent the law by establishing unrealistic thresholds.

In Nevada, a school is labeled "persistently dangerous" if for two consecutive years the number of criminal citations issued at the campus exceeds a set percentage of the total enrollment. For schools with between 750 and 1,500 students, the number of criminal offenses must be more than 1.75 percent of the total student body. Larger schools would get the tag if its number of criminal citations exceeds 1.5 percent of the population.

With 29 criminal citations issued at the school in the 2003-04 academic year, Garside was the only campus in the state to exceed the allowable total. Garside's citation count equaled 1.94 percent of its enrollment, and the school gained the "persistently dangerous" label.

Russell said the higher number of citations was the result of her instructions that the school's staff follow a "zero tolerance" policy.

Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, said the "persistently dangerous schools" provision of the federal No Child Left Behind Act punishes administrators who actually follow the law.

"Instead of being marked with the educational equivalent of a scarlet letter, this principal (Russell) should be given a national award," Trump said Thursday. "She's probably the most honest principal in the United States."

Trump, who consults with school districts across the country, also said that school uniforms can help improve campus safety.

"Like any strategy, dress codes aren't a cure-all -- but it can help contribute to a more positive environment," Trump said. "It reduces competition which can sometimes lead to conflict and certainly makes it easier to spot tresspassers. It may be a tool for addressing gang activity although gangs will always find a way to identify themselves, no matter what rules are put in place."

At Garside, if the ratio of criminal citations isn't reduced this year, the school will be identified as "persistently dangerous" and the district would be required to grant students transfers to another campus.

"I would hate for us to start losing students, just when we're starting to build something positive here," Russell said.

There are 27 campuses following stricter versions of the districtwide dress code, ranging from mandatory uniforms at nine elementary schools to a ban on denim and patterned shirts at Chaparral High School. The Clark County School Board is in the midst of deciding whether principals alone should be allowed to implement stricter requirements or if parents must first give their approval.

At Garside students must wear khaki, navy or black bottoms with white or blue tops. Shirts must be polo-style or collared. On Mondays, students are allowed to wear other clothing.

Of the school's more than 1,400 students, 56 percent qualify for free and reduced-priced meals. Russell said she's spent about $500 of her money to help outfit students for whom meeting the dress code requirement posed a financial hardship.

Edna Martinez, a seventh grader at Garside, gave the dress code a mixed review.

"It keeps our other clothes cleaner and it's easier to do laundry," Martinez said. "The bad part is it doesn't give us the chance to express ourselves."

Peter Muserelli, whose grandson attends Garside, said he has "no problem" with the stricter dress code.

"I went to parochial schools. I know what uniforms do," Muserelli said. "They teach you that you're not better than anybody else and everybody's the same. "

His grandson, Garside eighth grader Jordan Melendez, said he's grown to like the dress code requirements.

"No one is going to pick on you because of what you're wearing," Jordan said. "You can't tell how much something cost because there's no labels."

That doesn't mean Jordan isn't quick to change his clothes once he gets home at the end of the school day.

"Today I'll put on my black T-shirt -- it has a skull on it," Jordan said. "I can't wear it here (at school) but it's still my favorite."