Catawba, Newton-Conover Schools Push Ahead With Dress Codes

HICKORY, N.C.,None — Two school districts in Catawba County are looking to expand their dress codes to other schools. One of the districts, Newton-Conover City Schools, has successfully implemented it in its middle school with the school embracing it. The other system, Hickory Public Schools, has struggled more. At the high schools, where the standardized dress code has been in place for three years, many students still rebel against it.

Hickory Public Schools unanimously voted at its Monday board meeting to expand its dress code from its high schools to its two middle schools, beginning in the fall. Newton-Conover City Schools' board will vote at its June 13 meeting whether to expand its dress code from its middle school to its three elementary schools.

Although there are differences in the two systems' dress codes, both require their students to wear polo or button-down, long-sleeved shirts in designated colors and prohibit cargo pants and jeans. Hoodies and logos other than the school or school system's are also not allowed.

HPS teachers weigh in

Walking through Hickory High School, most students are in the dress-code-required polo shirts. However, there are students who are in many different shades of shirts.

According to Hickory Public Schools' dress code, acceptable colors for tops are "garnet (burgundy), gold, white, pastel pink and light grey." An anonymous survey of the high schools' staff conducted in March reveals just how difficult it is to get the students to wear the proper color of shirts.

"(There is) too much arguing whether the color of the shirt is pink, rose, hot pink, salmon, peach or purple, which are the colors they try to get by with."

Many of the teachers suggested the dress code either be expanded, to include more colors, or narrowed, to have only one color top, such as white, and one color bottom, such as khaki. Currently, three colors — khaki, black and navy — are acceptable for bottoms.

Hoodies and tucking shirts into bottoms are also big problems, according to the survey.

HPS teachers also said the students dare staff to call them out on dress code violations.

"The students will change clothes between classes and wait on their other teachers to ‘catch' them. When asked to get in dress code, I have students grab their shirts out of their bags and do so without arguing, which means that they know I expect them to be in compliance, but that they didn't have to be in their last class — OR — that they are testing me each and every day to make sure that I am going to ask them to put their collared shirt on."

Several teachers said having to constantly nag students to be in compliance is damaging their relationships with students — relationships that are valuable for the students' growth and self esteem. It is also creating a rift between the teachers: the ones that enforce the dress code and the ones who don't. Many teachers also said in the survey that administrators don't punish students who have dress code violations.

"No back up from administrators. They will talk to students out of dress code between classes and/or at lunch, but do nothing about it or mention anything about being out of dress code," said one teacher.

Hickory Public Schools' board of education was presented with the survey results at its April 4 meeting.

Not all of the comments were negative. One teacher said it cuts down on bullying. Another said there was a "reduction of visible body parts and there is less fashion competition" between the students. One teacher said when the dress code is enforced, students "seem more business-ready and respectful."

First year Hickory High Principal David Coyne did not want to comment on the dress code at the school.

Hickory Career and Arts Magnet High School (HCAM) Principal Kelly Owen said the students at the school have a difficult transition to make. Because the school is a magnet school and students apply, many are from outside the HPS district.

"When they come, they choose to come, and they have to wear the dress code. It's a hard transition," Owen said.

Students in dress code violation get a warning the first time, and an after-school detention the next time. Owen said if she sees hoodies, she tells students to put them away.

However, students will often bring them back out again.

Reason behind expanding the dress code

HPS has received requests for expanding the dress code to the middle schools since it began at the high schools, said Joab Cotton, board chair for Hickory Public Schools.

"There have been some surveys for parents and staff, and the parents had been asking about it," he said. "We send a survey out each year, and there's a question or two about the dress code on it."

Cotton also cited Newton-Conover Middle's success with the dress code, and said HPS hopefully will have similar success at its middle schools.

He admitted there have been some difficulties in dress code enforcement at the high schools, but said the system was working on it.

"We've had a change of principalship at the high school, and we're making sure things are followed and they're enforcing it," he said. "Rome wasn't built in a day. Each freshmen class takes a while. It's a matter of implementation and enforcement."

Cotton said one of the reasons for expanding the dress code was so students would know what to expect when they went to high school.

On the staff surveys, teachers were asked if they thought the dress code should be expanded to middle schools. The majority said yes, many saying it would ease the transition to high school. Some said students already have so much to deal with as freshmen, adding the dress code was too much.

HPS Superintendent Lillie Cox said although it was not her decision to make, she was supportive of it.

"I do think putting it at the younger grades would help with the high school. There's a natural progression from the younger to older students," she said.

Cox said she's heard positive and negative comments.

"I know it takes some getting used to," she said. "The board has spent significant time with policy versus implementation. I think having it at the middle school will help (at the high schools) and I think they will also tweak the policy."

Cotton said he feels good about the board's decision to expand to Grandview and Northview middle schools. He is unsure if the district would go as far as expanding to the elementary schools like NCCS is looking to do.

At a February board meeting, NCCS Superintendent Barry Redmond said the district is looking at expanding the dress code because it is focused on continued achievement and the dress code seems to help with that at the middle school. Board member Kyle Drum initially suggested the idea.

Unlike HPS, NCCS has held community meetings at each of the schools that may have the dress code next year, to gauge how parents feel on the subject.

"It's been about one-third supportive, one-third against it and one-third who are indifferent," Redmond said. "It will be nice to have it, but we have no strong issue with it at the elementary schools."

He said the students at the middle school, however, have seen great success.

"They have profited greatly from it and likely will never go back," Redmond said.

In 2007, the year before the dress code was implemented at Newton-Conover Middle School, there were 1,496 discipline notices issued, according to Principal Jim Elliott. Discipline notices are issued for disrespect or class disruption, bullying and other issues. In 2008, the first year of the dress code, that number was cut in half, to 775. They have continued to drop, he said. In 2010, they were down to 278.

How beneficial are dress codes?

Despite Newton-Conover Middle School's success with the dress code, not every school can expect the same results, said Monica Campbell, chair of the College of Education at Lenoir-Rhyne University and assistant professor of education.

A class of graduate students at the university conducted a meta-analysis during the spring semester. This involves looking at all the research within a specific time period. They looked at all the research on dress codes within the last 10 years.

"There was no effect on academic achievement," Campbell said. "For bullying and violence, the research is inconclusive. The schools are unable to control for extraneous materials. There are other things that have changed, like new rules or new academic programs at the schools."

She said on the surface, parents seem to love dress codes at schools. Parents like the idea of their children wearing a uniform for school and kids not getting into a fashion contest with others. Teachers may feel like it reduces peer pressure to wear brand name clothing.

The research showed there was either no effect or positive effect. No research showed dress codes were detrimental to students or schools. Despite inconclusive research, some school systems still decide to have dress codes.

"If we even think it promotes a good environment, we say, ‘why not?' Teachers and parents say they love it, and the school systems move forward," Campbell said. "We're always looking for something better."

Students, parents weigh in

Hickory High senior Tashawn Shelton has attended high school with and without the dress code. His sister will be in eighth grade next year, dealing with the dress code at the middle school. He said when she learned she'd have it at the middle school, she "freaked out."

Shelton said the dress code doesn't bother him that much, and that it's helped at Hickory High.

"My sophomore year there was a gang fight outside," he said. "Now, it doesn't distort people. They can't wear gang colors. But they know who's in the gangs. It just gave the gangs more reason to rebel. You can't blame the administration. They're enforcing it."

Celeste Saltado, a sophomore at HCAM, said she is glad people don't judge her by the way she dressed.

Fellow HCAM student J.J. Peoples, who would go to Bunker Hill High if he didn't go to HCAM, said it was hard to switch to a school with a dress code.

"I don't get to express myself," he said. "I just deal with it."

Classmate Shaquille Smith offers advice to middle school students who will have a dress code next year: "close your eyes and put it on. It all matches."

The students at Grandview Middle still aren't pleased about having a dress code next year.

"I want to wear what I want," said Darrell Izard, 14, although he admitted he would be happy to see one thing go. "People wear saggy pants now, and it's not really appropriate."

Seventh-grader Taylor Wilson said she already has to wear a uniform for orchestra, consisting of a polo and khakis. She doesn't like that, and she's not in favor of a dress code, either.

"Our dress expresses ourselves," she said. "The teachers say it doesn't takeaway our freedom, but we paid for our clothes, we should get to wear them."

Wilson said she only knows four students who are in favor of it.

Grandview Middle student Christina Hart said having a casual Friday every other week would make the dress code easier to bear.

"We could get to wear T-shirts, jeans and hoodies," she said.

Hart said while she doesn't think middle school should have a dress code, she is strongly against elementary students having one.

"In kindergarten and first grade, they're just kids and should get to play around," Hart said.

Laura Zinkhan is a teacher at Newton-Conover Middle and the mother to a 5-year-old at South Newton Elementary. She said the dress code is one of the best things that happened to the middle school and she hopes the board approves it for the elementaries.

"I've seen the positives at the middle school. It helped with self esteem, with no tags and logos. You look nicer and it helps with safety," she said. "The biggest complaint was they couldn't express themselves, but they've gotten more creative with socks and hair items."

Zinkhan said she thought it would be easier getting elementary-aged kids to wear the dress code, because you select the children's clothing for them. She said the dress code helps students overall.

"When you dress better, you feel better, when you feel better, you act better," she said.

Northview Middle parent and PTA President Vickie Reeves is also in favor of the dress code. She has two children who will be in middle school next year and a daughter currently in high school and said in the long run, it saved her money.

"I think it will be easier for the kids, not having to decide what to wear," Reeves said. "And they can accessorize with belts and fun shoes. I have heard (my daughter say) some teachers enforce it and some don't. You have to enforce it and spend time on the curriculum, that's their job."

Teachers shouldn't have to worry about strappy tops and holey jeans, and students shouldn't worry about who has designer clothes, Reeves said.

She said she has a friend who did not like the board's decision for the middle schools to have a dress code, and was surprised by that friend's reaction.

"I think my friend thought this should have been a decision that should have included everybody," Reeves said. "But what good will discussing do? This is what you wear, this is what you do. If you're for it, you're for it. If you're against it, you're against it."

Tina Matthews is one of those parents who wished the community was included in the decision. She'll have two children at Grandview Middle next year.

"I feel bamboozled," she said. "I don't mind if it's implemented if it included our opinion, but that just didn't happen."

Matthews said the parent survey the school board is basing its decision on is one that many parents don't send back, so it's not an accurate representation.

"There was a rumor that went around school Thursday or Friday (the board might vote on the dress code), but we didn't believe it," Matthews said. "I would have respected this vote if I had known about it."

She said the current dress code at the school is working, with only the same handful of people who are continuing to violate it.

"If you implement this dress code at the middle school, it will have lost its luster," Matthews said. "Middle school is where children develop their freedom and individualism and this totally robs them of that."

WSOC