Dressed For Success

Designer clothes for kids and extra baggy pants were not the fashion a number of years ago when Jayma Hitt was a student at Woodlawn Elementary School.

The school implemented a standardized dress code at the start of 2007-08 school year and Fred Wild and Park elementary schools followed suit this year.

Now in her 22nd year working at Woodlawn, media specialist Hitt said Tuesday, "we didn't dress for success back then, but we do here now and I think it makes a big difference in all aspects of our campus,"

Student behavior has improved, she said.

"It's not necessarily a uniform, but the solid color shirts, the solid color pants and wearing the pants up where they belong, the students just look better," Hitt said. "It really does make a difference in the classroom and on our campus

Park Elementary Principal Brenda Longshore said Tuesday: "It's absolutely wonderful; we are thrilled with the results."

Student discipline has improved dramatically, she said.

Parents suggested the dress code change during the summer of 2007. Several Park Elementary teachers visited schools in Polk County, which has a district-wide standardized dress code.

Parent Maria Sutherland, with a second-grader and fifth-grader at Park Elementary, is a strong supporter of the school's dress code change.

"For children that age, I don't want the influence of designer wear and who has what to influence innocent little minds," she said.

Sutherland cited a report of a sharp decline in discipline referrals from another school that went to a standardized dress code.

"They didn't change their academics; they didn't change their menus; they didn't change their teachers; it was just strictly the dress code," she said. Secondary schools should consider it, she said.

"I was just looking at some kids yesterday Monday going to high school and all I could think about was, 'I wish they had uniforms for them as well' because there are some scantily clad children going to school and I just think that is an inappropriate attire for learning."

Sutherland said her children like the standardized dress code.

"They have five different pairs of shorts and six different T-shirts or polos to pick from and it's a no-brainer," she said.

Longshore said there are only about five families in the whole school that decided not to participate.

"It has just been a phenomenal change," she said. "We've changed our entire culture and climate at the school. The kids are really proud. They have a sense of getting on task where they come to school ready to learn and they look nice."

At Fred Wild Elementary, 79 percent of the parents and staff members who responded to a school survey indicated that they felt standardized dress would be beneficial for students.

In the school's September newsletter, Principal Laura Waldon said: "Our goal is to work with families to have a positive impact on our students and prepare them to do their best and be successful.

"This broad, standardized dress code is intended to be as easy as possible for all Fred Wild Elementary families."

Park Elementary's standardized dress code calls for solid color polo shirts or T-shirts with or without a Park Elementary logo that are red, white, black or navy blue. No designs, advertisements or sleeveless shirts.

Bottoms can be shorts, pants, "skorts" or capris that are khaki, blue jeans, navy blue or black.

Footwear is to be tennis shoes that are enclosed in the back.

All pants bottoms should fit properly and pants should not sag below the waist, according to the dress code.

The Fred Wild Elementary standardized dress code is similar, but tops and bottoms can be any solid color and dresses can be any solid color.