The background and pro and con arguments were written by ProCon.org staff based upon input from the following sources.
| 1. | Elisabetta Gentile and Scott A. Imberman, "Dressed for Success? The Effect of School Uniforms on Student Achievement and Behavior," utdallas.edu, Jan. 15, 2010 | |
| 2. | Ryan Yeung, "Are School Uniforms a Good Fit?: Results from the ECLS-K and the NELS," Educational Policy, Nov. 2009 | |
| 3. | Jennifer Weiss, "Do Clothes Make the Student?," nytimes.com, Sep. 16, 2006 | |
| 4. | Dorothy Behling, "School Uniforms and Person Perception," Perceptual and Motor Skills, Oct. 1994 | |
| 5. | University of North Texas, "School Uniforms Equalize Students, Education Professors Say," news.unt.edu, Aug. 3, 2006 | |
| 6. | John A. Gavin, "Schools Find Stricter Rules, Uniforms Can Lessen Bullying," northjersey.com, Feb. 8, 2011 | |
| 7. | Daily Herald Editorial Board, "Uniforms Benefit Students," heraldnet.com, Sep. 4, 2012 | |
| 8. | NorthJersey.com, "Editorial: Do Uniforms Make Better Students?," northjersey.com, Sep. 29, 2011 | |
| 9. | Madison Park, "School Uniforms Poll Bares Generation Gap," baltimoresun.com, Dec. 23, 2007 | |
| 10. | Carol Motsinger, "Ironing out Policies on School Uniforms," usatoday.com, Aug. 6, 2007 | |
| 11. | Ovetta Wiggins, "Pr. George's Students Who Chose Pink, Not Uniforms, for Breast Cancer Month Punished," washingtonpost.com, Oct. 25, 2013 | |
| 12. | Linda Starr, "Can Uniforms Save Our Schools?," educationworld.com, May 11, 1998 | |
| 13. | Glori Chaika, "School Uniforms: Panacea or Band-Aid?," educationworld.com, Oct. 11, 1999 | |
| 14. | David L. Brunsma, The School Uniform Movement and What It Tells Us about American Education: A Symbolic Crusade, 2004 | |
| 15. | Peter Caruso, "Individuality vs. Conformity: The Issue behind School Uniforms," NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals) Bulletin, Sep. 1996 | |
| 16. | American Civil Liberties Union, "All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go: Students and Their Parents Fight School Uniform Policies," aclu.org, Nov. 4, 1999 | |
| 17. | American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, "Four Reasons Public Schools Should Think Twice Before Instituting School Uniform Policies," aclunv.org, Dec. 19, 2008 | |
| 18. | David L. Hudson Jr., "Clothing, Dress Codes & Uniforms," firstamendmentcenter.org, Apr. 1, 2002 | |
| 19. | French Toast Official School Wear, "Why School Uniforms?," frenchtoast.com (accessed Aug. 15, 2014) | |
| 20. | John A. Huss, "The Role of School Uniforms in Creating an Academically Motivating Climate: Do Uniforms Influence Teacher Expectations," Journal of Ethnographic and Qualitative Research, 2007 | |
| 21. | Lisa Flam, "Are School Uniforms Helping or Hindering?," today.com, Aug. 19, 2013 | |
| 22. | Greg Toppo, "What to Wear? Schools Increasingly Making That Decision," usatoday.com, Aug. 18, 2013 | |
| 23. | US Department of Education and Bureau of Justice Statistics, "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2013," nces.ed.gov, June 2014 | |
| 24. | Kathleen Kiley Wade and Mary E. Stafford, "Public School Uniforms: Effect on Perceptions of Gang Presence, School Climate, and Student Self-Perceptions," Education and Urban Society, Aug. 2003 | |
| 25. | Claudene Wharton, "College of Education Researchers Conduct Study on Impacts of School Uniforms," unr.edu, Apr. 23, 2013 | |
| 26. | J. Scott Granberg-Rademacker, Jeffrey Bumgarner, and Avra Johnson, "Do School Violence Policies Matter? An Empirical Analysis of Four Approaches to Reduce School Violence," Southwest Journal of Criminal Justice, Spring 2007 | |
| 27. | Virginia Ann Bendel Draa, "School Uniforms in Urban Public High Schools," eric.ed.gov, Nov. 30, 2005 | |
| 28. | US Supreme Court, Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, law.cornell.edu, Feb. 24, 1969 | |
| 29. | United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Canady v. Bossier Parish School Board, caselaw.findlaw.com, Jan. 23, 2001 | |
| 30. | Mike Wilson, "Clinton Raps Teacher Merit Pay," Associated Press, Nov. 19, 2007 | |
| 31. | Camille Chatterjee, "Uniform Improvements," psychologytoday.com, Sep. 1, 1999 | |
| 32. | National Association of Elementary School Principals, "National Survey of School Leaders Reveals 2013 School Uniform Trends," naesp.org, July 30, 2013 | |
| 33. | Linda Abel Fosseen, "School Uniforms in Middle Schools: Enhancing Identity and Security," Uniforms in Public Schools: A Decade of Research and Debate, Ed. David L. Brunsma, 2006 | |
| 34. | Mark Walsh and Karen Diegmueller, "Law Update: Judge Upholds Mandatory Uniforms at Phoenix School," edweek.org, Nov. 15, 1995 | |
| 35. | US Department of Education, "Creating Safe and Drug-Free Schools: An Action Guide: Uniforms," ed.gov, Sep. 1996 | |
| 36. | US Department of Justice and US Department of Health and Human Services, "Changing Course: Preventing Gang Membership," ncjrs.gov, 2013 | |
| 37. | Jay Wheeler, "Letters to the Editor: School Uniforms Discourage Gangs," orlandosentinel.com, Sep. 10, 2009 | |
| 38. | Larry Wilder, "Pros and Cons of School Dress Code: Pros of School Dress Code: Helping Students Dress for Safety," fresno.edu, Nov. 11, 2007 | |
| 39. | Elin Hofverberg, "Sweden: School Inspectorate Says School Uniforms Are Human Rights Violation," loc.gov, Feb. 1, 2018 | |
| 40. | George Carlin, You Are All Diseased (album), 1999 | |
| 41. | Angela Walmsley, "What the United Kingdom Can Teach the United States about School Uniforms," Phi Delta Kappan, Mar. 2011 | |
| 42. | Tom Houlihan, "School Uniform Debate: 'School Uniforms Are Just Another Distraction,'" education.com (accessed Aug. 20, 2014) | |
| 43. | Joe Mathews, "In Uniforms, No Uniformity," latimes.com, July 11, 2001 | |
| 44. | Maria Halkias, "Retail Sales' Dip Trims Merchants' Hopes for Back-to-School Season," dallasnews.com, Jan. 18, 2011 | |
| 45. | Laura Clark, "School Uniform Improves Pupils' Behaviour Both in and out of School," dailymail.co.uk, July 10, 2007 | |
| 46. | US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts: School Uniforms," nces.ed.gov (accessed Oct. 24, 2018) | |
| 47. | Michael Colasanti, "School Uniforms and Dress Codes: State Policies," ecs.org, Mar. 2008 | |
| 48. | Lee. A. Daniels, "Uniforms a Hit at Four Public Schools," nytimes.com, Dec. 6, 1987 | |
| 49. | Jon Allan Reyhner, "Indian Boarding Schools," californiaindianeducation.org (accessed Aug. 20, 2014) | |
| 50. | New York Times, "School Uniforms Growing in Favor in California," nytimes.com, Sep. 3, 1994 | |
| 51. | Bill Clinton, "Address before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union," presidency.ucsb.edu, Jan. 23, 1996 | |
| 52. | Alison Mitchell, "Clinton Will Advise Schools on Uniforms," nytimes.com, Feb. 25, 1996 | |
| 53. | Court of Appeals of Arizona, Division 2, Department B, Phoenix Elementary School District No. 1 v. Green, caselaw.findlaw.com, Mar. 27, 1997 | |
| 54. | United States District Court, North Carolina, Eastern Division, Hicks v. Halifax County Board of Education, law.justia.com, Dec. 15, 1999 | |
| 55. | American Civil Liberties Union, "Student Prevails in NC School Uniform Dispute," aclu.org, Jan. 11, 2000 | |
| 56. | Cy Ryan, "Appeals Court Sends School Uniform Lawsuit Back to Lower Court for Additional Review," lasvegassun.com, Feb. 14, 2014 | |
| 57. | Maura Dolan, "Appeals Court Finds Nevada School's Uniform Policy Unconstitutional," latimes.com, Feb. 14, 2014 | |
| 58. | United States District Court, New Mexico, Bivens by Green v. Albuquerque Public Schools, leagle.com, Aug. 25, 1995 | |
| 59. | Charles Haynes, "School Officials Ease up on Uniform Enforcement," freedomforum.org, Jan. 16, 2000 | |
| 60. | Kyler Sumter, "History Repeating: Don't Censor What I Wear, Let Me Be," huffingtonpost.com, Feb. 27, 2014 | |
| 61. | Seventeen, "Make Your School Uniform Unique!," seventeen.com (accessed Aug. 20, 2014) | |
| 62. | Teen Vogue, "How to Accessorize Your School Uniform," teenvogue.com (accessed Aug. 20, 2014) | |
| 63. | Harold Howe II, "Leaning toward the Spartans and Away from the Athenians," edweek.org, Apr. 3, 1996 | |
| 64. | M. Sue Stanley, "School Uniforms and Safety," Education and Urban Society, Aug. 1996 | |
| 65. | Andrea Dashiell, "School Uniforms: Conformity vs. Creativity," parentmap.com, Sep. 25, 2013 | |
| 66. | David L. Brunsma and Kerry A. Rockquemore, "Effects of Student Uniforms on Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Use, and Academic Achievement," Journal of Educational Research, Sep./Oct. 1998 | |
| 67. | New York Times, "American Topics: Mandatory School Uniforms May Reduce Crime by Pupils," nytimes.com, Sep. 25, 1995 | |
| 68. | Linda Lumsden and Gabriel Miller, "Dress Codes and Uniforms," Research Roundup: National Association of Elementary School Principals, Summer 2002 | |
| 69. | Seunghee Han, "A Mandatory Uniform Policy in Urban Schools: Findings from the School Survey on Crime and Safety: 2003-04," International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 2010 | |
| 70. | Joel Donofrio, "Dressed to Distraction," cdapress.com, Nov. 16, 2012 | |
| 71. | Worthington Christian Schools, "School Uniforms," worthingtonchristian.com (accessed Aug. 20, 2014) | |
| 72. | Charles Badger, "Report of Standard School Attire: A Look at the Issues," schoenml.org (accessed Aug. 20, 2014) | |
| 73. | Lois K. Solomon, "9 More Schools to Have Students Wear Uniforms," sun-sentinel.com, May 6, 2000 | |
| 74. | Dhanya Skariachan, "Uniforms Seen as Bright Spot in Drab U.S. Back-to-School Season," reuters.com, Aug. 14, 2013 | |
| 75. | Beth Asaff, "Pros and Cons of School Uniforms," kids.lovetoknow.com (accessed Aug. 20, 2014) | |
| 76. | Grace Chen, "Public School Uniforms: The Pros and Cons for Your Child," publicschoolreview.com, Apr. 24, 2014 | |
| 77. | United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Jacobs v. Clark County School District, May 12, 2008 | |
| 78. | US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2012," nces.ed.gov, June 26, 2013 | |
| 79. | Erikson Institute, "Erik H. Erikson: Erikson Institute's Namesake," erikson.edu (accessed Aug. 21, 2014) | |
| 80. | Melinda Swafford, Lee Ann Jolley, and Leigh Southward, "The Student Dress Code Debate," Techniques, Jan. 2011 | |
| 81. | 188th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "General Laws: Chapter 71: Public Schools," malegislature.gov (accessed Aug. 21, 2014) | |
| 82. | St. Petersburg Times Editorial Board, "Uniform Policy Goes Too Far," sptimes.com, July 23, 1999 | |
| 83. | Jenny Scott, "School Uniforms: A History of 'Rebellion and Conformity,'" bbc.com, Sep. 5, 2014 | |
| 84. | Chris Hush, "Students Skipping Class Due to Cost of School Uniforms," wgal.com, Sep. 10, 2014 | |
| 85. | Shawn Jeffords, "Uniforms Won't Stop School Bullies, Experts Say," stcatharinestandard.ca, Mar. 14, 2012 | |
| 86. | Peter McGuire, "No Skirting the School Uniform Debate," irishtimes.com, Feb. 8, 2016 | |
| 87. | Schoolwear News, "School Uniforms Costs Just 45p a Day--New Study Shows," schoolwearassociation.co.uk, Aug. 20, 2015 | |
| 88. | US Department of Education and US Department of Justice, "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2015," nces.ed.gov, May 2016 | |
| 89. | Chris Baumann and Hana Krskova, "School Discipline, School Uniforms and Academic Performance," International Journal of Educational Management, 2016 | |
| 90. | National Center for Education Statistics, "Indicator 8: Students' Reports of Gangs at School," nces.ed.gov, May 2017 | |
| 91. | Printwear and Promotion, "Schoolwear Association Research Reveals Uniforms Can Be a Powerful Tool," printwearandpromotion.co.uk, Sep. 13, 2017 | |
| 92. | Christian Sheckler, "Washington High School May Do Away with Uniform Policy," southbendtribune.com, Apr. 25, 2017 | |
| 93. | Adam Sherwin, "High Price of School Uniforms Leaves Children at Risk of Bullying," independent.co.uk, Feb. 24, 2015 | |
| 94. | Patrick Butler, "Hidden Costs of State Schools Causing Hardship for Millions," theguardian.com, Oct. 28, 2014 | |
| 95. | National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics, "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2018," nces.ed.gov, Apr. 2019 | |
| 96. | Sarah Mervosh, "Girls at North Carolina School Don’t Have to Wear Skirts, Judge Rules," nytimes.com, Mar. 31, 2019 | |
| 97. | National Center for Education Statistics, “School Uniforms,” nces.ed.gov (accessed May 3, 2021) | |
| 98. | McKenna Oxenden, "Court Sides with Girls Who Sued over School’s Skirt Requirement," nytimes.com, June 17, 2022 |