Going through our evaluations from the last inservice it is fairly obvious that the most mentioned item for student improvement is better enforcement of the current dress code. We are all in this together. We all realize it is our job to mutually enforce the rules of the school. It is not just the dean's job or just the teachers' job but the task rests with all of us because we all teach character.
I've just finished reading the book "Freakonomics" which is a wonderful read and certainly very entertaining. I highly recommend it. The book spends chapters explaining and evaluating incentives and how to use incentives to produce the desired behavior.
Applying the lessons of "Freakonomics" to the dress code problem we've come up with an interesting proposal to try during the Fall of next year. We are all annoyed with the dress code compliance right now and would like to see it better. What if we tried the following for the fall of 08?
1. Dress code violations would result in monetary fines rather than detentions.
2. The fines would double with each violation.
3. The collected fine money would go to provide teachers with added perks (I'm thinking a water cooler or two in the lounge and bagels / donuts every Friday).
4. Students with unpaid balances would be unable to attend athletic events, dances, be eligible for sports, receive diplomas etc.
5. For students with chronic problems the dean reserves the right to apply other disciplinary consequences.
Obviously there are pros and cons to every plan. The pros of this plan is that consequences are more proporional to what the offense is. Right now a student who has an untucked shirt receives the same punishment as a student who mouths off i.e. a detention. The other pro is the money or loss there of is a huge motivator. In life many minor offenses are met with fines rather than imprisonment.
Cons include some wealthy students being able to flaunt the rules. Of course they would have to correct the offense and pay the fine. Other cons would be parents complaining that the fine essentially ends up their responsibility and costs them a significant amount of money. Of course the parent could cut off the lunch money or hock some of their children's belongins on ebay to pay the fine.
Let me know what you think? We are rewriting the handbook over the next two weeks. Would it work? What are other points we are missing? Do you have a better solution?
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12 comments:
Yes, I feel there's problems with our dress code it's sprial out of control
i don't know about out of control. If at the end of the day it is our biggest problem then we are very blessed.
I did have a thought that families who are unable to pay their fines could have their children work their balance off at a rate of $7.50 an hour.
From the standpoint of how many comply versus how many do not comply, the problem is minor; perhaps 8% of the student body or perhaps 40 a day, that leaves roughly 760 or more in compliance. The 8% number is probably high, just stand in the hallway during passing and randomly count. It is interesting. Normally only the student out of compliance sticks out; it is normal to only remember the negative, not think in terms of there are a lot in compliance. One must take a more positive approach in celebrating those that follow, rather than those that don't.
If only dress were checked every first hour and student not to be in compliance were sent to me, much of the problem could be dissolved. As the dean I do not see every kid every hour every day. Everyone must take responsibility for enforcing the dress code. We must ALL work together.
In vivid comparison to 'other school' PND students stand out in a positive manner.
The fine idea, is a fine idea! If initiated early in the year the problem will take care of itself. The fine idea must take a positive approach to be effective.
When I said that our dress code was out of control, I was referring to how many of the boys' hair is way too long ,their ties are never up. Just today I saw a boy with no belt and his pants were hanging off his hips. As before, the boys usually stayed pretty much in dress code, most of the time it was the girls who would need some reminding. I'm not speaking about their character, if we are going to have a dress code then, we must all work toward that and all enforce it.
Research shows that dress codes reduce discipline problems, for example bullying, by 50%. That is a tremendous benefit for our PND school-community.
The monetary penalty was used at BHS during the 70's for smoking, tardies, etc.
Some of the students (who are now parents)from that period likely will remember the $$$ fines. As I remember it effectively stopped "smoking in the boys' room." Bill B.
@ bill
Interesting to know that the more things change the more the stay the same. I'm glad to hear that fining effectively solved the problem.
Would the fines be graduated based on the offense? For example, out of code shoes would cost $5, while not being clean-shaven would cost $7, or a shirt untucked or an off-color undershirt would cost $1?
Would the Dean be responsible for collecting the fines?
I think that a first-hour dress code check could be very effective, but what about those students who arrive late? Would the front office be responsible for that?
I am just full of questions...perhaps we could brainstorm some possible solutions...
@ all
I was imagining fines beginning after a warning at $1 and then doubling for each offense. All dress code violations be they from shoes to shaving to hair being too long etc. would be considered equally grave.
The dean would collect the fines. The trade off of keeping track of detentions would be equal to the amount of paperwork to collect fines. Teachers would write the tickets and turn them in and the dean would play banker and executioner.
Students who couldn't pay their fines could work them off on Saturday work crews.
In terms of helping with early enforcement to make it stick I would figure the first few weeks I would come on the PA at certain times (different time each day) and ask teachers to write tickets. The only part I hate of all this is interrupting class. But then again we are all supposed to teach character as well. Following the rules teaches character. I like the first hour notice but there are stragglers.
So would the student pay a fine for each class during the day? And what about the student who feels it's worth the $$ to wear their new pink sweater for the day? I do remember the first year this dress code was instituted that there was no real problem with compliance. There were surprise homeroom checks by the dean with the responsibility falling directly on the students. There was little grumbling by the kids and little or no classroom contact time was given up.
One fine per offense and be forced to comply immediately. Student would receive the ticket and have to remove the sweatshirt in the example mentioned above. They wouldn't be able to pay the fine and avoid compliance. I don't think compliance on major issues is the problem. There is not a lot of major infractions with the dress code rather it is minor annoyances like unbuttoned colllar buttons and sagging ties. 99.9% have the right clothes on. It's how they are worn and that is were fining can work its wonders.
The major, minor annoyance I see is untucked shirts. Students are in uniform but look sloppy. Girls see this as a fashion statement. Some untuck to hide a missing belt. I believe the percentage on this offense is much higher than 8%. This one might be hard to manage. I have asked students to tuck in their shirts only to see them untuck after they leave my sight. This might be one case where you would have to re-fine through out the day.
In looking at the number of teachers who give detentions for dress code..the number may be 1-2 every two weeks. That pushes the % of kids not in compliance downward. I guess I'm using statistics in Blackbaud to support me. Shame on me!
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