Research Notes

By Continued

After administrators in Long Beach, Calif., hailed the beneficial effects of having their students wear uniforms, schools and policymakers rushed to embrace the idea.

Among the districts that now allow schools to require uniforms for their students are Baltimore, Chicago, Miami-Dade County, and Phoenix. Even President Clinton endorses the concept.

But can uniforms really bring about the kinds of improvements that their proponents claim? Do they lead to decreases in drug use and behavior problems among students? Do they...