Long Beach Unified School District Uniform Initiative: A Prevention-Intervention Strategy for Urban Schools, The

Journal of Negro Education, The, Fall 2003 by Lopez, Rebecca A

Evaluating the School Uniform Policy and Program

The quantitative outcomes of the policy have been remarkable. Crime report summaries are now available for the five-year post-uniform policy period and reflect that school crime overall has dropped approximately 86%, even though K-8 student enrollment increased 14%. The five categories of school crime where comparisons can be made between 1993 levels and 1999 levels are as follows: (a) sex offenses down 93% (from 57 to 4 offenses); (b) robbery/extortion down 85% (from 34 to 5 cases); (c) selling or using chemical substances down 48% (from 71 to 37 cases); (d) weapons or look-a-likes down 75% (from 145 to 36 cases); and (e) dangerous devices down 96% (from 46 to 2 cases; LBUSD, 1999).

The impact of uniforms on 3 other critical areas of school crime-assault and battery, assault with a deadly weapon, and vandalism-is inconclusive because of changes in reporting criteria and definitions of these crimes which were implemented at the state level during this period. However, using previous measurement categorizations, the LBUSD notes that incidents of assault and battery have declined from 319 cases to 82 cases during the same period and vandalism has declined from 1,409 incidents to 106 incidents. The only category that increased over this period has been the category of assault with a deadly weapon. From 6 incidents in 1993, to 16 incidents in 1995, this category has slightly, but steadily, increased to 24 by 1999. Again the latter three categories of school crime have experienced revisions in interpretation and definition at the state level, ergo the numbers alone may not be an accurate indicator of decline or increase in these categories (LBUSD, 1999).

Analysis of attendance figures has also provided interesting outcomes for the uniform initiative. In the fourth year that school uniforms have been required in K-8 grades, the percent of actual attendance reached almost 95%, noted as the highest point in the 18 years that the district has maintained statistics. Middle schools also registered comparable improvements in student attendance reaching almost 95% (LBUSD, 2002).

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND POLICY

As indicated earlier, there is little research on the effectiveness of school uniforms. Thus, there is a need for additional research given the positive outcomes for children and schools as reported from the LBUSD evaluation. Given the continuing challenges that schools face in providing a safe and healthy environment for students learning and health, school uniforms may serve to promote student's achievement and well being. This may be especially relevant in the context of ever-growing commercial influences on children's development.

While preliminary evaluation of the uniform policy and program is encouraging for Long Beach and for other school districts, little scholarly research exists on the use of uniforms from the students' perspective. For example, some students in the LBUSD voiced opposition to perceived constraints of uniforms on personal expression. The courts will likely be the stage for future objections to infringing on student independence (Dowling-Sendor, 2001). Several developmental implications for school uniforms have yet to be fully explored and it appears that a major impetus for dress codes and uniforms remains focused on school and staff safety.