It was the first public school district in the nation to do so. Since the mandatory-uniform policy was launched in 56 elementary and 14 middle schools here in fall 1994, violence and discipline problems have decreased dramatically, a recent survey by the district shows. Physical fights between students have dropped by 51 percent, and there were 32 percent fewer suspensions. Though each school in the district can choose its own uniform, most Long Beach students are required to wear black or blue pants, skirts, or shorts with white shirts. Nearly 60,000 K-8 students are affected by the policy.
Parents have the option of excusing their children from the requirement.
But, so far, only 500 parents have filled out petitions to exempt their children, according to Dick Van DerLaan, a spokesman for the district. The Oakland, Calif., schools began a similar uniform policy last September. But Long Beach appears to be the first school system to have documented measurable success in improving student behavior. Since students at Rogers Middle School started wearing black bottoms, white tops, and red jackets or sweaters, fights have declined by 40 percent, and academic performance has improved, school official said. Uniforms are an effective method of reducing unwanted behavior, she said, because the more formal clothing puts students in the right mind-set to learn.