Uniforms: Do they really improve learning?

The military wears them. Postal workers, sports teams, even men and women in factories at times wear them. Now it appears if you go to Dudley High School in Greensboro NC you will wear them as well. The "them" I speak of is uniforms. Dudley HS needed 88% of the parents that voted to approve of uniforms. As of today, March 28, 2006, we now know that 89% approve of having uniforms at the school for next year.
All the buzz about uniforms began officially on March 21st when a "fashion show" was given for the community to view the uniforms and vote (only parents were allowed to vote). It was immediately evident that students and their parents were torn on the issue. Amos Quick, the District 9 school board representative that represents Dudley said, "I like to see kids look nice, look neat, look a little more professional than sometimes they look now." Not only is Quick a school board member, but also a parent of a freshman at the school who strongly opposed her father's view of a "professional look." "I would feel better if they voted against it, but I can't change their minds. I've been trying to change their minds for so long," says Dudley freshman Jasmine Quick. Other comments made by Ms. Jasmine Quick were along the lines of "...we should be able to express ourselves." However, one of the biggest reasons for this sudden move to wear uniforms is due to the very fact of expression and oftentimes the misuse of it, often to the detriment of education.
So why is it that now Dudley wants to move to uniforms? Simply put, academic research has stated its benefits. One particular study found thatfor secondary schools, "Marked differences could mainly be observed at upper grade levels, where the uniform is worn for a longer time: At these grade level, students wearing uniforms compared to those not wearing uniforms reported a better classroom climate, a higher learning goal orientation, higher classroom attention and a lower importance of clothes." (Dickhauser et al., 2004) Other studies within the topic of uniforms showed similar correlations.
The question still lingers, should students be allowed to express themselves? There are intend positives to the uniform issue, like detering gang paraphanalia, more professional dress, and some economic reasons as well, but in the long run is this in the best interest of the student when we force them to wear a uniform. Many of the parents in attendance to view the uniforms on March 21st saw much promise in the prospect of wearing them, but many of the students already are seeking transfer to other schools. Does this speak to the need for students to get back on focus or a silent protest against the powers that be? Let me know what you think about school uniforms in public schools: Yes or no? and Why?

Dickhauser, O., Lutz, K., Wenzel, M.,& Schone, C. Correlates of student uniforms: An empirical analysis. PSYCHOLOGIE IN ERZIEHUNG UND UNTERRICHT 51 (4): 296-308. 2004