In the 1999-2000 school year, only about 12 percent of U.S. public schools required their students to wear uniforms. Since then, the number of schools requiring uniforms has risen. Uniform policies are now in place at about a fifth of all public schools in the United States--but do school uniforms really level the playing field? New research has called into question many of the central claims that encourage schools to adopt uniform policies. They include: (1) Uniforms are cost-effective for low-income families; (2) Uniforms improve student behavior; (3) Uniforms prevent crime and violence; and (4) Uniforms establish a positive school culture.