7 Feb 2005
Paper and Telephone Surveys Show Support For Change Higher Than 76 Percent
DALLAS—Two scientifically conducted surveys of randomly selected Dallas Independent School District parents and residents show nearly three out of every four adults back a proposed change that would require students to wear school uniforms as early as next fall, the district announced Monday.
In both surveys, which were conducted in November, between 76.2 and 83.2 percent of all respondents said they would favor having students wear school uniforms.
"We have a very high level of confidence in the support this issue has among parents and residents who live within the district," said Donald J. Claxton, division manager—Communication Services. "The adults we surveyed believe student uniforms in the Dallas ISD will have a significant impact on learning and safety. The idea was welcomed at all levels, including elementary, middle and high schools. More than three out of every four people surveyed on paper and via telephone said they are in support of this concept."
Paper Survey Results
The paper survey was mailed to 16,000 randomly-selected DISD parents the first week of November. A total of 673 responses were tabulated and calculated.
A total of 76.2 percent of all parents who responded said they approved of student uniforms for students in elementary, middle and high schools in the district. A total of 81.6 percent of all parents who responded said they approved the use of uniforms for students in elementary and middle schools, and 83.2 percent said they would favor the measure in elementary schools.
A total of 75.3 percent of all parents answering the paper survey said that they felt uniforms would improve a school's learning environment, while 78.2 percent said uniforms would improve student safety at school.
Telephone Survey Results
In addition, from Nov. 15-18, 2004, the district conducted a telephone survey of 400 DISD residents. The margin of error for the survey was 4.5 percent.
A total of 79.5 percent of all respondents said they were either "very favorable" or "favorable" to the district requiring all students to "wear a uniform or standardized dress at the beginning of school next fall." A total of 10.0 percent were neutral toward the idea and only 4.5 percent were "unfavorable," and 3.5 percent "very unfavorable." A total of 2.5 percent either didn't know or refused to answer the question.
Approval for the measure among ethnic groups also was very strong, with 89 percent of Hispanics, 72 percent of African Americans and 76 percent of Caucasians surveyed in favor of the concept.
Support for the measure between the two genders was nearly equal with men favoring the issue more by only two points (80 percent "very favorable" and "favorable") to female support of 78 percent combined.
Respondents to the telephone survey also reported a strong belief that uniforms would have a positive impact on student safety. Forty-seven-point-five percent of all respondents said it would have a "very significant" impact and 29.5 percent said the impact would be "significant." Only 11.8 percent said the impact would be "insignificant" or "not at all." A total of 11.3 percent said they were neutral on
the question.
Most respondents, 73.8 percent, also said that uniforms would have a "significant" or "very significant" impact on the learning environment in DISD schools. A total of 12.3 percent said impact would be "insignificant" or "not at all," while 14 percent remained neutral on the question.