uniform > dress code from grades 1 to 8. maybe from 9 to 12 or maybe even 7-12 change it up to make it a dress code. i went to both catholic and public grammar schools, uniforms were not a big deal. i went to canisius hs, it was one plain shirt/pants/tie, and was not a big deal. not only does this eliminate gang wear and put everyone on a similar playing field, but it gets people ready for life, when you might actually have to dress nicely once in awhile instead of wearing xxxl jeans with rips and a g unit hoody. (and dont get me wrong, i love my hoodies and rap, but sometimes the gear just isnt appropriate.)
i absolutly think uniforms would help, even if they enforced the dresscodes in effect it would help.