School board members approve a District improvement plan. That's required by the state since, as a whole, District 205 schools did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress standards this year.

The board then heard details on school-specific improvement plans at 17 buildings that are lagging behind. The District's new administration is working to streamline the improvement plan process so that by next spring they'll have a better understanding of which schools are not meeting standards and they can start identifying areas where they need help early.

Also Tuesday night, board members learned new information about two alternative learning programs starting this January, where students with serious behavioral problems can be referred.

Page Park school will now serve only first through ninth graders and it's shifting focus to academic achievement, instead of just improving students' behavior. Tenth through twelth graders will attend a similar, but separate school called the Leadership and Learning Academy.

"There's a reason behind why they're acting out in schools," says Leadership and Learning Academy Principal Jennifer Sims. "It could be that they're struggling academically, or maybe they have issues going on outside of the school environment and they really shut down, so this offers a smaller, non-traditional setting where we can provide interventions."

Typical class sizes for the alternative programs are around 15 students.

In other behavior-related news, Superintendent LaVonne Sheffield again stressed that East High School parents should feel safe sending their kids to school. She says there have been no fights or disruptions outside the five pulled fire alarms over the past week.

Dr. Sheffield also announced that H1N1 vaccinations will begin December 1st in Rockford elementary schools and conclude December 9th in the high schools. Only students whose parents' signed a consent form will receive the free shots.