Westchester Public Schools, District 92½, has a reputation for academic excellence. The teaching staff includes classroom teachers, interventionists, reading, math, and technology specialists who work collaboratively to increase student learning and achievement. A full array of educational services is provided, including English Learner (EL) support services, to meet varied student needs. A core element of the District's Vision and Mission is a focus on the skills and conceptual tools that are critical for 21st-century learners, including the 5 C's: Critical Thinking & Problem Solving, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity & Innovation, and Culturally-Diverse Teaching and Learning. The goal is to incorporate the 5 C's into all learning experiences within the district, across grade levels, subjects, and other school experiences. Fine arts and physical education are part of the core academic program at all schools. Instrumental music is offered in grades 4 through 8. Westchester Middle School has additional offerings of Spanish and Home Economics. In the area of assessment, our students take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), a computer-based assessment that is designed to determine student college and career readiness. IAR assesses the Common Core State Standards. Its goal is to measure the full range of student performance and provide timely data throughout the academic year for teachers to better adjust instruction, interventions, and professional development. Districts are required to administer the Performance-Based Assessment for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics and the End-of-Year Assessment for ELA and Mathematics. All students, in First grade through Eighth grade, take the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test. MAP is administered three times per year. This test determines the students’ instructional level and measures academic growth throughout the school year, as well as from year to year in the areas of reading and math. The teachers and building administrator will use test results to begin the process of determining skills-based groupings. MAP scores are also used to differentiate instruction in the areas of reading and math.