This project involved the Panel Head, P5 teachers, and the NET. In the evaluation meeting by the end of the second term, the Panel Head expressed appreciation for the effort of the panel and the way the initiative was conducted. She pointed out the use of data to inform teaching and learning in this way was new to the panel.  The systematic analysis of data helped the teachers set a focus for their actions and build appropriate evaluation mechanisms to gauge the effectiveness of the strategies used.

For a project on using data to improve student learning to be successful, teachers need to pay attention to the following:

1. Reflect on how to collect, analyze and use data (c.f. R&D section).
2. Collect a mix of qualitative and quantitative data, if possible, as this will provide a more holistic picture of the students’ needs and how to address them.
3. Use the data to understand how students feel about their English language learning experience.
4. Share the data with the students and raise their awareness of their weaknesses to help them understand the rationale for teachers’ actions.

Finally, it is important to share some of the difficulties the teachers faced in the project. The teachers tried out a read-aloud assessment, a pre-test and a post- test, all of which required them to assess individual students.  As they wanted to keep the class time for teaching,  they decided to use recess, and lunch time for these tasks.  The two teachers and the NET shared out the assessment work in both classes.  Moreover, the lessons for remediation and new teaching also took extra time that had not been initially set aside.  So when embarking on any teaching and learning enhancement project, teachers need to think carefully about how they can re-allocate tasks to ensure effective use of time.
 
In order to cope with the issue of time, the teachers involved in this project recommended the following strategies:

1. Use 5 minutes in a lesson as warm up to teach the skills or practise skills learnt previously
2. Infuse some strategies into other activities and games used whenever appropriate
3. Add more intensive phonics syllabus to the scheme of work early and teach the phonics package extensively across P1-P6 levels
4. Share out the diagnostic assessment and pre- and post- tests among all teachers