Twenty-two years ago, the National Reading Panel (2000) released a research synthesis of effective reading practices for classroom instruction. The first is phonemic awareness. The others are phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This study examined the connection of assessment for kindergarten through second-grade students in the phonemic awareness tasks of letter sounds, blending, and sound-to-letter. The specific subgroups for African American, Hispanic/Latino, students with disabilities (SWD), and English language learners (ELLs) were examined as there exists a gap in literature of connecting assessments to instructional practices as well as a collaborative school approach in response to data. In this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study, focus group participants reviewed district data and discussed the potential steps to improve instruction based on their respective roles. The quantitative data were collected from the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screener to determine if a significant difference existed between the subgroups of African American, Hispanic/Latino, SWD, and ELLs in phonemic awareness tasks. Quantitative findings demonstrate a steeper decline in assessments in letter sounds, blending, and sound-to-letter between the school years 2019-2021 due to the global pandemic. Teacher self-perceptions of their knowledge in phonemic awareness showed average understanding. The qualitative findings revealed the themes of oral language, parental involvement, teacher knowledge, and data dialogue to support practices that promote language and literacy. A key finding is that phonemic awareness instruction should focus on building students' receptive and expressive language with engagement in language experiences throughout the school day. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]