The University of Iowa recommends that teachers prepare kindergartners and first graders for the ITBS by emphasizing it as a chance to show their parents and teachers what they've learned, presenting the test as an exciting opportunity. Teachers should discuss with older students the test's role in helping them determine with which subjects students need additional assistance, and how the test measures faculty performance. Teachers shouldn't describe the ITBS in make-or-break terms, because that only intensifies anxiety and potentially impairs student performance.
Accommodations for disabled students must be in accordance with the students' Individualized Education Program (IEP), the formal plan educators draft to assist the students' academic development. Accommodations shouldn't give disabled students any advantage over their classmates; the goal is to create a level playing field and ensure that test data accurately reflect the class' progress. Accommodations such as test copies in Braille or having a person read the question to the student and record his answers are examples of appropriate adjustments for students with physical disabilities. The University of Iowa recommends accommodating students with learning disabilities by using the test that corresponds to the grade level at which the student functions.
Norm-referenced interpretation of ITBS test results uses a student's performance to compare her progress to her classmates' along with providing aggregate student data that indicate how well a school is performing compared to Iowa's other districts. A criterion-referenced interpretation is a subjective performance measure that allows educators to assess a student's level of subject mastery, pointing out gifted students and those who aren't performing on par with their grade level.
Teachers can address a student's academic needs with his parents more effectively by speaking to his parents in person than by sending them their child's raw score data. Teachers can explain exactly what the scores mean and whether the student's test performance is indicative of how the student actually performs in class. Parents have the opportunity to discuss specific ways in which the teacher may be able to help the student with class material and request supplemental exercises that may help the student. Teachers in turn can offer guidance on providing effective homework help for subjects with which the student struggles.