When MTSS is used to determine eligibility for special education services, how should MTSS data be used in referrals and evaluations?

• A. MTSS data should inform early intervention and monitor progress.
• B. MTSS data should be used only to label students as needing services.
• C. MTSS data should inform early intervention, identify students needing comprehensive evaluation, monitor progress, and ensure evaluations consider response to instruction as part of decision-making, while preserving nondiscriminatory evaluation.
• D. MTSS data should determine eligibility without any formal evaluation.

Answer: (C)

MTSS data provide a continuous, data-driven picture of how a student responds to different levels of instruction and supports. When a referral for special education is considered, these data help the team identify which students need a comprehensive evaluation, monitor whether interventions are effective, and ensure that decisions about eligibility take into account the student’s response to instruction. At the same time, evaluations must remain comprehensive and nondiscriminatory, meaning MTSS data inform the process but do not replace a formal evaluation. Using MTSS data to label a student or to determine eligibility without a formal, thorough assessment would be inappropriate.