According to the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), which component must be included in a MTSS?

• A. Requiring outside professionals to participate at each tier
• B. Using comprehensive assessment structures throughout the process
• C. Determining eligibility solely based on progress monitoring data
• D. Obtaining parental consent before movement between tiers

Answer: (B)

In MTSS, decisions are driven by data gathered through a comprehensive set of assessments used at every stage. This means starting with universal screening to identify all students who may need support, using ongoing progress monitoring to track how well a student responds to instruction within each tier, and applying more in-depth assessments as needed to understand specific learning or behavioral needs. When you have this full picture—from multiple sources and methods—you can make informed, data-based decisions about increasing or decreasing supports, selecting appropriate interventions, and adjusting instruction. This continuous, holistic approach ensures supports are matched to each learner and that movement between tiers is guided by solid evidence rather than a single measure. The other options aren’t required components: MTSS emphasizes data-driven assessment across the process rather than mandating outside professionals at every tier, it relies on a spectrum of data rather than progress data alone to determine eligibility, and parental consent is tied to evaluations and services, not the routine movement between tiers.