What is BBSST???

BUILDING
BASED
STUDENT
SUPPORT
TEAM

Building Based Student Support Team (BBSST) is a school-based collaborative team found in all schools, K-12.  It is designed to meet the diverse needs of general education students who are at-risk of failure or drop out due to chronic academic and/or behavior challenges.  Team members discuss issues related to specific needs of teachers and students and offer assistance in resolving problems. The team is composed of regular education teachers, administrators, counselors, and other individuals as needed, including special education teachers.

By establishing a student support team, a school may call upon the expertise of a number of individuals, professionals, paraprofessionals, and nonprofessionals in resolving school and/or student issues. Through collaboration, educators are given the opportunity to address concerns and find solutions with greater perspective. The team uses data-based analysis to determine effective differentiated strategies matched to individual student needs to prevent loss of credit toward graduation.

The purpose of BBSST is to provide immediate aid through a BBSST plan for students in general education who are struggling academically and/or behaviorally.  The BBSST plan provides intervention strategies that are implemented in an eight-to ten-week plan within the general education classroom.  The plans are implemented and progress-monitored in general education classrooms while determining whether there is a need for referrals to other programs. The plans do not duplicate or supplement plans for students actively served by other program plans. After a BBSST plan is implemented, it is evaluated for effectiveness and suggestions are made for future recommendations.

Further guidelines for the BBSST process can be found in the Lee v. Macon Consent Decree, the Alabama State Department of Education BBSST Manual, on the Prevention and Support Services Section Website at www.alsde.edu, in the Alabama Administrative Code §290-3-1-.02 for Regulations Governing Public Schools, and in the Alabama Administrative Code §290-8-9-.01-.72ER(2).