A Building-Based Student Support Team (BBSST) is a mandatory, best practice, problem-solving team implemented at the local high school level.

Balanced Representation

Balanced representation on a team that includes persons with training outside education (e.g., healthcare professionals) may increase the use of team services.  Regular educators offer their perspective on the feasibility of implementing a team-generated idea in a regular classroom.  As a result, team suggestions are more likely to be useful to teachers.

Building-Based

It is important that team membership be building-based.  The school staff is aware of strengths and weaknesses of its school.  In addition, staff is often more willing to risk asking for support from a team of familiar colleagues.  Using this knowledge, school teams generally make decisions that are more appropriate.

Acceptance of a Team Concept

The implementation of a student support team may raise questions and some concerns.  In order for the team concept to be successful, the following factors are critical: 

• Strong administrative support and visible commitment.
• Continuous support for those comprising the team.
• Clearly stated team goals and roles.
• A receptive school staff.

The Major Advantage

A structure is provided for professionals to use their individual strengths for solving problematic issues as a team.  This should result in achieving the ultimate goal of student improvement.

Through the school's BBSST, the following can occur:

• A building-level, collaborative, problem-solving model is created.
• Responsibility, expertise, and accountability are shared among the school's staff.
• Immediate support for the teacher, parent, or student is established.
• Documentation of interventions/strategies attempted is provided to support the possible need for a special education evaluation, with valuable intervention time used effectively.
• Appropriate referrals are made for special education (IEP team) services.
• The nature of the student's academic and/or behavioral difficulty is clarified.
• Interventions and strategies can be evaluated be the degree of their success.
• Classroom programs are accommodated to meet individual needs.
• The ability to successfully teach all students in the regular classroom may be enhanced.
• A more responsive, productive, and ultimately satisfying professional environment may be provided.